An urgent referendum could be held as early as 2024, meaning Jamaica could become independent from the British monarchy and have its own president by next year, Jamaican Justice Minister Marlene Malahu Forte has said. “Jamaica is about to draft a new constitution which will sever ties with the (British) monarch as head of state,” the minister said.
In doing so, the proposal would require public consultation and the presentation of a bill to parliament, which could be sent to lawmakers this month after the coronation. The bill could take up to nine months to pass, after which people would have to vote in a referendum, Forte added.
Additionally, Jamaica will demand reparations from Britain for the years of the slave trade, as well as an apology for the colonial period. “I wonder why not issue a full apology? Is it because you might have to give the wealth of the taken monarchy back to the people? Taken in places that have been colonized? Where the people were enslaved? – said Marlene Malach Forte.
Jamaica declared independence from Britain on August 6, 1962. The country is a kingdom by status, and the head of its state is the British monarch. According to the National Library of Jamaica, during the transatlantic slave trade, an estimated 600,000 captive Africans were forcibly sent to Jamaica, making Britain one of the largest slave traders in the Atlantic in the 18th century. century. This historic event is still relevant today.
During the Prince and Princess of Wales’ controversial Caribbean tour last year, Prince William acknowledged the problem but did not apologize. In his speech, he lamented that “slavery is disgusting” and that “it should never have happened”. However, for the descendants of the former slaves, his words were not enough.
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