JAMAICA-Opposition raises concerns with CRC report.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC—The leader of the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Mark Golding, says he will submit comments on the final Report of the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) even as he urges opposition legislators not to sign off on the Committee’s Report.

“The Opposition Leader was only yesterday provided a copy of the final Report, 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 in a statement Friday.

Golding has written to Prime Minister Andrew 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 and not in a phased way, 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.

Golding said he anticipates the prime minister’s response to clarify the government’s stance on a seamless transition to complete decolonization as a unitary exercise.

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 ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has insisted on a referendum to decide whether Jamaica should join the Trinidad-based CCJ as a full member.

In his letter, Golding also expressed concern that he has yet to be able to seek feedback from members of his party on the draft report from the CRC because of restrictions on sharing the document.

Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte, who chairs the CRC, is reportedly pushing to have the CRC’s Report signed and presented to the Cabinet.

Last month, she said the CRC would soon submit a list of recommendations to Cabinet as the island moves towards a smooth transition to a republic.

“The document is being prepared for signature of Committee members. You can be assured that in the same way, we have put onlineall the confirmed meeting minutes online. The Report will go to Cabinet and be tabled in the Parliament, and we will have an opportunity as a nation to discuss it in full,” Malahoo Forte said then.

The recommendations address matters in Phase 1 of the constitutional reform work program, which includes abolishing the monarchy, establishing the Republic of Jamaica, and proposing amendments to the profoundly entrenched provisions for which a referendum is required.

The CRC aims to provide expert guidance and oversight to the government and the population during the constitutional reform process and implement recommendations on the consensuses reached.

It is also expected to build consensus in areas where it has been eroded or needs to be revised on essential matters related to the process. It will also be required to assess how the passage of time has impacted the recommendations of the 1995 Joint Select Committee on the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Report.

The government intends to hold a referendum on Jamaica’s proposed transition to a republic.