The Jamaican government has introduced a bill in the country’s parliament that would remove King Charles as head of state.

This is the first institutional step toward abolishing the monarchy and transforming the country into a republic. A referendum will follow.

Since 1962, when Jamaica became an independent country, it has been a constitutional monarchy with the British king as head of state, represented by a governor-general. Although the governor-general has no real influence on domestic politics, they are seen as a relic of colonialism.

If the bill passes, as reported by the Guardian, the head of state will be a president, but with symbolic powers.

However, opposition parties have expressed doubts, such as the fact that the government’s initiative comes just a few months before the 2025 elections. The government, however, insists that steps have been taken to prepare for the bill’s introduction.

To date, four of the 12 former British colonies in the Caribbean—Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, and Barbados—have become republics.