Cabinet Minister, Senator Matthew Samuda, has confirmed that he is a British citizen.

Samuda, in a statement on Thursday, said he has started the process of renouncing his British citizenship since public debate erupted recently over the dual citizenship of Opposition Leader Mark Golding.

"I am advanced in the process of renouncing my British citizenship, which I acquired at birth," Samuda indicated.

The governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and many of its supporters, including Transport Minister Daryl Vaz, have hammered Golding over his status as a British citizen holding the office of Opposition Leader in Jamaica, and have called on him to renounce the citizenship.

In weighing into the issue last week, Prime Minister Andrew Holness posited that any individual seeking to lead the country as prime minister, or anyone serving as Opposition leader, should not hold dual citizenship.

However, Holness said he was not opposed to members of the diaspora serving as parliamentarians as long as they swear allegiance to Jamaica.