Member of Parliament for St Catherine South West, the Jamaica Labour Party’s Everald Warmington is accusing Opposition Spokesman on National Security Peter Bunting of attempting to distract the public from the dual citizen controversy engulfing People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding after Bunting fiercely criticised Prime Minister Andrew Holness as a “hypocrite” and “coward”.

Bunting was quoted in the media this week as describing Holness as “a self-serving hypocrite and coward” for seeking to make an issue out of the fact that Golding holds both Jamaican and British citizenships.

In a statement Thursday, Warmington defended the prime minister and chided Bunting and Golding.

“The prime minister has nothing to do with the actions of the British citizen Mark Golding which has understandably generated much unfavourable public commentary,” Warmington said.

The St Catherine South West MP said it must be noted that Golding chose to retain his British citizenship and acquire a British passport, while also possibly renewing the document as an adult.

Warmington further argued that Golding moved to acquire a British visa to travel to the UK while still being a British citizen and ⁠possibly travelled on a British visa to the United Kingdom while being a British citizen.

The Government MP also accused Golding of blocking Jamaica’s move towards a republic while being a subject of the Monarch from which Jamaica would withdraw should republic status be achieved.

Warmingtion labelled as “shameful” that Bunting or Golding has not seen that Golding has disrespected the Jamaican people and Jamaican sovereignty by holding on what he said are the privileges, protection, and personal insurance afforded by allegiance to another country, while seeking to run the affairs of Jamaicans.

“It is the British leader of the Opposition who is acting cowardly in not being confident in the future of Jamaica to dedicate himself only to Jamaica. Buntings vitriol should be directed to his own party leader,” Warmington declared.

He also castigated Bunting for remarks about the prime minister.

“Whenever I hear Bunting speak about the Government and prime minister, his hatred, envy and badmind, overwhelms anything he says. Bunting is an entitled narcissist who overrates himself,” Warmington stated.

“He has no credibility to address the prime minister who has bravely led Jamaica through COVID-19, led our nation to a spectacular economic recovery, and is boldly leading the infrastructure advancement of Jamaica, while at the same time having the courage to take on constitutional reform matters which the PNP only talked about but were not serious about implementing,” Warmington added.

Warmington said Holness’ stance on dual citizenship is a principled position aimed at ensuring that leaders have undivided loyalty to Jamaica.