The Editor, Sir:

Miss Marsha Miller in her letter to the editor is seemingly incapable of digesting the constitutional issues that are bearing down on the issue of dual citizenship and being an elected representative in the Jamaican Parliament. The fact that we, you and I (I, too, have dual citizenship) have dual citizenship is not the point here. The point is, what does the Constitution of Jamaica say about dual citizenship and parliamentary representation?

Amending the constitution

The Constitution is the sovereign document that promulgates the laws and how they are to be applied. The founding fathers at the time of writing and accepting this sovereign document, the Constitution of the sovereign nation of Jamaica, entrenched therein this current debatable position about who can be elected a member of parliament and who can be recommended as Senators. The debate going forward should, therefore, be one about amending the Constitution to afford us, you and I alike, the honour of holding elected or appointed office in Jamaica.

Today, Mr Vaz and the others, irrespective of their political colour, should have this position clarified prior to seeking elected office. One should not be allowed to flout the law as some before Mr Vaz did and got away with it.

The time is ripe

Too bad then the aggrieved party did not seek to challenge the constitutional validity of the position as it relates to election or nomination in Jamaican politics. The Constitution of the sovereign land of Jamaica delineates the laws. If this is so, then it follows that an end to this debate might be realised if we immediately seek to amend this sovereign document to reflect our wishes.

The time is ripe to start the amendment ball rolling.

I am, etc.,

STELBERT DUNCAN

steldun@hotmail.com

London

Via Go-Jamaica