(Jamaica Gleaner) Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he is in support of calls to amend the Constitution to allow persons with dual allegiances to offer themselves for political office.
Holness, who, as leader of government business in the House of Representatives headed a parliamentary committee to determine how to treat with the issue, said it was unfair to some members of the diaspora, who are barred by the Constitution from serving in the legislature.
“The Jamaican ‘commonwealth’ is its diaspora, and the way the law is structured now, we are giving preference to the British Commonwealth to represent us, whereas we should really be looking at ensuring that it is the Jamaican commonwealth that is able to come back to its country and participate,” Holness told The Gleaner in a recent interview.
Under the Constitution, persons who are under the acknowledgement of allegiance or obedience to a foreign power do not qualify to sit in Parliament. Persons who are citizens of Commonwealth countries can be elected to Parliament providing they have lived in the country for one year prior to Nomination Day.
Holness, like his predecessor Bruce Golding, believes that the law is unfair.
“The commonwealth of Jamaica is not necessarily a British Commonwealth, and if we are making allowances for the British Commonwealth to be able to sit in our Parliament, we should also make allowances for the Jamaican commonwealth, which could include our diaspora in the UK (United Kingdom), Canada, and the USA (United States of America),” he said.
“I think that would be a really positive move of really integrating, especially the American diaspora,” Holness added.
No choice but to wait
However, Opposition Member of Parliament Ronald Thwaites said, “We had no choice but to wait for his leadership (in the parliamentary committee), and it never came.”
Thwaites recalled that the Holness committee was established to determine whether there was need for constitutional reform to allow for dual citizens to serve in Parliament.
“He was put in charge of this committee. It met on one occasion with urgent need to keep going, to clarify the position. I suggested public hearings where various views can be canvassed with a view to considering an amendment to the Constitution,” Thwaites said.
“That was about a year ago, and he has never reconvened that committee despite the fact that I have raised the issue several times in the House. I have written to him and to the Speaker asking what is happening to this committee,” he added.
In the meantime, Holness said, “While the law is as it is, we must abide by the law.”