Jamaica to become Republic after it breaks links with British Queen, says newly elected Prime Minister Simpson Miller

Jamaica's new Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has said she intends to make the island a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth as the head of state. 

In her inaugural address, Ms Simpson Miller said the time had come for Jamaica to break with the British monarchy and have its own president. The announcement comes ahead of celebrations to mark 50 years of Jamaican independence from Britain.

Note EU-Digest: Jamaica's opposition People's National Party (PNP) secured an upsetting 41- to 22-seat victory over the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) in Thursday's general elections, dispelling polls that had claimed the election would have been too close to call.
 

The stunning victory for the PNP now means that its president, Portia Simpson Miller, 66, will return to the prime minister position, which she held before for only 18 months. Simpson Miller lost the premiership four years ago when the PNP was voted out of government.

For more: BBC News - Jamaica to break links with Queen, says Prime Minister Simpson Miller