No delay in Jamaica becoming a republic
Published:Tuesday | September 22, 2020 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Jamaica is an independent country, but yet we have the Queen of England as our head of state. Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in his previous term, said that he would have a referendum on removing the Queen as the head of state. How is it that Jamaica still swears allegiance to the Queen?
Caribbean countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Dominica, have become Republic.
I strongly believe that Jamaica has reached a stage where we can fully govern ourselves. It is time for us to have the people’s speech and not the Throne speech, Jamaica. We need justices of the peace for Jamaica representing the people of Jamaica. Not a King’s House, but a President’s House for the people of Jamaica. We need a president, who represents the people of Jamaica, from the people of Jamaica, and by the people of Jamaica. We need a new constitution, which represents the people of Jamaica and not our former colonial master.
We need reform even in the uniform of the police officers.
Successive governments have spoken on this issue, but no action has been taken to date. We do not want anymore talk. We want action. We want our children to grow in a country that represents Jamaica and not our former colonial master.
I am calling on the Government to put that referendum on the table. Put it on the ballot paper, and let us hear from the people of Jamaica.
I am calling on all Jamaicans, the public sector, the private sector, civil society, and the churches to rally for the cause. Jamaicans should lobby the Government about having this referendum and make it a priority to do away with this Queen of England.
Let all Jamaicans get together and fight this fight with me and go the extra mile to see to it that Jamaica becomes a republic in short order. We say that we are an independent nation but are still depending upon the Queen.
Let us lobby for a change in our attitude towards being an independent people. Now is the right time for change. Now is the right time for self-governance.
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON
Minister of Religion
Hanover