FEEDBACK

Standardise the Cabinet

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has reshuffled her shadow Cabinet. Robert Pickersgill has been given responsibility for lands, water, environment and climate change.

The environment is the totality whichsurrounds us, and includes the atmosphere, land and water.One can understand climate change being added to environment, in naming this shadow ministry, to emphasise the focus that will be placed on an area of global concern.

Theword'lands' can be used in at least 10 different contexts. However,'lands' and 'water', alongside 'environment', in the context of the name of a department or ministry, appear somewhat redundant.

It is also interesting to note that the number of spokepersons, 18,has matched that of the Government. Thismay be a signalthat there would stillbe a large number of government ministries if the Opposition forms the next government.

It may not prove a bad idea toconsider some kind of standardisation with respect to the number and names ofgovernment and shadow ministries.

- Daiver R. Facey, DR.Facey@gmail.com

Set the record straight

Why did the newspaper run that story Sunday on Sharon Hay-Webster without telling the people that her case is different from the other dual-citizen politicians.

She cannot be an American. She was born there. She is both an American and a Jamaican.

Why does it take little me to set the story straight? Sharon has the right to be in Parliament. Unlike the others, she did not swear allegiance to a foreign country, as she was born there.

- Sandra Brooks, chad@cwjamaica.com, Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth

Why disqualify Hay-Webster?

If Ms Hay-Webster's situation is as she states, what is the problem?

I am Jamaican by birth, but have an American father and thus have a US passport. Every time I renew my US passport, I have to swear allegiance to the US, thus disqualifying me from serving the people of this country as a public servant.

Edward Seaga was born in the US, claimed and used his citizenship but renounced it when he ran for public office. Mrs Hay-Webster appears to be in a similar situation because of her birth in the US, but if she has only ever claimed Jamaican citizenship and passport, why should she be disqualified from serving the people?

Jamaica, unlike the US, does not have any rules against foreign-born nationals being prime minister, only foreign citizens who, by choice, swear allegiance to another power.

However, if it can be demonstrated and proven that her statements in Thursday's Gleaner are false, that is a different story. As I see it, put this tempest in a teapot to rest and get on with more important things.

- Ace Itizen