Golding still a British citizen
Published:Monday | May 20, 2024 | 12:08 AM
Amid widespread calls for him to declare his British citizenship, Opposition Leader Mark Golding has indicated that he remains a British citizen but insists that there is no legal basis for him to renounce his status in the United Kingdom (UK) at this time.
“I am a Jamaican citizen by birth. I am also a UK citizen by descent. I have not renounced my British citizenship as it is not legally necessary for me to do so,” Golding told The Gleaner yesterday.
He further pointed to Section 39 (a) of the Constitution, which states that “ … any person who at the date of his appointment or nomination for election, can serve in Parliament as long as he or she “ is a Commonwealth citizen of the age of 21 years and upwards”.
The (b) clause of that section further states that an individual is also eligible once he or she “has been ordinarily resident in Jamaica for the immediate preceding 12 months, shall be qualified to be appointed as a senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives and no other person shall be so qualified”.
Citizenship Questions
There have been questions regarding Golding’s citizenship since his recent suggestion that the constitutional-reform process should reconsider the current rule that bars certain dual citizens from sitting in the Jamaican Parliament.
On Saturday, Golding responded in a social media post, stating, “I am a born Jamaican and have a Jamaican passport.”
He however did not state whether he was still a British citizen.
Several persons, including social media commenters and members of the Jamaica Labour Party, since then, have called for him to state whether he is still a British citizen, with persons insinuating that his reform proposal is being made to protect himself.
Several commenters on social media have branded his call disingenuous and hypocritical, especially given the position he took when he said Jamaica should not be in a position where it has “one foot in and one foot out of King Charles’ yard”.
This is the position he has taken in relation to his push for the Caribbean Court of Justice to be made Jamaica’s final appellate court.
But Golding, in defending his suggestion that the rule be assessed, said the CRC has indicated that the requirement of Commonwealth citizenship has become obsolete.
“Jamaica has a large diaspora who provide tremendous support for our country in a variety of critical areas,” Golding argued. “My view is that the better approach is for all Jamaican citizens to be eligible to sit in Parliament if they wish to serve, including Jamaicans who are dual citizens from non-Commonwealth countries. This will benefit Jamaica by further expanding the available talent pool in Parliament to include all our citizens.”
Meanwhile, JLP Senator Charles Sinclair, in a media release yesterday, described as “hypocritical, unacceptable, and disgraceful” Golding’s response to questions about whether he is a British citizen. Sinclair insisted that a direct answer from the Opposition leader is necessary.
He asserted that “Jamaica’s aspiring head of Government being a citizen of another territory would certainly raise serious questions of loyalty and allegiance regardless of whether that territory is a member of the Commonwealth”.
“The concern would apply to the constitutional role of the leader of the Opposition. Given that the Government of Jamaica is attempting to move Jamaica towards republic status, the leader of the Opposition is clearly conflicted and his motive for blocking the move now open to significant question,” Sinclair added.