Burchell plans to move Private Member's Motion to allow patois in Parliament

 

 

Opposition Spokesperson on Creative Industries, Culture and Information, Nekeisha Burchell, has signaled her intention to move a Private Member's Motion in Parliament to allow the use of Jamaican Patois in the House of Representatives.

 

The announcement comes days after Ms. Burchell began her Sectoral Debate presentation in Jamaican Patois, but was later stopped by House Speaker Juliet Holness.

 

"Mi git up dis afternoon fi mek mi fuss sectoral speech," said the MP before she was interrupted by the House Speaker who reminded her of the Standing Orders. 

 

The Standing Orders govern parliamentary proceedings in Jamaica's Parliament.

 

Standing Order 6, titled "Language", states that proceedings and debates of the House shall be conducted in the English language. It also specifies that every petition presented to the House must be written in English.

 

But, speaking on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines on Thursday, MP Burchell criticised the restriction and indicated that she intends to move her first Private Member's Motion seeking amendments to the Standing Orders, to allow the use of Jamaican Patois in Parliament.

 

"I've already discussed this with the Leader of Opposition and the Leader of Opposition Business. Right now the Standing Orders Committee of Parliament is meeting; they're going through their changes and plans for the future. And coming the next sitting of the Standing Orders Review Committee, we will be raising an item for it to be discussed. This is chaired by the Speaker of the House and has majority government representatives. So if that attempt is blocked, I will be bringing my first Private Member's Motion on this," she revealed.

 

The use of Jamaican Creole in formal spaces has remained a contentious issue for years, with ongoing debate over language, identity and cultural representation.

 

Meanwhile, Ms. Burchell also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the remix of the traditional 'Hill and Gully' rhythm, which has recently been used in songs containing explicit lyrics by Dancehall artistes.

 

"It is uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Any culture that doesn't evolve with age, with time and through conversation dies. And so I'm happy, even if I were to have been punished yesterday, I'm happy that I would have helped to spark a conversation that could help us to bring back us, Jamaica, back to the table and hope for discussion. So I'm happy that we're talking about it," she admitted.

 

The debate surrounding the use of the Hill and Gully rhythm (or riddim), along with the installation of the controversial "Rude Boy" billboard, has sparked wider cultural discussions across the island about the boundaries of artistic expression and cultural preservation.