The Opposition Leader Mark Golding detailed his personal position during an interview on Content Matters with Isat Buchanan on the topic that the country’s Prime Minister should not possess dual citizenship. According to Golding, this is a ridiculous notion that the country cannot afford to have.
Golding said, “To me that’s a narrow insular view that we can’t afford and that doesn’t make sense for us.” He did however also mention that if no one else shares his view on the matter, “I will give up the other one. The other one nuh mean nutt’n to me really but is the principle of the thing that I’m trying to understand…”
In reply, Buchanan stated that the principle is wrapped up in the fact that Golding is privileged to be able to apply for a visa, which is hard to acquire for normal citizens, without joining a line and waiting and getting through when many have failed during the same process.
However, in keeping with his word, Golding reiterated that, “I’m listening…I can renounce at anytime, and I will certainly, if that is the way that people feel it should go, I will fall in line with that,” but as for now, Golding says the constitution is on his side thus he has a right to parliamentary participation with his dual citizenship status intact.
Golding then went on to name national heroes (like Nanny of the Maroons and George William Gordon), as well as prospective national heroes (like Bob Marley) who were either of dual national descent or not born in Jamaica but became pillars of the nation’s history despite those factors.
Watch the full video below:
