Questionable Conduct: The Jamaican Political Reality

The Constitution of Jamaica is silent on political parties: yet they have played crucial roles in elections to the Parliament and are now governed by regulations requiring them to be registered. It is time to end this hypocritical "political laundering". This silence facilitates the practice of"crossing the floor" by elected representatives in Parliament, without any consultation/approval of the constituency affected and any guidelines or consequences stipulated in the Constitution. The MP, for whatever reason--ranging from disagreement with the party leader/president, unsatisfied political ambitions to sheer political opportunism--simply crosses the floor in Parliament and takes a seat amidst the enthusiastically welcoming colleagues. The is usually accompanied by a letter of resignation from the former party and some release from the other stating that the application for membership was approved by a specially convened meeting of the appropriate sub-committee.

Former Prime Minister in an article entitled " The unfinished business of constitutional reform " The Jamaica Observer, Sunday, April 22,2018 listed among the "other matters which continue to languish although full agreement was reached" the requirement that only citizens of Jamaica are eligible to sit in Parliament. Given the acknowledged voter apathy, the cost of a referendum ($1b), the technicalities of the wording and the prolonged procedures involved, it is hereby suggested that both major political parties give effect to  agreement reached on the eligibility issue. This can simply be done by the adoption of candidacy guidelines that reflect such and  followed by internal vetting of likely candidates for the elections and nominees to the Senate. Prime Minister Andrew Holness indicated the current regime's position on the "dual citizenship debate" in the St. Mary by election, October 2017: "But afterwards, we have to figure out now, bec