JAMAICA’S plan to republic status was thrown into doubt Friday after the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) instructed its legislators not to sign off on the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC), as it seeks to push the Caribbean Court of Appeal as the nation’s final court.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding, in a May 7, 2024 letter to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, insisted that that the PNP wants both the removal of the British monarch as head of State and dropping the United Kingdom-based Privy Council in favour of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the nation’s final court to be addressed at the same time, and not on a phased basis as the Government has proposed.

Golding said that the PNP would not be supporting the move to establish Jamaica as a republic if the CCJ is placed on the back burner.

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte, in response to Golding, said it is regrettable that the Opposition leader has instructed his representatives on the committee not to sign the report, even though the report includes only those recommendations to which all members of the committee agreed.

Malahoo Forte said that, consistent with the terms of reference for the CRC, the reforms are being done in two phases, with the first focusing on those matters which are deeply entrenched, require a referendum, and upon which there is broad agreement — namely Jamaica’s transition from a constitutional monarchy to a parliamentary republic. Phase two, she said, will focus on those matters which are not deeply entrenched and do not require a referendum but require instead more time for consensus to emerge after open debate and deliberation, including the matter of the final court.

“The committee from the outset agreed to work by consensus, knowing that our founding fathers envisioned that attempts to reform the constitution — especially those deeply entrenched provisions — would fail unless the two political parties forming Government and Opposition sing from the same hymn sheet,” she added. “For us to say goodbye to the monarch we need a consensus, a solid agreement between Government and Opposition before the people are asked to decide,” the minister said.

“The CRC process has been worthwhile, and we have made great progress so far, but the work must continue until the task is done,” said Malahoo Forte. “While consensus of the Government and Opposition is a required step to advance reform of the deeply entrenched provisions, ultimately it is the people of Jamaica who will decide.

“It is the hope of the CRC that, when that time comes, all eligible Jamaican voters will turn out and demonstrate that it is not about political preferences but that you, the people, want to have a definitive say in our governance arrangements. I am hopeful that both Government and Opposition can work together to help create the Republic of Jamaica,” she said.

GOLDING… promises to submit comments on the final report of the CRC

Golding, meanwhile, said he is anticipating a response from the prime minister clarifying the Government’s stance on the critical matter of a seamless transition to full decolonisation as a unitary exercise. He, meanwhile, promised to submit his comments on the final report of the CRC.