With Parliament’s recent breakdown threatening to deepen divisions between the Government and Opposition, talks to restore order have begun on what Opposition Leader Mark Golding describes as a “good-faith basis”.

But while the parties seek an immediate way forward, Golding says Jamaica should consider constitutional reform that could pave the way for a Speaker appointed from outside Parliament.

Speaking during a People’s National Party (PNP) press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday, Golding said the country needs to examine whether its current system provides sufficient protection against political influence in the office responsible for overseeing parliamentary proceedings.

He said the Speaker’s authority to interpret and enforce the Standing Orders depends heavily on the office being exercised fairly and without political bias.

Golding argued that the latest dispute was not an isolated disagreement but had exposed wider concerns about the Opposition’s ability to carry out its responsibility to question the Government and hold it accountable.

He said Jamaica should examine the arrangements in other Caribbean countries that have changed their constitutions to allow a person who is not a member of either chamber of Parliament to serve as Speaker of the House of Assembly.

His call comes six months after the Jamaica Observer, in an editorial, advanced the prospect of having a non-elected Speaker of the Parliament and a day after The Gleaner made a similar proposal.

Golding said such a change would require safeguards to ensure that the selection process itself was fair and did not simply transfer political influence from one part of the system to another.

“The history of this affair indicates the importance to our democracy of having a speaker who is impartial and unbiased in the way in which that role is operated as the umpire in Parliament. Our constitution needs to be reformed on that issue,” he said.

“Barbados most recently amended their constitution so that the Speaker is no longer appointed from within the Parliament among the MPs, but rather is somebody chosen from outside. I am of the view that we need to look closely at that model and also build into it an element of structural fairness as to how that person is selected and approved,” Golding added.

Under Jamaica’s existing constitution, Section 43(1) requires the House of Representatives to elect one of its members, who is not a minister or parliamentary secretary, to serve as Speaker.

The provision would therefore have to be changed to allow someone from outside the elected membership to take the position.

Barbados introduced such a change through its Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2025. Under the amended provisions, the House of Assembly elects a Speaker who is not a member of either the House or Senate. The Speaker is then treated as an additional member of the House for parliamentary purposes and has a casting vote when members are equally divided.

The change took effect ahead of the new Parliament’s first sitting in February 2026, when AE Holder was elected as the first independent Speaker under the republic. The Deputy Speaker, unlike the Speaker, is elected from among the elected members of the House who are not ministers or parliamentary secretaries.

Other Caribbean countries also allow for a Speaker to be selected from outside the elected chamber. In Trinidad and Tobago, the constitution permits the House of Representatives to elect either a non-ministerial member or a person who is not a member of either House. Antigua and Barbuda similarly allows the House to choose its Speaker from among its members or from outside the chamber, provided the person meets the required qualifications.

The arrangements differ in their details, but provide alternatives to Jamaica’s requirement that the Speaker must be an elected member of the House.

Golding’s comments came as the Opposition and Government began discussions aimed at resolving the immediate dispute following the November 3 sitting of the House of Representatives.

That sitting descended into disorder after the Opposition’s attempt to have the Government censured over Jamaica’s decision to abstain from a United Nations resolution calling for an end to the United States’ embargo against Cuba.

But on Tuesday morning, Speaker Juliet Holness met with Leader of Government Business Floyd Green, Leader of Opposition Business Phillip Paulwell and his deputy, Natalie Neita Garvey, to discuss the breakdown and the concerns raised about the Opposition’s role in Parliament.

Paulwell, speaking during the press conference, said the discussions had begun in good faith and that both sides had agreed to continue negotiations before the House meets again.

Furthermore, Golding said the immediate discussions should be given an opportunity to produce results, but he maintained that a lasting solution would require attention to the wider concerns surrounding the Speaker’s role.