By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Queen of England will lose her status as head of state in the Caribbean Island of Jamaica.
The country’s parliament has been told the process will be done in “stages” ahead of the its next election in 2025.
Marlene Malahoo Forte QC, who is the country’s Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, made the announcement in parliament which will result in Jamaica becoming a republic.
The UK Express reports the process of removing the Queen from her current position will involve several stages which will include voting in the House and Senate of the Jamaican parliament and a peoples’ referendum.
“The goal is to ultimately produce a new Constitution of Jamaica, enacted by the Parliament of Jamaica, to inter alia, establish the Republic of Jamaica as a parliamentary republic, replacing the constitutional monarchy, and affirming our self-determination and cultural heritage.
“I am pleased to advise this honourable House that the work to achieve this goal, while being done in stages, has formally commenced,” Forte said.
The constitution minister pointed to the transition of Barbados which severed ties with the monarchy, as an example
She said others were tenterhooks waiting to learn which Caribbean nation would be next, ending ties with the commonwealth.
A Constitutional Reform Committee is expected to be established which will include opposition members.
“The reform work to be done in order to achieve the goal of a new constitution requires cooperation between the government and the parliamentary opposition, as well as the seal of the people,” Forte added.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Catherine, recently toured the Caribbean as part of a Royal Tour.
But the visit sparked slavery rows and anti-monarchy protests on every island the couple visited
It was supposed to be “charm offensive” to curb other nations such as Barbados leaving the commonwealth, but was widely seen as public relations’ disaster.
One of the duo’s first visits was called off after protests In Belize over a land dispute with a charity who the Queen’s grandson is a patron of.
According to The Mirror, the Queen reportedly expressed “sadness” at the move by Barbados to become a republic.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles said he will have a “twinge of regret” at the ceremony to mark the cutting of ties with the monarchy after centuries of British rule.
Dame Sandra Mason, the Governor-General,was sworn-in as President on November 30,2021, replacing the Queen as head of state on the country’s 55th independence anniversary.
In January 2022, Australia’s government also said it will remove the Queen as its head of state after being bound to Great Britain for over 200 years.
The news was announced just two days before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations as Queen Elizabeth became the first UK Monarch to mark 70 years of service.
Australia’s Labour leader, Anthony Albanese, created a new role of “assistant minister for the republic” in his government and raised the prospect of a referendum on whether to replace the Queen as head of state.
