Jamaica’s rather torturous road to becoming a republic continues, but the main opposition party has renewed calls for formal talks with the government about ending impasse issues. The People’s National Party (PNP) used celebrations linked to the island’s 64^th independence anniversary this week to reiterate its willingness to negotiate issues which have prevented the switch from an independent nation to a republic like Caribbean neighbors Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, and Dominica. Barbados is the last of the members of the 15-nation CARICOM bloc to become a republic in late 2021. It now has a second local president in office since then. The main political and constitutional bone of contention has to do with PNP demands that when the time comes to become a republic, Jamaica will dump the British Privy Council as its final court of appeal and join the umbrella Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The governing Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), however, has made it clear that it does not fully trust that court to rule impartially on key issues, as it prefers judges in England who are far removed from the normal cut and thrust of daily Caribbean life to adjudicate on cases rather than justices who live in the region and are subject to possible lobbying. So, efforts to make Jamaica a republic, dump King Charles as its head of state, and replace him with a black or brown local ceremonial president continues to be stalemated with neither side signaling any intention of buckling. In a move that the PNP regards as a political sleight of hand, the JLP has suggested that the switch be made and that the accession to the CCJ will be made later. No, says the PNP, as once republicanism becomes a fact, no effort will be made to accede to the regional apex court, party leaders argue. So, this week, Opposition Leader Bruce Golding reached out again in his independence message, asking for talks with Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “It is time to come together to fully decolonize our 1962 constitution so that our head of state is no longer a foreign monarch and our final court is no longer the colonial vestige of that monarch, but is an institution of judicial excellence that has been deliberately fashioned to be accessible to our people and to ensure its independence from political interference,” Golding said. “Government, opposition, the business sector, trade unions, churches, civil society, and families all have a responsibility to ensure that our nation achieves this holistic vision of independence. Nationwide consultations on what constitutional changes should be made have already been completed but no progress is in sight as both parties are holding to positions. Holness did not dwell on the issue during his independence speech, suggesting that those alive now are responsible for making the country a better place. “We honor the courage and the sacrifice that carried us here, and we remember that independence is not a single moment in history," Holness said. "It is a responsibility renewed by every generation. It is our duty to preserve what those before us built, to strengthen what has been weakened, and to leave to our children a Jamaica more secure, more productive, and more hopeful than the one we inherited." The two sides need each other, as taking such a big step requires a two-thirds majority and even a referendum to make the leap. Parliamentary efforts to deal with the issue ended with the dissolution of the house late last year ahead of general elections. The bill has not been placed on the agenda so far in the new term and appears set to remain off the table, officials say.