Let people decide if Jamaica should be a republic

THE EDITOR, Madam:

There is little benefit to having a British monarch as head of state of Jamaica. Consider for a moment the absurdity of requiring Jamaicans to obtain a visa to visit the United Kingdom where the monarch lives! This requirement and the continued deportation of Jamaicans, even those of the Windrush generation who rebuilt the United Kingdom in the wake of the devastation wrought by World War II, are clear signs that the United Kingdom views Jamaica as a liability and Jamaicans as a threat. But while I appreciate that the Government is taking the formation of a republic seriously, its contemptuous approach to this process is disappointing.

I firmly believe that any move to fundamentally change Jamaica’s constitution and structure of government should be preceded by a referendum. I’d like to think that many Jamaicans share my view that we should be a republic but there is no concrete evidence to justify this. The Government may argue that their election victory is proof enough to proceed as they are, but the truth is that many may have voted for other policies apart from the formation of a republic.

In a recent announcement, Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte announced that the Constitutional Reform Committee had arrived at consensus to recommend that the British monarchy as head of state be abolished and replaced by the office of the president of the republic of Jamaica. Shouldn’t the people have made these serious recommendations? And who exactly are the members of this shadowy committee? The Government should have had an awareness campaign about the make-up of this all-important body to inspire confidence in its decisions.

Finally, there’s the pesky issue of the final court for this desired republic. In all its utterances, the Government has fiercely rejected the idea of having the Caribbean Court of Justice, which consists of Jamaican jurists, as Jamaica’s final court. Instead it wants Jamaica to be bound by the decisions of the Privy Council. Can our nation be truly independent if we still cling so desperately to this distant British court?

This issue of the formation of a republic must be pursued correctly. The Jamaican people deserve to vote to make their intentions clear and to give this process legitimacy. Additionally, we must resolve the issue of our final court of an independent nation.

MARIA MUTIDJO