OPPOSITION Leader Mark Golding has responded to claims that he holds a British passport and maintains dual citizenship, describing the accusations as politically motivated.

In a statement on Saturday responding to the accusations, Golding said he is a born Jamaican who holds a Jamaican passport.

“I’ve never hidden the fact that my father, who came to Jamaica from the UK, had got me a British passport when I was a young child. From before first serving in government, I travel on my Jamaican passport when I go abroad. Like other Jamaicans, I apply for visas from countries such as the US and UK to go there,” said Golding, who is also president of the People’s National Party (PNP).

“I man born yah, but the local government elections and recent polls seem to be driving some to grasp at straws,” he said, a jab at the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Questions about Golding’s citizenship arose last week Tuesday when the Opposition leader, whose father was British, said he holds the view that Jamaicans who hold citizenship for non-Commonwealth countries should be allowed to seek political office.

“My position is that dual citizenship should not be a bar to service. That’s my own view, and I think the party will continue to have discussions on this,” he said at a news conference called to discuss the PNP’s decision to not sign the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee.

His comments were seen as questionable, given that after the 2007 General Election the PNP went to court to have several Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Members of Parliament who held dual citizenship removed from Parliament.

Among the MPs whose legitimacy were questioned were Everald Warmington, Daryl Vaz, Michael Stern, Gregory Mair, and Shahine Robinson (now deceased). They all held citizenship from non-Commonwealth states.

The move resulted in court-ordered by-elections that cost taxpayers more than $100 million.

In response, the JLP filed similar court action against the PNP’s Ian Hayles and Sharon Hay-Webster, who has since switched allegiance to the JLP.

According to the Representation of the People Act, individuals who hold citizenship in non-Commonwealth countries are barred from sitting in the House of Representatives.

Last week Golding, in defending his position, said, “Jamaica is in the Commonwealth, and our current constitution requires Commonwealth citizenship (and at least one year’s residence in Jamaica) in order to be eligible to be a parliamentarian.”

“The current constitution prohibits non-Commonwealth citizens (who have pledged foreign allegiance) from being parliamentarians… The constitutional reform process should reconsider the current rule and make it accord with the realities of the Jamaican experience,” he added.

His comment triggered a response from Warmington who, in audio released to the media on Friday, said Golding has a moral obligation to declare whether he is a British citizen.

“I heard the PNP president this week calling for dual citizens to be able to lawfully sit in Jamaica’s Parliament. You know that is a remarkable and hypocritical position when compared to the PNP’s past position on this matter. But you know what, what the PNP president needs to do is tell Jamaica whether he is a citizen of Britain,” said Warming who represents St Catherine South Western in the legislature.

He said Golding should answer the question so that Jamaicans may evaluate his posture concerning the issue of dual citizenship and the island becoming a republic.