Dear Editor,

Constitutional reform should be done through a referendum or a vote in both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament to have bipartisan amendments to our constitution.

We should not depend on the courts to tell politicians what’s constitutional when it comes to the removal or dismissal of a senator.

Currently our constitution — from what I’ve learnt from the 2014 lettergate saga involving then Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, as well as senator Christopher Tufton and Arthur Williams — allows that once a senator is appointed, he/she cannot be removed unless he/she indicates by way of resignation, retirement, or until Parliament is dissolved by the prime minister.

Fast-forward seven years later, and obviously new Opposition Leader Mark Golding would love to have allies like Peter Bunting, Dayton Campbell, Patricia Duncan-Sutherland, Danny Roberts, and Christopher Dehring in his Senate, but that isn’t possible right now.

I am of the belief that Prime Minister Andrew Holness, with his two-thirds majority in the House, should amend the constitution to allow senators to be elected, instead of being selected by a prime minister and Opposition leader.

I also believe we, the people, should have the right of a petition to recall our House Members and senators under specified circumstances.

I no longer believe in impeachment since you can be impeached because you are simply not liked.

I believe we should have 31 senators and all should be elected.

When Portmore becomes a parish we will have now have 15. I believe we should have two senators per parish, except for St Andrew, which should have three due to its massive population size.

General elections in Jamaica should be about the people not only electing Members of the House but also the Senate. They all should be accountable to we the people.

Meanwhile, we have a chance to make the upcoming local government elections about the people electing our mayors and councillors. 

Teddylee Gray

Ocho Rios, St Ann

teddylee.gray@gmail.com