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Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and Constitutional Reform Committee members Hugh Small and Nadeen Spence
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has conceded that the Government's plan to transition Jamaica to a Republic at this time, has been stalled.
According to Dr Holness, the blame must be placed squarely at the feet of the opposition People's National Party, describing its actions as selfish.
The Prime Minister who addressed Jamaica Labour Party supporters at the St Catherine East Central Constituency Conference on Sunday, accused Opposition Leader Mark Golding of going back on his word to support the constitutional reform process.
The Opposition has been adamant that the country adopt the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final appellate court under the current constitutional reform process.
But, the Government has been firm in its stance that the constitutional changes are being done in phases and the matter of the CCJ is not included in the current phase.
Mr Golding has also said that representatives of the parliamentary opposition will not return to the Join Select Committee of Parliament reviewing provisions of the Constitutional Reform Bill until the Prime Minister gives a definitive position on the CCJ.
Without the support of the Opposition, any attempt to move the process forward would likely fail.
Not Surprised
Responding to the Prime Minister's declaration, attorney-at-law Hugh Small, a member of the Constitutional Reform Committee, said he was not surprised at the current stalemate.
Mr Small, speaking Tuesday on The Morning Agenda, on Power 106, said he had made his views on the expected challenges known, at meetings of the Constitutional Reform committee, prior to its Report being sent to Cabinet for approval in May last year.
Mr Small, parliamentarian, said he recognised that constitutional reform was being made into a political football.
He said the road to Republic should not be approached as the goal of any one political party.
Consensus
Similarly, Dr Nadeen Spence, another member of the Constitutional Reform Committee, called for consensus on the matter.
She said the Government and Opposition must discuss their differences in order to move the process forward.
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