Jamaica’s opposition leader Mark Golding confirms he is a British citizen

Amid growing questions and concerns, Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding has confirmed that he is still a British citizen but asserts there's no legal requirement for him to renounce his status in the United Kingdom at this time.

“I am a Jamaican citizen by birth. I am also a UK citizen by descent. I have not renounced my British citizenship as it is not legally necessary for me to do so,” Golding told The Gleaner yesterday.

He pointed to Section 39 (a) of the Constitution, which states that anyone who, at the time of appointment or nomination for election, can serve in Parliament as long as they are a Commonwealth citizen aged 21 or older.

Clause (b) of that section further states that an individual is eligible if they have been ordinarily resident in Jamaica for the immediate preceding 12 months, qualifying them to be appointed as a senator or elected as a member of the House of Representatives.

Questions about Golding’s citizenship arose after he recently suggested that the constitutional-reform process should reconsider the current rule barring certain dual citizens from sitting in the Jamaican Parliament.

On Saturday, Golding responded in a social media post, stating, “I am a born Jamaican and have a Jamaican passport.” However, he did not specify whether he was still a British citizen.

Questions about reform proposal

Several members of the Jamaica Labour Party have called for Mark Golding to confirm his British citizenship, suggesting that his reform proposal is intended to protect himself.

“Jamaica has a large diaspora who provide tremendous support for our country in a variety of critical areas,” Golding argued.

“My view is that the better approach is for all Jamaican citizens to be eligible to sit in Parliament if they wish to serve, including Jamaicans who are dual citizens from non-Commonwealth countries. This will benefit Jamaica by further expanding the available talent pool in Parliament to include all our citizens.”

Under the current Jamaican constitution, Commonwealth citizens must reside in Jamaica for at least one year to be eligible for Parliament. But while Commonwealth passport holders have participated in general elections and served as MPs or Senators, non-Commonwealth citizens with foreign allegiance (such as United States citizens) are prohibited.

Several JLP MPs, including Daryl Vaz and Everald Warmington, who previously held dual Jamaican and US citizenship, had to renounce their US citizenship and contest by-elections to remain in Parliament, doing so in 2009 and 2011 respectively.