Patterson Says No To Commonwealth Citizens Sitting in Parliament

Former Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, says Commonwealth citizens should no longer have the right to sit in Jamaica’s Parliament.

He made the remark during a reasoning on the recommendations of the Constitutional Reform Committee, CRC, held on Wednesday at the Faculty of Law on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies.

George Davis reports.

The matter of dual citizenship was one of the areas of focus for Jamaica’s longest-serving prime ministers, as he detailed his opinion on the country’s efforts to transition to a republic.

According to PJ Patterson, while he accepts that it’s currently legal for Commonwealth citizens to sit in the Houses of Parliament, this should end when Jamaica cuts ties with the British monarchy.

This is one of the recommendations made by the CRC.

Mr. Patterson told a packed lecture room on the Mona Campus that there are certain sensitive positions in government that should only be held by persons with singular Jamaican citizenship.

Mr. Patterson says he would want to see this change in the new constitution. 

He recalled one instance when one of his picks for a sensitive post was a dual citizen.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding has joined Mr. Patterson in objecting to the proposed method for appointing a future President.

Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding. He was speaking during a reasoning session at the UWI Mona Faculty of Law on Wednesday.