KINGSTON, Jamaica – Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has accused Opposition Leader Mark Golding of deliberately trying to derail the constitutional reform process and is urging Jamaicans to ensure Golding and the People’s National Party (PNP) pay a political price at the polls.

He has also rapped Golding and the PNP for boycotting the meetings of the joint select committee of the Parliament that’s examining the Constitution Amendment Bill.

Golding wants the move to abolish the UK-based monarchy and the replacement of King Charles as Jamaica’s head of state twinned with making the Caribbean Court of Justice Jamaica’s final appellate court.

The Jamaica Labour Party government is insisting that the reform be done in phases and that the matter of the CCJ will be addressed in phase two.

Fitz-Henley, speaking Friday in the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate, said he was aware that for the process to be successful, the government will need the support of the opposition via the Parliament.

“On that point, I wish to point out that I strongly believe that reformation of our constitutional arrangement is best pursued on a phased basis, simply because the issues are often so weighty, there is greater chance of success when we do it in phases. There is nothing pejorative or unprincipled about such an approach,” Fitz-Henley said.

“Therefore, the stance of the opposition leader, that the opposition will not support a bill to depose of the UK-based monarchy as head of state if the issue of Jamaica’s final court is not settled at the same time is unfortunate and unproductive. Equally puerile and unfortunate is the move by the Opposition to no longer attend upon meetings of the …joint select committee,” he added.

According to Fitz-Henley, who serves as parliamentary secretary in the office of the prime minister, there is a critical cohort of the population that cares about our identity as a people.

“And therefore – in this, a year of crucial decision, I encourage the people of Jamaica to take careful note that it appears likely that the stance taken by the opposition leader, an individual who not too long ago said he had to pray and agonise about whether he wanted to give up his own personal allegiance to the UK, that his stance is further delaying our national goal, the process of having a Jamaican as head-of-state.”

“I urge the people to ensure that the opposition leader, who not too long ago was a subject of King Charles and has said he is no longer so but supplied no evidence to support that claim, that he and the political entity he leads, face the political consequence for their unfortunate stance which has delayed a process which I believe is key to our identity as a country,” the government senator said.