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Water Minister Senator Matthew Samuda
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By Nakinskie Robinson
While all eyes were on the citizenship status of Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who recently admitted that he holds British citizenship, Government Senator Matthew Samuda has now made that admission.
Mr. Samuda was one of three government members who came under fire from People's National Party General Secretary Dr. Dayton Campbell after he raised questions about whether they were also dual citizens.
After addressing matters relating to his portfolio responsibilities as Water Minister, Senator Matthew Samuda was put to task about his citizenship status by Hotline host, Emily Shields, on Thursday.
"I am indeed a dual citizen. I was born in London; that's not a secret or not information which is public," he admitted, adding that he holds a British passport.
His admission comes just days after Dr. Dayton Campbell questioned whether President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson, and Minister Samuda were British citizens.
He also asked whether Minister of Culture, Entertainment, Sports and Gender, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, held Jamaican and Canadian citizenships.
In response to Mr. Samuda's admission, Dr. Campbell, in a post on social media platform X on Thursday, called the senator a hypocrite.
But in a statement, Thursday afternoon, Senator Samuda hit back, saying he was in the advanced stages of renouncing his British citizenship.
Mr. Samuda said he voluntarily took the decision to retain his Jamaican citizenship only, after carefully listening to public discourse concerning the issue of dual citizenship.
He did not state exactly when the process began, but indicated that the renunciation had commenced "prior to today".
Senator Samuda also advised Opposition Leader Mark Golding to do the same.
Mr. Golding had indicated that he would be willing to renounce his British citizenship if the constitutional reform process determined that holders of the office of Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition should only have Jamaican citizenship.
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