Make no bones about it, the prime minister cannot be expected to meet with the Opposition leader every single time there is an issue to be discussed, nor is he obliged to do so, as in the case of restarting talks on republic status for Jamaica.

What compels the two leaders to meet is that lofty practice of statecraft which puts country above everything else, including party, and attempts to bring the people together in a common cause.

We are prompted to make this reflection due to Opposition Leader Mr Mark Golding’s claim that Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness had, in a letter to him, proposed that he meet with Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mr Delroy Chuck to get the stalled talks going again.

Readers will recall that in the lead up to last month’s general election the Opposition walked away from talks with the then Marlene Malahoo Forte-led team on constitutional talks to end Jamaica’s ties with the British monarchy and go republic.

The Opposition was insisting that the Government should indicate its position on Jamaica joining the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to adjudicate on criminal and civil matters prior to the expected pause before the election, a demand which the Government rejected.

Now Mr Golding is saying he is ready to resume the deliberations, citing Dr Holness’s invitation to him to partner with the Government on the constitutional reform thrust at the recent swearing-in ceremony at King’s House. Further, the Opposition leader seems slighted by what he said was the prime minister’s directive that he meets with Minister Chuck.

We in this space will not argue that the talks cannot go on without the two leaders meeting. What we suggest, however, is that an overarching issue such as constitutional reform should be placed above the fray and demands the imprimatur of the two leaders, certainly to regain the momentum.

It is somewhat akin to the Vale Royal Talks on crime, perhaps even more important from a legal standpoint, where the leaders met to get the ball rolling, giving it their blessing and then have their teams meet to iron out the details. This calls for mature leadership which puts personal differences secondary to the national interest.

Our leaders cannot listen to the usually small-minded tribalists who are justifying the prime minister’s not meeting with the Opposition leader on the basis that Mr Holness’s feelings were hurt by being vilified by Mr Golding during the election campaign.

Those who have been noticing know that Jamaican campaigns can be quite robust and not for the faint of heart. Both leaders would have heard hurtful things said of them by the other side and, we hope, would have developed the ability to brush it aside for what it is — much ado about nothing.

Once the election is over, it is time to put the nation above party or personal feelings. This might be more difficult for the party diehards to do, but leaders have to show examples of mental fortitude, a thick skin, and a broad back in a profession like politics, which is nothing short of a blood sport.

This constitutional reform is easily one of the most consequential policy decisions of Mr Holness’s political career. If the prime minister has a compelling reason for not leading the restart we would love to hear it.