KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -Prime Minister Andrew Holness Monday joined the public debate regarding the dual citizenship of the Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, saying there should be no question about the undivided loyalty of any individual who wants to be or is the ultimate political leader of Jamaica.
“I believe that the Jamaican Diaspora is much bigger than our Commonwealth, that the Jamaican Commonwealth is our Diaspora wherever they are, and that we should allow persons with Jamaican citizenship to serve Jamaicans in our Parliament politically. “So for me, it doesn’t matter what other citizenship you have once you swear allegiance being a Jamaican citizen to Jamaica. That would be my position,” Holness said on the CVM television morning program.
Last weekend, Golding, also the President of the People’s National Party (PNP), responded to questions about his citizenship by saying the queries were politically motivated.
In a statement issued on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Golding acknowledged that he got a British passport as a child but stressed that he travels on a Jamaican passport.
“I was born Jamaican and have a Jamaican passport. I’ve never hidden the fact that my father, who came to Jamaica from the UK, had got me a British passport when I was a young child.
“Before first serving in government, I traveled on my Jamaican passport when I went abroad. Like other Jamaicans, I apply for visas from countries such as the US and UK to go there. I man born yah, but the local government elections and recent polls seem to drive some to grasp at straws.”
The ruling Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Deputy General Secretary, Charles Sinclair, has described as “hypocritical, unacceptable, and disgraceful” Golding’s failure rk Golding to indicate publicly whether or not he has British citizenship.
He said a direct answer from Golding “is necessary” because, as an aspiring leader of the country, his citizenship “of another territory would certainly raise severe questions of loyalty and allegiance regardless of whether that territory is a member of the Commonwealth.
Holness told television viewers he would also say, “To be the ultimate leader of a country, to be the ultimate executive leader of the country, you should have no other citizenship.
“There should be no question by your citizens that you lead that you know that you have somehow split loyalties, that you have a parachute should in case anything go wrong, that you may not be subject to the full force of the laws of the country that you serve because you are a citizen of another country you could always find a way out.
“And I think that is important. I think in the minds of every Jamaican, the question would be, ‘Is the leader of your country fully, wholly, and solely committed to your best interest? And no other loyalty or interest is drawing on their decisions?”
Prime Minister Holdness said it is untenable, and” if you intend to become the leader of the country, whether as prime minister or any sovereign leadership, leader of the Opposition, head of the Parliament or whatever it is, you really should divest yourself of any other loyalty that you may have.”
Last Tuesday, Golding said Jamaicans who hold citizenship for non-Commonwealth countries should be allowed to seek political office.
In his statement on Saturday, Golding also insisted that the rule regarding dual citizenship and participation in general elections should be reviewed.
“Jamaica is in the Commonwealth, and our current constitution requires Commonwealth citizenship (and at least one year’s residence in Jamaica) to be eligible to be a parliamentarian. Over the years, parliamentary candidates with Commonwealth passports have legitimately participated in general elections to become MPs and sat in the Senate.
“On the other hand, the current constitution prohibits non-Commonwealth citizens (who have pledged foreign allegiance) from being parliamentarians. The constitutional reform process should reconsider the current rule and make it in accord with the realities of the Jamaican experience,” he said.
But Prime Minister Holness said that while he is not against individuals with dual citizenship constituting the Parliament, he believes that once an individual aspires to lead Parliament, for them to remain dual citizens is untenable and incurable.
“For two things, we must find a way to include our Diaspora, our Jamaicans. So, once you are a Jamaican, you have Jamaican citizenship. We believe you should be entitled to enter our Parliament and…serve. However, having entered the Parliament, if you intend to become the ultimate decision-maker, you must divest yourself of any other loyalty, even if it is not required legally.
“I think anyone in that position would be untenable, and not just that, it would be incurable. In other words, having gone ahead and saying I want to lead the country ultimately and not having taken that step before, you can’t cure it afterward because the question is, ‘Why didn’t you do this before? Why did you carry us along and not declare this to us?’ So it is not just untenable, it is incurable,” Holness told television viewers.
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