There are some persons, including the prime minister, who seem to share the view that there is some inequity in the constitutional provisions which make it possible for Commonwealth citizens, formerly British subjects, to become parliamentarians while disqualifying others with dual citizenship in non-Commonwealth states.

However, within the multi-national context of the British Commonwealth, dual or multiple-citizenship is explicitly acknowledged and appreciated. In other words, Britain, Canada and many of the other Commonwealth countries permit dual or multiple loyalties with other Commonwealth countries.

This is not the case for many non-Commonwealth countries. The United States, Venezuela, Germany and many others do not permit dual loyalties with other nations. In some countries, dual citizens are not even permitted to vote and in others, dual citizenship is considered a criminal offence.

Caricom passport

What dual loyalty means is that a Jamaican national with a British passport can vote in favour of Jamaica even against Britain at the United Nations, for example, without the threat of any sanctions from Britain. That individual could also choose to withhold infor-mation deemed vital to the security and survival of Britain from the queen, without fear of being branded a traitor. A similar arrangement evidently exists for holders of Caricom passports.

Dual citizenship outside of these types of understandings is clearly an abiding threat to national security. All US citizens, for example, face the threat of serious sanctions for acting contrary to the interests of their country and for withholding critical national security information from their president. In times of war, they can be drafted to bear arms against any country involved in an armed struggle with the US. That could, of course, include a country with which they hold dual citizenship.

Citizenship vs the law

In the eyes of the queen, Michael Peart, who has publicly acknowl-edged his British citizenship, is at once both Jamaican and British. If it is true, however, that Gregory Mair has Venezuelan citizenship, then he is regarded by Venezuelan law as exclusively Venezuelan and is expected by his president to act, at all times, in the interest of Venezuela.

Section 40 of our Constitution was designed to protect Jamaica from potential disloyalty by removing all our parliamentarians and other high offices from the invidious position of divided loyalties. Commonwealth citizens have the freedom to choose their primary loyalties. These provisions remain relevant as this is not the case for many other dual citizens.

We can still choose to press on with reforms to either expand or restrict the provisions of Sections 39 and 40 of our 47-year-old Constitution. However, let us do so in a rational and informed manner, and not as an emotional, knee-jerk response to pressing personal or partisan exigencies. The Constitution was carefully crafted to protect national interests and to secure the Commonwealth benefits for all our citizens, not to shore up flagging political fortunes.

I am, etc.,

STANLEY REDWOOD

stanley_redwood@yahoo.com