Senators clash
Fitz-Henley says history will judge PNP harshly for ‘derailing’ push to remove king as head of State
GOVERNMENT Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has warned that history will judge PNP President Mark Golding and his Opposition party harshly should it continue to refuse to offer unconditional support to the Holness-led Administration’s push to remove the King of England as Jamaica’s head of State and make the island a republic.
Fitz-Henley delivered the caution when he clashed with Opposition Senator Lambert Brown during debate in the Upper House of Parliament on Friday on a Bill to amend enacting clauses in the constitutional legislative process.
Senator Brown fired the first salvo and accused the Government of pursing a piecemeal approach to constitutional reform. Brown told Parliament that the Opposition is not against Jamaica becoming a republic but insisted that, at the same time, the Government should agree to make the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Jamaica’s final appellate court.
“We oppose this piecemeal approach to legislation. The Government should recall it opposed this approach to the legislative process when they were in Opposition. They were anti-piecemeal. So for this Bill to come as a piecemeal to the bigger constitutional reform committee work is surprising, and it’s not necessary,” Brown said as he doubled down on a position taken by PNP President Mark Golding that the Government should agree to make the CCJ Jamaica’s final appellate court in order to secure the Opposition’s support in the push towards republicanism.
But Senator Fitz-Henley hit back and accused the Opposition leader and the PNP of flip-flopping on the issue of its support for Jamaica becoming a republic as soon as possible. Fitz-Henley read into the parliamentary record a comment made by Golding in April 2022 when the PNP president said the party would rather Jamaica become a republic in that same year and would not present roadblocks to the process becoming a reality.
“We [the PNP] have made it clear that we are ready to proceed, and we would like to do it more quickly; we would love to do it this year, but I think the prime minister has indicated that he is working with a two-year time frame. But we want to get it done, so we will cooperate, and he will have our support. We think it’s an important step for Jamaica as an independent country to have a Jamaican as a head of State. Such a move is a fundamental governance issue for our country,” Golding was quoted as stating two years ago.
Senator Fitz-Henley told Parliament that the Opposition leader is guilty of hypocrisy and double speak.
“President, I submit to this Parliament that history will judge the current Opposition leader, who last we heard is a citizen of Britain and leads the PNP, very unkindly should he continue to posture in a manner that effectively derails attempts by the Government of Jamaica deposing of the King in his country as our head of State. I say to the Opposition leader, let good sense prevail, be a man of your word, put the ego aside and allow us to take this important step towards underscoring our identity as a people,” Fitz-Henley commented.
