KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -The Jamaica government says it will table the ReportConstitutional Reform Committee (CRC) report in Parliament once the Cabinet has completed its review.
A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister noted that the Cabinet began reviewing the CRC report on Monday; upon completing the exercise, it will be tabled in Parliament along with the government’s conclusionsgovernment’s conclusions.
(File Photo)
“The Cabinet has started a thorough and meticulous process of review, ensuring that all aspects of the report are carefully considered,” it said
The Andrew Holness government remains hopeful that the main opposition party, the People’s National Party (PNP), will reconsider its decision not to sign the document. This indicates that a collaborative approach is essential for achieving meaningful and lasting constitutional reform.
“The Government will not politicize the constitutional reform process or contribute to undermining its integrity.”
Last week, PNP and Opposition Leader Mark Golding said he would submit comments on the CRC’s final Report even as he urged opposition legislators not to sign off on the committee’s Report.
In a statement, the PNP said that Golding had been provided a copy of the final Report last Thursday and then on a restricted basis.
“He will be submitting his comments on other aspects of the Report to the responsible Minister for the consideration of the Committee,” the PNP said.
Golding also wrote to Prime Minister Holness regarding the timeline for severing ties with the British monarchy and the United Kingdom-based Privy Council.
In his May 7, 2024 letter, Golding reiterated the PNP’s position that both matters should be addressed simultaneously, not phased in, as the government has proposed.
Golding said that the PNP would not support the move to establish Jamaica as a republic if the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) issue is put on the back burner.
The CCJ was established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court.
While Jamaica and most of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are signatories to the Court’s Original Jurisdiction that also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty governing the 15-member regional integration movement, CARICOM, only Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, and St. Lucia are members of the Appellate Jurisdiction.
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has insisted on a referendum to decide whether Jamaica should join the Trinidad-based CCJ as a full member.
Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte, who chairs the CRC, said last month that the Report would include a list of recommendations as the island moves towards a smooth transition to a republic. The government intends to hold a referendum on Jamaica’s proposed transition to a republic.
In a statement on Tuesday, the JLP expressed its disappointment at Golding’s position and accused him of acting in a manner that could potentially derail what it regards as “wide-spread public sentiment towards Jamaica becoming a Republic.”
The JLP said that the government has heard and positively responded to “wide and consistent representation from across the island for Jamaica to become a Republic,” adding that the administration has “responded to the significant public sentiment concerning the issue by establishing a bi-partisan committee to advance the process.”
It insisted that the bi-partisan committee “conducted a thorough and timely review of how best to expeditiously complete the process of Jamaica becoming a Republic and submitted recommendations.”
The JLP said it is disappointing that despite “significant progress made in acting on wide-spread public sentiment that Jamaica should become a Republic,” the Opposition Leader has chosen to “potentially derail the process by making demands at the proverbial 11th hour.”
However, it hoped the opposition would “see the wisdom of returning to the table to act upon implementing the widely expressed desire of the Jamaican people.”
and then  report in Parliament once){kind=link}