Former PM weighs in on dual citizenship debate

Former Prime Minister PJ Patterson has weighed in on the dual citizenship debate.



Mr Patterson believes it’s not appropriate for people to be barred from political and other offices because they are foreign citizens.



The Constitution makes it unlawful for the director of elections to be foreign citizen.



It also makes it illegal for a Member of Parliament to be elected to the House of Representatives if he or she swears allegiance to a foreign power.



The Constitution makes allowance for citizens of countries, which were once under British rule to be elected to Parliament once they have been living in Jamaica for a year.



Former Prime Minister Patterson said these aspects of the Constitution should be reviewed.



But would Mr Patterson want to see the issue of allegiance being used as a factor to sit in Parliament erased from the Constitution?



Mr Patterson said during his 14 years as Prime Minister he was not aware of any MP with dual citizenship in breach of the law.



The dual citizenship debate has rekindled in the last two week since the Appeals Court upheld a decision of the Supreme Court to order a by-election in West Portland.



The Court of Appeal held that the JLP’s Daryl Vaz was not eligible to remain in the House because he was an American at the time of his nomination in 2007.



The Appeals Court is hand down the written reasons for its decision on Friday.