Jamaica has been talking about becoming a republic for a long time. What’s different now is that the work is no longer just talk in the abstract—it has been formalised into a phased reform programme, with a Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) report on the table, and a draft Constitution (Amendment) (Republic) Bill already prepared.
But Jamaica is not Barbados, and that matters. Barbados became a republic through parliamentary action, with its constitutional amendment passed without a referendum requirement in the way Jamaica’s deeply entrenched provisions trigger.
So if the question is, “How can Jamaica do it like Barbados within the next two years?” the honest answer is: Jamaica can move at Barbados speed only if Jamaica clears Jamaica’s hurdles—especially the constitutional timetable, the supermajority votes, and the referendum window—without political breakdown or public confusion. The good news is the roadmap is visible in black and white.
Below is a Jamaica-first, practical path—…
