PREMIERSHIP: New Jamaica PM Vows Break With British Monarchy

Jamaica’s new prime minister has said that it is time for her country to cut ties with the British monarchy and declare itself an independent republic.

Speaking at her inaugural address on Friday, Portia Simpson Miller, said her government would “initiate the process of detachment from the monarchy”, establishing a republic with a president as head of state, and breaking off links with the former colonial power. A government spokesman said Simpson Miller’s party would first seek an agreement with the opposition before moving ahead with the constitutional changes, which could be made through parliament without a referendum.

Jamaica seeks independence from Queen (Reuters):

Jan. 7 -Jamaica’s new prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, says the time has come forher country to cut ties with the British monarchy. Sunita Rappai reports.

Jamaica ‘to cut ties with British monarchy’ (Al Jazeera’s Andrew Potter reports):

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JAMAICA HAS HAD OLD TIES WITH GREAT BRITAIN

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DAVID STARKEY’s ‘JAMAICAN PATOIS’ COMMENT SPARKS ANGER

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BBC’s Newsight on the 12th of August 2011:

British historian David Starkey tries to talk about the English Riots ontheBBCs flagship current affairs program Newsnight. He’s never able to finish apoint and is constantly talked over by two other debaters with no help fromthechair.  (NOTE: Only for UK viewers Full Version of the Program available here)

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JAMAICAN REPUBLIC IN THE MAKING ?

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New Jamaica PM vows break with monarchy (CBC News)

Jamaica’s new prime minister has declared that “the time has come” for her country to break its ties to the monarchy.

In her inaugural address, Portia Simpson Miller, first paid tribute to the Queen: “I love the Queen. She is a beautiful lady, and apart from being a beautiful lady, a wise lady and a wonderful lady.”

Simpson Miller then stated, in her Thursday speech to a crowd of 10,000, that her administration would “initiate the process of detachment from the monarchy”, converting her country from a constitutional parliamentary democracy to a republic.

A member of the Commonwealth, Jamaica is on the royal itinerary this year marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with Prince Harry scheduled to visit the Caribbean nation later this year.

It appears Miller’s plans for a republican form of government are aimed to coincide with this year’s 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence from Britain in 1962.

In the meantime, the Queen remains the head of state and is represented on the island by the governor general, Sir Patrick Allen.

Simpson Miller’s centre-left People’s National Party won a victory over the governing Labour Party in last week’s parliamentary elections, on a platform that included ditching the monarchy.

Her other orders of business include grappling with the country’s anemic economy, massive debt and a 13 per cent unemployment rate.

A government spokesman said Simpson Miller’s party would first seek an agreement with the opposition before moving ahead with the constitutional changes, which could be made through parliament without a referendum.

He said Simpson Miller hopes to have that deal in place by August, when Jamaica’s independence celebrations will be in full swing.

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