Devon Dick

Recently, Andrew Holness, minister of education, said that persons who have sworn allegiance to a foreign power should resign from the House of Representatives. That principled call has fallen on deaf ears.

However, the person who stated it first and best for the JLP was Mr Daryl Vaz, minister of state in the OPM. After he renounced his allegiance to the USA, Vaz challenged both JLP and PNP MPs to come clean and resolve this "constitutional crisis". In sounding prime ministerial, he said MPs cannot be lawbreakers when they ought to be lawmakers.

At a stalemate

A month ago Vaz claimed that nothing was being done to ensure the integrity of Parliament. A month later it seems we are in a stalemate and not even the nominated senators are assuring the nation about the integrity of the Senate.

Vaz also went further than the constitutional requirement for the office of MP. He chided those persons who had a 'green card'. The Constitution speaks about persons who have, by their own act, pledged allegiance to a foreign power. Vaz's contention about the resident alien status was how an MP could sit in a Jamaican Parliament and every six months has to travel to the USA in order to comply with USA law.

Gifts for constituents

In fact, not too long ago, there was a councillor in the St Catherine Parish Council who was absent from many council meetings because she was a resident alien of the USA. In an interview, she claimed that she was doing an effective job as councillor because, while resident in the USA, she was able to garner gifts for her constituents!

I suspect that some MPs will defend having sworn allegiance to a foreign country or having a green card as enabling them to get gifts for their constituents. However, the role of MP is not primarily to be a social worker, paying school fees, etc. It is to represent the interests of their constituents in Parliament and pass laws that will protect the national interests, enhance justice, preserve the peace and facilitate prosperity.

Therefore, those who use the economic argument of stating that persons who have sworn allegiance to a foreign power and have renounced their Jamaican citizenship should be allowed in Parliament because of the remittances they send to Jamaica are missing a crucial point.

Eligibility for parliament

The eligibility to be a parliamentarian is not based on the amount of money one contributes but on an unquestionable loyalty to the welfare of the people of Jamaica and in particular the interests of the constituents he or she represents. Otherwise, we might as well put the largest donor to a political party in the Senate. We would also have to put the Irish owner of Digicel and Spanish hotel owners, etc, in the Senate by virtue of the large financial investment in Jamaica.

To allow persons who have pledged allegiance and renounced Jamaican citizenship to sit in Parliament is akin to allowing diplomats in Parliament. A diplomat is one who has allegiance not to the country in which they reside and work, but to a foreign country and is immune to the vagaries of the host country. In addition, a diplomat can leave anytime and enjoy the benefits of the other country. This is totally unacceptable.

Interestingly, a couple weeks ago a member of the British Royal Family got married to a Canadian and the Canadian renounced her Roman Catholic faith and became an Anglican in order to preserve her husband's claim to the British Throne.

Vaz's position has international backing. Well said, Daryl Vaz.