Dear Editor,
Some weeks ago Jamaica Observer columnist Raulston Nembhard wrote an incisive piece, which, in part, stated that the Constitutional Reform Committee established by the Andrew Holness-led Administration has failed in many respects and needs to be revamped, restructured, and adequately funded to allow it to comprehensively, meticulously, and methodically inform the Jamaican people about the relevant issues being debated regarding the proposed constitutional amendments.
I am in favour of including the following proposals in an amended constitution:
1) Jamaica removes the King of England as Jamaica’s head of State and replace him with a ceremonial Jamaican president to be appointed by the governor general on the direct advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the Opposition
2) The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council remains as the country’s final court of appeal for a further 10 years
3) Cabinet ministers continue to be named by the prime minister
4) Government senators to be named by the prime minister and Opposition senators named by the leader of the Opposition and sworn into office by the ceremonial president. And all senators be paid a salary
5) A two-term fixed limit for all serving prime ministers
6) A four-term limit for all serving Members of Parliament
7) No fixed general election date, allow the status quo to remain
8) No impeachment law; relevant laws are presently in place
9) Jamaican citizens living overseas should be able to vote in the country’s general elections
10) Former Jamaican prime ministers should have their own established prime ministerial libraries, similar to that which exists in the United States for former US presidents
Additionally, I believe Prime Minister Holness should accept the full newly approved prime minister’s salary of $28.5 million and contemporaneously allow the former Jamaican prime ministers and widows of former prime ministers to receive the upgraded prime minister’s pension. They deserve it, to put it bluntly. In fact, I am of the view that the prime minister of Jamaica should be paid a gross salary of $60 million per annum based on the plethora of important duties and responsibilities he shoulders 365 days of the year and being on call 24 hours every day
The Constitutional Reform Committee should seek to undertake a two-year education campaign so that all Jamaican citizens are familiar with the provisions of the new Jamaican Constitution, and every student attending high school should be given a copy of the document.

Robert Dalley
Montego Bay, St James
robertdalley50@aol.com

A copy of the Jamaican Constitution