Dual citizenship - Political exclusion based on citizenship is inequality

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I have long been in opposition to the principle whereby Jamaicans who possess dual citizenship are not permitted to represent their country in the legislature.

I am a Jamaican who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years. My children are all America-born. However, we all return to Jamaica two times per year.

I do not consider myself any less than a full-fledged Jamaican citizen. Therefore, I do not understand why persons like me are excluded from the legislature. I believe that as citizens of this country, we all deserve equal rights.

The fact that I have gained citizenship elsewhere in order for it to be possible for me to gain employment does not mean that I have repudiated my Jamaican citizenship.

Not all of us as citizens could have been able to live and work in Jamaica for our entire lives. The economy could never have facilitated this. Thus, some of us had to go elsewhere to chart our own pathways to financial success.

After achieving this, I do not see the problem with us coming back to serve in representational politics. This, in my opinion, is no less than inequality which we claim to shun as a country.

AUDREY MCLEAN

Miami, Florida