Republicanism in Jamaica is a position which advocates that

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

's system of government be changed from a

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

to a republic. Both major political partiesthe Jamaica Labour Party and the

People's National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a social-democratic political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives, as 96 of the 227 local go ...

subscribe to the position, and the current

Prime Minister of Jamaica The prime minister of Jamaica is Jamaica's head of government, currently Andrew Holness. Holness, as leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was sworn in as prime minister on 7 September 2020, having been re-elected as a result of t ...

Andrew Holness Andrew Michael Holness, (born 22 July 1972) is a Jamaican politician who has been the Prime Minister of Jamaica since 3 March 2016, following the 2016 Jamaican general election. Holness previously served as prime minister from October 2011 to ...

, has announced that transitioning to a republic will be a priority of his government. In June 2022, the Jamaican government announced its intention that Jamaica become a republic by the time of the next election in 2025. The process will include a two-thirds majority vote in parliament along with a referendum.

Background

In the lead-up to Jamaican independence in 1962, the

Parliament of Jamaica The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It consists of three elements: The Crown (represented by the Governor-General), the appointed Senate and the directly elected House of Representatives. The S ...

established a cross-party

joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

select committee to prepare a new constitution. The committee received several submissions calling for Jamaica to become a republic, which it "heard politely, but rejected unceremoniously". The People's Freedom Movement, an

extra-parliamentary opposition An extra-parliamentary opposition is a political movement opposed to a ruling government or political party that chooses not to engage in elections. Many social movements could be categorized as an extra-parliamentary opposition. Europe The Ger ...

party, suggested that the constitution include a provision for a referendum on a republic at a later date, but this was not carried out. Both major party leaders in Jamaica in the lead-up to independence (the JLP's

Alexander Bustamante Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante (born William Alexander Clarke; 24 February 1884 – 6 August 1977) was a Jamaican politician and labour leader, who, in 1962, became the first prime minister of Jamaica. Early life and education He was ...

and the PNP's

Norman Manley Norman Washington Manley (4 July 1893 – 2 September 1969) was a Jamaican statesman who served as the first and only Premier of Jamaica. A Rhodes Scholar, Manley became one of Jamaica's leading lawyers in the 1920s. Manley was an advocate ...

) were opposed to Jamaica becoming a republic. Law professor Stephen Vasciannie has suggested that the decision to retain the monarchy at independence was due to several factors, including a desire for continuity and stability, a desire to demonstrate the maturity required for independence, the popularity of the Royal Family amongst Jamaicans, and tendencies towards

Anglophilia An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents. Etymology The word is derived from the Latin word '' Anglii'' and Ancient Greek word φίλος ''philos'', meaning "frie ...

among the political elites.

History

The first Jamaican prime minister to make steps towards a republic was

Michael Manley Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been ...

, whose

(PNP) came to power at the 1972 general election. His government established a commission into constitutional reform in 1975, and in July 1977, following a march to commemorate the

Morant Bay rebellion The Morant Bay Rebellion (11 October 1865) began with a protest march to the courthouse by hundreds of people led by preacher Paul Bogle in Morant Bay, Jamaica. Some were armed with sticks and stones. After seven men were shot and killed by th ...

, Manley announced that Jamaica would become a republic by 1981. However, his government was defeated at the 1980 general election by the more conservative Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), led by

Edward Seaga Edward Philip George Seaga ( or ; 28 May 1930 – 28 May 2019) was a Jamaican politician. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005.ceremonial presidency" in 1977. Despite this, no concrete moves towards a republic occurred during his premiership. In 2002, the Parliament of Jamaica, with the PNP, led by PJ Patterson, holding the plurality of seats, abolished the requirement for public servants to take an oath of allegiance to the Jamaican monarch. At a PNP conference in September 2003, Patterson expressed his hopes that Jamaica would become a republic by 2007, stating that "the time has come when we must have a head of state chosen by us". However, his government's attempts to transition to a republic were stifled by its simultaneous attempts to abolish the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Aug ...

as the final court of appeal in Jamaica and replace it with

Caribbean Court of Justice The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ; nl, Caribisch Hof van Justitie; french: Cour Caribéenne de Justice) is the judicial institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Established in 2005, it is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ...

. The opposition JLP were against that decision (which would also have required a constitutional amendment) and made their support for republicanism conditional on a referendum being held for the judicial changes, which was not forthcoming. The PNP was defeated in the 2007 general election. The new prime minister, JLP leader

Bruce Golding Orette Bruce Golding (born 5 December 1947) is a former Jamaican politician who served as eighth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 11 September 2007 to 23 October 2011. He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), which he led from 2005 to h ...

, promised that his government would "amend the constitution to replace the Queen with a Jamaican president who symbolises the unity of the nation", but the JLP's term in Cabinet came to an end at the 2011 general election without any formal steps towards a republic having been taken.

Portia Simpson-Miller Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller (born 12 December 1945) is a Jamaican politician. She served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from March 2006 to September 2007 and again from 5 January 2012 to 3 March 2016. She was the leader of the People's Nationa ...

, the PNP leader and new prime minister, also publicly affirmed her commitment to republicanism, stating a preference for an elected president. However, the PNP lost power at the 2016 general election without bringing about constitutional change.

, Simpson-Miller's successor as prime minister, also affirmed a commitment to republicanism upon taking office and stated his Cabinet would introduce a bill to replace the Queen with "a non-executive president as head of state". During the 2020 Jamaican general election, the PNP promised to hold a referendum on becoming a republic within 18 months if it won the election and a poll showed 55% of respondents desired the country become a republic. However, the ruling JLP, which had in 2016 promised a referendum but not carried one out, was re-elected and stated that holding a referendum remains a goal. In April 2022, former Prime Minister PJ Patterson resigned from the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in support of a push for a republic. The Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs,

Marlene Malahoo Forte Marlene Patricia Malahoo Forte is a Jamaican politician. She currently serves as Jamaica's Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs and was the Attorney General of Jamaica from 7 March 2016 to 10 January 2022. She served as a Senator f ...

, announced that the transition is to be completed by the time of next general election, currently scheduled to be in 2025. Popular support for republicanism accelerated following the

death of Elizabeth II On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death ...

Legal process

All amendments to the Constitution of Jamaica must be approved by an absolute majority in both the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

and the Senate. However, certain sections of the constitution, including those pertaining to the monarchy, can only be amended if they are approved by a two-thirds majority in both houses and submitted to a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

Organisations

There are currently no official monarchist or republican organisations in Jamaica, but there is a

Wix.com Wix.com Ltd. ( he, וויקס.קום) is an Israeli software company, publicly listed in the US, that provides cloud-based web development services. It allows users to create HTML5 websites and mobile sites through the use of online drag and ...

monarchist website.https://olisa4789.wixsite.com/jamaican-monarchist

References

{{Republicanism

Politics of Jamaica

Background

History

Legal process

Organisations

See also

References