Gregory Mair (left) speaks with Prime Minister Bruce Golding during a press conference at the Jamaica Labour Party's Belmont Road, New Kingston, headquarters yesterday. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

PRIME MINISTER Bruce Golding has hinted that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) might bring constitutional motions against at least one opposition MP who holds a foreign passport, if the People's National Party (PNP) continues to twin the dual-citizenship issue with the wider issue of constitutional reform.

Golding told journalists during a press conference at the JLP's Belmont Road headquarters that the PNP has not responded favourably to a proposal to deal with the issue quickly.

"We had raised with the Opposition the fact that there are some cases which are not the subject of election petition but which could be the subject of constitutional motion," Golding said.

South Central St Catherine MP Sharon Hay-Webster, a member of the PNP, has admitted to being a United States citizen. She has also admitted to having travelled once on her US passport.

With the cases related to Daryl Vaz and Gregory Mair now over, two other JLP MPs, Shahine Robinson of North East St Ann and Michael Stern of North West Clarendon, are facing eligibility challenges in the court. Like Vaz and Mair, they are accused of having pledged allegiance/obedience to a foreign power.

Speaking at the press conference yesterday, the prime minister said he had hoped the matter surrounding the eligibility of some members to sit in Parliament would have been the subject of "urgent discussions".

Disappointed

"I was a little disappointed in the response of the Opposition when they suggested that these can't be dealt with in isolation of the wider constitutional reform issues ... some of these requiring referenda," the prime minister said.

He added: "I am not sure what the prospects are of taking that joint consensus approach. If that does not work, if there is an unwillingness to treat with this as a distinct issue that needs to be dealt with, then we would have to look at the options that are open to us in terms of constitutional motions," Golding said.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com