Fresh talks on constitutional reform facing hiccups

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has signalled that a proposal by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness for him to meet with Justice Minister Delroy Chuck to restart discussions to move Jamaica towards a republic is a non-starter.

In a letter dated September 30, 2025, the prime minister reportedly wrote to Golding proposing the meeting with Chuck.

Golding, who wrote to the prime minister yesterday, expressed his “heartfelt desire” that the country completes its unfinished circle of Independence by establishing Jamaica’s full sovereignty.

The opposition leader noted that this translates to both removing the British Monarch as head of State and the Privy Council as the country’s final court of appeal.

Referencing remarks made by Holness at his recent inauguration ceremony at King’s House, Golding said the prime minister said words to the effect – “Mark, let us partner together to complete the work we started in making Jamaica a republic.”

Past prime ministers’ cooperation

Golding reasoned that cooperation and interactions between Jamaica’s past prime ministers and their opposition counterparts have resulted in the passing of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms in 2010 and transitioning from colonial status to political independence.

“Accordingly, it is you and I, as the leaders of Jamaica’s two major political parties, who must establish a basis for the required partnership, if the reform process is not to become another exercise in futility,” Golding wrote.

On the basis of the prime minister’s expressed aspiration of partnership in moving Jamaica to a republic, Golding said he was expecting an invitation from the head of government for them to discuss the way forward, as a first step.

However, Golding argued that the prime minister’s proposal for him to meet with the justice minister will not initiate the required partnership of which they had spoken.

“I therefore invite you to reconsider the matter in light of what I am suggesting in this letter, and look forward to hearing from you presently,” said Golding in his missive.

With the ruling administration no longer holding a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, Golding indicated that this further reinforces the imperative of partnership between Jamaica’s two major political parties if progress is to be made in reforming the Constitution.

“I accept that the only route to reaping success in this reform effort is through authentic collaboration, as demonstrated by former political leaders,” Golding said.

During the last parliamentary term, efforts to advance constitutional reform had hit a snag after the Opposition insisted that it would not participate in the process if the then ruling administration refused to twin the move towards a republic while at the same time seceding from the King’s Privy Council.

editorial@gleanerjm.com