More often than not, the elites in Jamaica have dual citizenship. They can always fly away if Jamaica becomes too unbearable.

This is not an option most Jamaicans have. They have to live and die here.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding is an intelligent, capable man. He has reinvigorated the People’s National Party (PNP_ and it is now better prepared to unseat the present Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration.

Now it has been revealed that Golding has dual citizenship, he should renounce his British passport and embrace his Jamaica all the way. He could possibly be the next prime minister of Jamaica and that dual citizenship will be a problem.

The populace need to know that you are unequivocally loyal to Jamaica and that you put the country before all.

You can’t claim to abide by technicalities and what the law says. This is bigger than this now and Golding should be astute enough to recognise this.

The PNP have gained ground and have the JLP on the back foot. Now the JLP have the PNP on the ropes with this Golding’s citizenship issue. 

All is fair in war and politics. The PNP scored big by forcing both Daryl Vaz and Michael Stern to renounce their US passports. Now it is asking the same of the PNP.

By a twist of fate, it is Daryl Vaz who has plunged the dagger and his political wiles are causing problems for the PNP. If Vaz is right and Mark Golding applied for a Jamaican passport at the age of 46 (well into middle age), five years after serving as a senator, then he has to answer questions. People will want to know if this is so.

That would indicate that his loyalty for most of his life was to the United Kington, the birthplace of his father and not Jamaica. Why didn’t he apply for his Jamaican passport sooner? What one can deduce here is that he only applied for a Jamaican passport after 2012 because he had to, not because he wanted to.

There is a lot of talk about Jamaica freeing itself from the vestiges of colonialism, how it must stand on its own two feet, and throw aside the British monarchy and the Privy Council. All this is distracting from the matter at hand—making Jamaica an enviable place for its citizens to live their lives. Address the crime problem. Ensure the education and health systems meet the needs of the people. Ensure people have jobs that pay more than simply a livable wage. Make amenities and utilities practical and affordable.

For generations now, Jamaican leaders have been unable to accomplish this leaving Jamaica to be marked out as a failed state.

If  Mark Golding is serious about leading this country, it is not good enough to simply say “I man born yah”. You can’t have it both ways, you can’t be a man of two nations. Right there, your authority and standing with the people gets undermined.

You can’t be making declarations because it is expedient and politically advantageous. It has to be about authenticity all the way.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is absolutely right when he says if you aspire to be prime minister of Jamaica you can’’t be a citizen or pledge loyalty to another country. The implications here are obvious and it also sends the wrong message to the people of Jamaica. Are you 100 per cent with us? Do you endure our pain? Will you fly away to greener pastures when things get rough? Do you really believe Jamaica can be a land of hope and glory?

Yes, the Constitution say, you can be a member of the Commonwealth and sit in Parliament, but what it says and what the reality looks like is another matter.

It can be argued that Vaz was doing Jamaica a favour by bringing this matter to the nation’s attention because it is unlikely that Golding would have volunteered it anytime soon. It was also a political checkmate and a salvo to slow down the PNP’s momentum.

It will be interesting to note whether this dual citizenship issue affects Mark Golding’s favourability rating. 

Mark Golding must not hesitate, his very essence must be loyal to the Jamaican flag and what it is all about.  Holding on to that British passport will only serve to make him conflicted. A leader must be of his or her people and be able to unite them. A leader must have an intrinsic understanding of his or her people’s character. So Mark Golding, do the right thing.