PM criticised for not being decisive in push for Jamaica to become a republic

 

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is facing criticisms for not decisively addressing the issue of Jamaica becoming a republic. 

 

Speaking at the official opening of Ocean Eden Bay Hotel, Trelawny on Thursday, Mr. Holness said becoming a republic should not be "empty symbolism", suggesting he would like to see Jamaica accomplish certain things before declaring itself free of the Queen.

 

But attorney Kenyatta Powell has described the Prime Minister's statement as nonsensical. 

 

"This Prime Minister has given us no indication at all that he's interested in a root and branch revamping of the Constitution... He and his government, they're clearly interested in ripping up certain parts of the Constitution that they view as an impediment to their crime fighting and security state strategies. The rest of it, they clearly don't care about," he contended. 

 

"So no, I don't at all think what he's saying is, what we really should do is to revamp the whole thing. He is clearly not interested in doing that, and I think it's wrong of us and foolish of us to read that kind of good faith into the empty nonsense statement he made on this issue," the attorney continued.  

 

Damion Gordon, Assistant Lecturer of Public Policy at the University of the West Indies, Mona, believes the Prime Minister's argument about symbolism and the need for other things to be accomplished first is likely to be viewed negatively by the public. 

 

He complained that legislators appear to be "intellectually lazy" because of their failure to pass new laws or update the Constitution.

 

"Our legislative agenda has been in a state of paralysis and inertia. The crop of parliamentarians who we elect have no notion of what their duties and responsibilities as lawmakers are. When they do show up to Parliament, all they do is knock on the desk and heckle each other. None of them brings any proposals, any bill to the Parliament. So how can we get any meaningful engagement of reform related issues from our parliamentarians?" he questioned.

 

The academic argued that symbolism is important for an independent and sovereign nation. 

 

"We understand the historical context of the monarchy, and we should do everything in our power to rid ourselves of that institution," he suggested. 

 

Barbados took the step to become a republic at the end of November.

 

Since then, there have been calls for Jamaica to do the same, with former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson writing to Mr. Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding, urging them to begin the process before Jamaica celebrates its Diamond Jubilee next year.