Dear Editor,
(This is an open letter to the Prime Minister of Jamaica)
I have always been a strong advocate for the independence of Jamaica and I hope that I will live to see the day when Jamaica becomes a free and independent country.
Soon after you became Prime Minister in 2012, you declared to the Jamaican people that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is to be removed as Head of State. Is this is an admission that Jamaica is not an independent country? Your declaration is not the first. Several of your predecessors have made similar statements. Yet, each one lacked the political will to make the necessary constitutional changes.
Since 1962 - the year of so-called independence - Jamaicans have been celebrating Jamaica's independence in the month of August every year. How long must we continue under this political deception? The present Constitution appears to have been hastily drafted at a time when England was losing its control over the colonies. It gives Her Majesty the Queen and her representative, the Governor General, executive authority over the elected representatives of the Jamaican people. This amounts to nothing more than a neo-colonial subjugation of the Jamaican people.
I call your attention to one of the many provisions in the Constitution which gives the Queen executive authority.
The Constitution, Section 60 -(1), Page 94 - "Assent to Bills" states: "A Bill shall not become law until the Governor-General has assented thereto in Her Majesty's name and
on Her Majesty's behalf and has signed it in token of such assent."
Madam Prime Minister, the argument for Independence is not purely political. Attention must be given to the economic objectives and other valuable human resources. During the past 50 years of neo-colonial government, Jamaica has accumulated a national debt that presently stands at $1.6 trillion and rising, and the Government continues to borrow from international funding agencies and foreign governments. Unemployment is in the double digit. The percentage of imports is on the increase. The national revenue and productivity are low. The social infrastructure is challenged with criminal behaviour. It is time to stop, look and ask, Where is Jamaica heading? It is clear that the neo-colonial government has failed.
Jamaica needs a new Constitution that clearly articulates its independence, democratic principles, economic values, cultural norms, and national aspirations. This cannot be achieved by any one political party in a divided Parliament. For too long, our politicians have not learned to work together - a legacy of the colonial era. It is full time for all parties to put away their political differences and the neo-colonial prejudices that divide us and unite in their efforts to build a strong and independent Jamaica.
Parliament should seek the opinions of Jamaicans with the appointment of a National Reconstruction and Developmental Committee from the Private Sector.
The Government should communicate more with Jamaicans in the Diaspora. Many Jamaicans who have emigrated to foreign countries in search of a better livelihood have done well and are anxious to return to an independent Jamaica where they can contribute to nation building.
Jamaica's independence is not a colonial privilege, neither is nation-building. It is part of our human rights. Begin the process now!
Donald G Morgan
President, Jamaica Volunteers Association, Inc.
Calling for an independent Jamaica
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(This is an open letter to the Prime Minister of Jamaica)
I have always been a strong advocate for the independence of Jamaica and I hope that I will live to see the day when Jamaica becomes a free and independent country.
Soon after you became Prime Minister in 2012, you declared to the Jamaican people that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is to be removed as Head of State. Is this is an admission that Jamaica is not an independent country? Your declaration is not the first. Several of your predecessors have made similar statements. Yet, each one lacked the political will to make the necessary constitutional changes.
Since 1962 - the year of so-called independence - Jamaicans have been celebrating Jamaica's independence in the month of August every year. How long must we continue under this political deception? The present Constitution appears to have been hastily drafted at a time when England was losing its control over the colonies. It gives Her Majesty the Queen and her representative, the Governor General, executive authority over the elected representatives of the Jamaican people. This amounts to nothing more than a neo-colonial subjugation of the Jamaican people.
I call your attention to one of the many provisions in the Constitution which gives the Queen executive authority.
The Constitution, Section 60 -(1), Page 94 - "Assent to Bills" states: "A Bill shall not become law until the Governor-General has assented thereto in Her Majesty's name and
on Her Majesty's behalf and has signed it in token of such assent."
Madam Prime Minister, the argument for Independence is not purely political. Attention must be given to the economic objectives and other valuable human resources. During the past 50 years of neo-colonial government, Jamaica has accumulated a national debt that presently stands at $1.6 trillion and rising, and the Government continues to borrow from international funding agencies and foreign governments. Unemployment is in the double digit. The percentage of imports is on the increase. The national revenue and productivity are low. The social infrastructure is challenged with criminal behaviour. It is time to stop, look and ask, Where is Jamaica heading? It is clear that the neo-colonial government has failed.
Jamaica needs a new Constitution that clearly articulates its independence, democratic principles, economic values, cultural norms, and national aspirations. This cannot be achieved by any one political party in a divided Parliament. For too long, our politicians have not learned to work together - a legacy of the colonial era. It is full time for all parties to put away their political differences and the neo-colonial prejudices that divide us and unite in their efforts to build a strong and independent Jamaica.
Parliament should seek the opinions of Jamaicans with the appointment of a National Reconstruction and Developmental Committee from the Private Sector.
The Government should communicate more with Jamaicans in the Diaspora. Many Jamaicans who have emigrated to foreign countries in search of a better livelihood have done well and are anxious to return to an independent Jamaica where they can contribute to nation building.
Jamaica's independence is not a colonial privilege, neither is nation-building. It is part of our human rights. Begin the process now!
Donald G Morgan
President, Jamaica Volunteers Association, Inc.
Calling for an independent Jamaica
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