It is becoming clear with each passing day that the ambitions of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to switch the island to a republic and break with King Charles and the British monarchy by next year might not be achieved in short order as planned as a tough menu of processes has to be achieved.
Chief among them is the unenviable task of tabling the bill to in the 63-member lower house and have it remain by law on the table or in abeyance for three months before any debate can legally start on amending the deeply entrenched clauses in the constitution dealing with such matters.
Worse yet said senior counsel Hugh Small, is the normality of parliament breaking during August and reconvening after so debate is not expected to commence at least until the fall.
By then, however, the campaign for the next general elections would be in full swing and this is likely to be a major distraction.Additionally, both the house and the senate would have to record a two thirds vote to breakaway from Britain and even though the JLP and the main opposition Peoples National Party (PNP) both want Jamaica to become a republic, there are serious doubts about the road to republicanism. Read more
Wilkinson, B. (2024, May 2). Jamaica struggling to shake King Charles and monarchy. Caribbean Life; Caribbean Life. https://www.caribbeanlife.com/jamaica-struggling-to-shake-king-charles-and-monarchy/
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