Referendum Will Not be Combined With Elections – Minister Malahoo Forte

The Government has no intention of combining the referendum that relates to Jamaica’s proposed transition to a Republic with either the upcoming Local Government or General Elections.

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, made the declaration, while addressing the constitutional reform town hall at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in Santa Cruz on Wednesday (July 26).

She emphasised the need to avoid any overlap with the elections given the competitive nature of the political landscape.

Instead, she said, the Referendum should have a fair and unbiased process that can stand on its own merit, preserving its integrity and to separate it from the general elections.

“The wisdom is that we wouldn’t want this Referendum, especially seeing it’s the first one that we’re going to hold in independent Jamaica, to be mixed up with [the elections],” Mrs. Malahoo Forte said.

“The current Constitution contemplated all of this and it’s quite permissible to have the Referendum in another Parliament. So, we can pass the law in this Parliament and carry the Referendum over to the next Parliament,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Malahoo Forte noted that this approach also provides ample time for the constitutional reform and public education, allowing citizens to make informed decisions during the Referendum.

While the Government is working to introduce the Bill in the current Parliament, the Minister pointed out that the timeline depends on the completion of the consultations and public education effort.

She said it is essential to avoid rushing the process to ensure that citizens are well-informed about the proposed constitutional changes.

“It’s going to require a lot of maturity and a mature conversation between the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and the Opposition’s People’s National Party. It would be a travesty if we went to the people competing whilst we are on the issue of abolishing King Charles the Third as our Head of State,” Mrs. Malahoo Forte said.

Along with abolishing the constitutional monarchy and the establishment of the office of the president, phase one of the constitutional reform process aims to address the extension of the life of Parliament and the qualification criteria for parliamentary members.

Phase two will tackle matters pertaining to rights and various other important subjects.