Dear Editor,

I have seen that so many of us are concerned, for one reason or the other, about the future of what may be a Jamaican republic. However, what I would like to say to our current leaders and people of influence is this: We must not make the same mistake we did over the past 60 years of semi-independence.

We have not been really independent, so now for us to truly become fully independent we will head for the status of a republic, which means there will be no more Queen of Jamaica; we will have to, from now on, do our own thing. This must reflect the kind of independent republic we really want.

So, I say to one and all, let’s start the process by preparing the plan so that all Jamaicans will have a copy of it, and will be able to have enough time to study it. Then the consultation must start, after which comes the referendum, and we move from that based on the outcome of the referendum.

I would like to make the point that for us to have a true and prosperous republic we cannot continue with the old system. We have to create brand-new systems; starting with our constitution. We also must see to it that patois will now be recognised as one of our official languages, thus giving our local patois-speaking population their rights to be served in a language they can understand.

We can no longer continue to carry out the old colonial system. All Jamaicans must be counted; those at home and those abroad. We must set up our new system to include every Jamaican; no matter where in the world they are they must now have a vote in their country’s elections. The country and its functionality are for all of us, no matter where we live. We cannot afford to maintain what we have now, because it’s unacceptable. We must strive to become a beacon for the new set of republics that will emerge in the Caribbean.

Robert Clarke

rclarke88@hotmail.com