Oath of allegiance to God, monarchy, or country?

by Suelin Low Chew Tung

Grenada’s Pledge of Allegiance reads, “I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the country for which it stands, with Liberty, Justice and Equality for all. I pledge also that I shall defend and uphold the Honour, Dignity and Laws and Institutions of my country.”

There is no mention of the Constitution or God, or the monarchy.

Interpretation, Section 111 of the Grenada Constitution states that “oath” includes affirmation; “oath of allegiance” as set out in Schedule 3, and “oath of office” for the due execution of any office, as set out in Schedule 3. Just to be clear, Grenada’s Constitution does not define “affirmation.” However, in the United Kingdom, from which we take most of our governance principles, all new citizens asked to swear or affirm the oath, are made to understand that “swearing the oath “means swearing to God, while “affirming the oath“ has no religious context. 

The Grenada Constitution Section 9, subsection 4, “Protection of freedom of conscience” states, “No person shall be compelled to take any oath which is contrary to his religion or belief or to take any oath in a manner which is contrary to his religion or belief.” This is confirmed in Schedule 3 to the Constitution, under “Forms of Oath” where, under The Oath of Allegiance, an individual swears (no mention of or solemnly affirms) to faithfully bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law, so help me God. The last phrase, “so help me God”, to be omitted in affirmation. As mentioned, the Grenada Oath (Pledge) of Allegiance does not mention the Constitution. With the Oath of Office, an individual swears (or solemnly affirms) to faithfully execute their stated office “without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and that in the execution of the functions of that office will honour, uphold and preserve the Constitution of Grenada, so help me God.” The last part to be omitted in affirmation.

On Friday, 10 March 2023, Xi Jinping was re-elected President of the People’s Republic of China and Chair of the Central Military Commission. I watched the oath-taking unfold, carried live by CGTN, the China Global Television Network.

In the Great Auditorium of the Great Hall of the People, an honour guard marched in, took position at the foot of the stage where 3 other guards escorted the Chinese Constitution, and laid it on the podium ready for Xi to take his oath. Dramatic ceremony, to be sure, but it served to publicly solidify the Chinese Constitution’s importance to the country’s destiny. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China is the supreme law of of China. The constitutional oath of office was implemented on 1 January 2016, and provides for all state employees, when assuming office, to make a public pledge of allegiance to the Constitution (individually or in a group) according to the provisions of law, with the National Flag shown, and National Anthem played.

Perusing the Grenada Constitution as it stands, oaths of Allegiance and Office are to be taken by the Governor-General, Acting Governor-General, Supervisor of Elections, Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, and members of the Public Service Commission. I note that Members of Parliament, individuals entitled to be registered as citizens, or married to a Grenada citizen, apparently only need take the Oath of Allegiance. There is no mention of National Flag nor Anthem.

World media made a deal about Xi’s posture while taking the oath of office: raised right fist, left hand on the Constitution, and words of loyalty to the Constitution and the motherland. This was particularly interesting to me, because, as far as I am aware, in Grenada, oaths tend to use a bible or other religious book. Indeed, a copy of the Grenada Constitution is not present for elected officials or anyone else, to swear or affirm. Perhaps it is because we, as a ‘Christian’ Commonwealth society, follow prescribed dogma, using religious text and swearing fielty to the British Monarch/Head of Church, not to Grenada’s Constitution or Grenada.

According to CGTN, in 2018, Xi called for “everyone to be the loyal admirer, follower and defender of the Constitution,”  and in 2022, China launched a weeklong campaign to improve public knowledge at the grassroots level about the Constitution on Sunday, 4 December — National Constitution Day. I am unsure how many Grenadians know that Grenada Constitution Day is 19 December, because it is neither observed nor mentioned. Instead, it is grossly overshadowed at that time of year by jingle bells dashing through the snow in 30°C weather.

The US Oath of Allegiance swears allegiance to its Constitution, the world’s longest surviving written charter of government, which since 1789, has been amended 27 times for various reasons. China’s current Constitution, adopted in 1982, is amended every 5 years to reflect its people’s present and anticipated needs, and was last amended in 2018. Grenada has yet to amend/reform its 50-year-old Constitution. The process repeatedly thwarted by pedantics, fearmongering and stuck-in-the-mud thinking continues to keep us citizens contained within a box previously structured to keep us, well, contained.

If Grenada’s Constitution is the supreme law of the land which provides for all freedoms, rights, responsibilities, laws and processes, then, Grenada in approaching its 50^th anniversary of independence, amendments should be applied, and public constitutional oaths of office enacted, to ensure that, to paraphrase Xi, everyone follows and defends the Constitution.

Suelin is visiting Beijing, hosted by China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC), to report on China with a Grenadian view.