Dear Editor,

Following discussions on constitutional reform, the matter of dual citizenship remains a hot topic.

The Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) released its draft report recently, which was very clear about the allegiance of the president, who will be head of State and first citizen. The report was less clear about the appointment of members of the House of Representatives, including the prime minister and leader of the Opposition. The report states that the president must not have sworn allegiance to another country besides Jamaica and must reside in Jamaica for at least 12 months prior to the appointment. This I believe is on point, since the president is head of State and considered officially as the first citizen.

The report went on to recommend that citizens of the Commonwealth who are not Jamaicans can no longer serve in the Jamaican Parliament when the country becomes a parliamentary republic, with a president replacing the British monarch as head of State.

The CRC draft report number 6.1.9 states that, “Jamaican citizenship should be the essential qualifying citizenship criterion for membership in the Parliament.” I think one could argue as a dual citizen with Jamaican citizenship that he or she is still essentially Jamaican. Why didn’t the CRC use more specific language? They must’ve realised the complexities with this topic, considering that many Jamaicans have dual citizenship and there are as many Jamaicans living outside the country as within, and many continue to return to Jamaica.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some members of the CRC currently hold dual citizenship. Wouldn’t this be ironic since CRC members are now drafting recommendations to influence our laws? If we start to police dual citizenship, the question would be: Where do we draw the line? It is extreme to ask qualified and experienced individuals who offer to serve to renounce a foreign citizenship in order to serve; renouncing is also not a simple process. Foreign citizenship is not easy to acquire unless it is by birth or descent and Jamaicans who were born overseas can never change this fact, even if they renounce.

Many Jamaicans have lived and worked in other countries and have expertise which could benefit Jamaica tremendously. The critical issues are loyalty and allegiance which is measured by actions and balanced with competence, integrity, and service. Many with dual citizenship acquired this by birth or descent and never had to swear allegiance to another country. We have to accept that the world has evolved and we exist in a highly globalised space in which citizenship does not restrict but creates opportunities for progress and change. Such alliances can offer mutual benefits through connections.

N Nick Perry, the current US ambassador to Jamaica, for instance, is American but Jamaican-born. I doubt he was ever asked to renounce his citizenship of birth. His allegiance as ambassador is to America, and his connection to Jamaica is beneficial in this position. The US does not restrict candidates with dual citizenship from running for president as long as they are Americans and meet the legal requirements. There are other countries, such as the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Austria, which do not restrict dual citizens from office, so why should a small country like Jamaica with limited resources and options?

Prime Minister Holness said in a recent interview that holding dual citizenship as leader of the executive is ‘untenable and incurable’, although he has no issue with ‘duals’ serving in the House. I would add that dual citizens can actually be an invaluable asset. The prime minister’s comments made no sense, as current members who are ‘duals’ could also run away “if things go wrong”. Jamaican Members of Parliament with a green card or other residency could also “run”.

Jamaica will become stuck if we get too caught up with minor details. Former Prime Minister PJ Patterson raised the argument of treason if certain positions in Jamaica allow dual citizenship, though he did not cite any prior cases to back this theory. Treason is a very serious criminal act and includes attempts to overthrow a legitimate Government. Dual citizenship is not a pre-requisite for acts of treason. In essence, a person who holds dual citizenship in Government can only serve one country at a time by virtue of their allegiance and residence. If a conflict of interest arises, there are legal options to deal with that. Patterson went on to state that the matter of dual citizenship is not a priority as some of the other issues which require agreement and consensus.

As a dual citizen myself, who has lived and worked in several countries, I would never chose to renounce a citizenship, even if I have a strong desire to give back to Jamaica in public service. At the end of the day it is a question of allegiance, loyalty, and service and we must try to grasp that.

P Chin

chin_p@yahoo.com