“It is not you birth that makes you Jamaican, it is choices you make for your country” – Honourable Dr Andrew Michael Holness on the occasion of final General Elections debate: Leaders for the upcoming general elections. The debate took place on 28th August 2025 and the elections are slated for September 3, 2025.
It is hoped that warped minds would not take this out of context, promoting that the PM is generally saying that anyone with the right choices for Jamaica is Jamaican. Case in point, the Prime Minister was making direct reference to Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s stunt of pulling out his birth paper to prove his 1965 birth in Jamaica to claim the title ‘being Jamaican.
While said leader is born in Jamaica he enjoys dual citizenship as his father is a British subject. Although being born in 1965, it is alleged that he never sought to get his Jamaican passport until aged 46 years. Needless to say he has never been at the forefront of any fight or race on behalf of Jamaica till now. His only dance with fame as a Jamaican public figure would be in the space where he along with Christopher Dehring and Peter Bunting formed the failing now defunct investment bank DB and G Holdings.
Added to that the Prime Minister highlighted the critical fact that said Golding served in capacity as advisor to Peter Phillips where funds were misappropiated and where he Golding himself benefitted immensely.
BE MINDFUL that citizenship is not solely defined by birth. While being born in a country is one common pathway, it’s not the only one, and citizenship can indeed be renounced, acquired, or revoked under specific legal frameworks..
Interestingly former Prime Minister PJ Patterson made demands of ‘being Jamaican by renouncing dual citizenship’ which affected members of both parties in past years.
You have to admit though that these years are the best times for elections – peaceful intelligence. At last debating with diligence and passion.
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