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Joint Letter Sent By PJ Patterson To Jamaican Leaders

December 9, 2022 | Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

Former PNP Prime Minister and longest serving PM as by a joint letter has sent same to PM Andrew Michael Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding  urging them to jointly meet and present a united front so as to achieve Republican status for Jamaica come August 2, 2022 when we celebrate our 60 year of Independence .. a significant milestone that of our Jubilee year as an independent nation.

There has been a lot of talk centered around the type of presidency we would have. Would it be Ceremonial or Executive.  Ceremonial seems to be the consensus as it mirrors the Westminster type of parliamentary democracies … a government model adopted by most former British colonies.

Two Thirds

Another thorny issue has been whether a joint session of the two Houses Of Parliament should be held requiring a two third votes to pass any possible decision on the Republican status issue or the Houses meeting separately,  but still maintaining the 2/3 voting requirement in the seperate Houses.

Vale Royal

The Most Honourable Percival James Patterson also recommended that the two leaders resume the noted Vale Royal Summits. The former and longest serving PM as stated above,  reminded all that he and former JLP Leader, and PM Edward Phillip George Seaga had regularly met at Vale Royal and just a few issues were left to be ironed out as it relates to the Republican status for Jamaica.

Commentary

We hope that Jamaica will very soon stop loitering on British premises.  We have long been debating the matter which has long gestated and an overdue pregnancy for delivery.  We hope we will not be seen as being reactive instead of being proactive. To be loitering indefinitely on British premises is not a desirable position to be in.

When they leave office they seem to have all the ideas and vision.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is a poet, elegist, author and senior international journalist who writes for Vision Newspaper.

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