(Jamaica Observer) The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) have agreed to bury the dual citizenship hatchet, to eliminate the need for “costly” by-elections.

Impeccable Observer sources said on Monday night that the parties had reached a deal that would end the legal battles over the alleged dual citizenship of two of their parliamentarians.

The agreement, according to the source, is that the JLP would drop its Supreme Court bid to dethrone the PNP’s Ian Hayles as MP for the West Hanover constituency, and in return, the PNP would not contest any pending by-election in the North East St Ann constituency from which the JLP’s Shahine Robinson was disqualified by the Supreme Court on May 31.

Robinson was on June 23 reinstated by way of a stay of execution by the Supreme Court, pending the outcome of her appeal against the booting.

On Monday night, Information Minister Daryl Vaz said that he had heard of the deal, but that no supporting document to that effect had been sent to party headquarters.

“I have heard of it,” Vaz said, “but I have seen no document to support what I have heard. No party officer has received such a document.”

Both Hayles and Robinson are said to have possessed United States citizenship on nomination day in August 2007, shortly before the September 3 general elections.