‘BVI has to move on’, Fraser says
Third District Representative and member of the political Opposition, Julian Fraser, said the BVI must move on from the international fiasco caused by the arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie in the United States late last week.
“As recently as four days ago, our only concern was to be in the United Kingdom on May 19 for a meeting with the Minister (Overseas Territories Minister Amanda Milling) regarding the Commission of Inquiry’s report,” Fraser commented yesterday, May 1.
But he said all of this has changed with the arrest of Premier Fahie and his appearance on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in a US District Court in the Southern District of Florida.
Minister Milling is now meeting locally with elected officials and other interested parties on the report which was released by Governor John Rankin late last week.
“We are saddened by what took place, the events that took place. We wished it never happened. However, things being the way they are, we have to move on,“ the legislator said.
Fraser said in the Opposition members’ position on the issue was still being discussed and he expressed hope they could arrive at a resolution as talks with the remaining members of the government continue ahead of the meeting today.
“We want to let the people know that the overarching and most important matter on the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry remains that of direct rule by the United Kingdom government under the governor,” Fraser stated.
“We must at all costs as people of the Virgin Islands show that we have matured to this point. It took us 70 years to get there – and there’s nothing that we should do to allow it to be taken away from us and show that we are united in keeping the territory as self-governing under your elected representatives.”
Fraser said he hoped that both the government and Opposition members would appear with a united front when they faced the UK’s Overseas Territories Minister today and said he felt that legislators are united enough to know that this was important.
“If you ask me directions right now, they won’t be the same as if you did a few days before but I think that we are working hard and diligent enough to make sure that this comes to fruition,” Fraser said.
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How can we trust any of them?
you’re so right even the Governor!
The Governor is not telling the truth. It was all arranged by the UK and US. ENTRAPMENT FULL OF LIES! The truth will prevail.
Entrapment or not he took the bait cuz he’s corrupt. Stop making excuses for your corrupt leaders.
Gus seems to have been proven to be on the right track and the same can be said for the current Governor.
Nothing positive can be said for the current Ministers who have all played a supporting role of Andrew Fahie over the many years.
We need new leaders that do not have the same taste for greed and corruption and they are not so readily apparent at the moment.
Elected representatives of Government in the BVI of the last 30 years should be no part of the future of the BVI. They are not cut of the same cloth as the honourable folk that stood for rights and a return of the legislature back in 1949. These present miserable politicians do not understand the value of the Legislature and appear to have already abandoned standing by our constitution many years ago.
shut up sir.
Sea Cow Bay Harbour Development Project
From 2007 to 2011, $1,157,088 of public money was spent on the Sea Cow Bay Harbour Development Project81 before the project was abandoned. No public benefit resulted from that expenditure
THAT IS YOU
NDP halt that project ask them
@GOD’S ANGEL, No one can intrape you if you don’t go along with them Andrew took the bait hook line and sinker his greed is what got him. Even if the UK set up they couldn’t get him if he didnt go for it so stop talking bull crap. He had already calculated what his 12% will give them, I think is something like 85 million he set himself up.
That was t the first time. They don’t go to the expence and effort of entrapment unless they know that the target is going to accept
It certainly does need to move on to investigating where $1.4 million for a sea wall that never happened , went.
Like we don’t know.
All of you need to resign you are all are too cor**pt. We need to March for election. You are not going back to make more mess. You are not accountable. Please return the stolen money back to the people.
The COI report said this person should be the subject of a criminal investigation.
And he wants us to let him continue to rule.
The arrogance is unbelievable.
History has brought us front and center, and here today, to recognize that we are now faced with the decision whether we are giong to keep our human, civil, economic, political and freedom rights, or divest ourselves of them, back to an entity that took them away from us for centuries; to an entity whose human, political, economic, civil and existential philosophy are that those inalianable human rights are ordained by god for the whiteman only, wwhether they are Brit or other..
Those are the facts, and us and others have lived them under the worst conditions for centuries…for centuries!!
Indeed, we have a major issue with trust of our politician, with our own people, even with oour own families and ourselves…
But, one must soon learn that that was not a natural occurance, but that mental construct was indoctrinated into us, over centuries, reforming us to keep us fighting against each other, divided, a peole of no cohesion and power, while another alone took and keep all earthly resources of the earth for himself and himself alone. This is the way they have lived and dominated the world for centuries…
This is their primay aim and objective for these islands and their resources… It is only the unread, the and indoctrinated that do not know these to be facts.
This is the reality that we and BVIslanders are facing today.
BVIslanders should not and must not allow any one to come and take their bread and cheese and limeaid.. If they do, they will send them back to eating rock stone and sand. Today, it will be dirt and rock stone, as they will stop you from using the beach when they have consolidated full power.
So, in this instance, we must trust them. Our future, as we live it today, rest in their hands. Do otherwise and we will be purchasing a one way ticket to hell and sub-humanhood.
Way past time to stop the corruption. SS should be in jail for gifting criminals $40mil that belongs to ss payers NOT SS and definitely not corrupt government.
Uk needs to dissolve gov and put some new rules in place and allow new gov to form asap but not less than 2 yrs.
Pardon my Euphemism,
NATURES LITTLE SECRET – INDISTINGUISHABLE AF (As **uck)
By Tafari Zharr
Is Natures Little Secret, now so Indistinguishable that the “Land of Turtle Doves” becomes more bankable than
BVI-LOVE” (The ousted Premiere’s Tourism slogan); and, perhaps, now heading towards a sure win as a retired idiomatic Expression except BVI-LOVE spews of hate. Awkward! What does a comeback look like, That’s the question!
A Disgraced “Natures Little Secret”, albeit, “change is going to come” will no doubt, quickly shake off being laughingstock-of-the-World. Schhupps… And all this just at the announcement of, The Very Gifted and progressive, Terry Donovan’s, much anticipated, 2022 post-pandemic Summer Sizzlers.. Well To the extent of planning, just as Terry gets set to showcase BVI excellence at another promotional enterprise, The world’s best journalist are hoping for a front row seat at the “BVI’s Fashion Gala” where The World will further be undressing us from up closer and more personal than ever before; especially to get the real skinny and real sizing up of the revamped BVI Government; stories perhaps, Pulitzer Prize worthy. I expect, We can look forward to more “Gotchas, Get outta here’s, pinned with less detail and obvious Acronymic texts of “WTF’s GTFOH’s). Perhaps a Scarlet “B” for Betrayal will be the theme of tis year’s runway.
In dressmaking sometimes one must change the machines foot and often adjust tension; and as other ministries have had at Will reassignments it does mean threads won’t unravel, needle won’t break. As one politician prepare to hem own pants others have had to prepare to don absolutely new clothing; or will it be another uniform – a one size that must fit all? Insomuch As a, disheartened public watches, a new government helter-skelters to distance itself from the alleged nefariousness, abuses, and real-time befalling of a beloved Son-the-Soil. As if Dereliction of Duties is a cloak and the others who may or may not have been in complete attire have had to wear custom-tailored T-Shirts with readymade tags of Demoting, Demitting, Despising, Disposing of original outfits designed for alleged original “misfits” it seemed. Excuse me, Where’s the loud and clear apology?
The BVI will also be scrutinized as the World watch to see if it can collect itself especially after the innumerable fallen pins that suddenly crashed and continue tumbling down. What’s left to be seen is whether any magnet is big and strong enough to gather up all the push pins at once so that no ministry is left wide open for this to happen again, and who will be accountable for picking up the scraps? One missed, loose, pin pierces as deeply as 13 The media will be looking for a needle in a haystack, right?
Meanwhile, we can prepare for the shenanigans associated with a dress rehearsals as the new body is measured for form, fittings, tucks here and there, with alterations of patterns likely. That being said they will be lots of lights, cameras, and action. So we need the unity government to be ultra practical, precise, and people oriented.
The BVI is a full blown heck of a story. Everyone is watching and publishing about the BVI. Today is Day Eleven, I pinch myself dreading I’m dreaming; how more astronomical and numerical can it get? I’m dreaming, I’m stuck on the concept that In numerology the number 11 signifies enlightenment and inspiration. That how I want to remember AF.
But it’s not a dream it’s worse and it’s a bad look, a bad vibe for Home. I say out loud BVI will be so lucky to feel free to be fully shameful; as opposed to that “pig-headed, prideful, and basque nationalist, outlook held by so many locals a lot of whom are now shocked amidst disgust and disbelief, at being stupidly mocked by their own distinctive officials . Never mind, you are also very nice, church going, prayerful people who also believe in knots and ropes ( if you get the drift). So it’s with earnest intention, that I give a heads up for this to be a time for humility, a time to hurt, and a time to heal.
BVI can become a treasure in the Caribbean. I am Hopeful that the changing of the guards is reflective of All the people and not some of the people by an indigenous people: a better BVI that’s an inclusive BVI where Caribbean people can thrive, A BVI that’s progressive and not repressive, a BVI where a mother of another West Indian island can praise a mother of any island and where a child is never a number by virtue of “not born here; where a persons name is respected and not nicknamed by geographic coordinates. Incidentally, according to https://www.geodatos.net/en/coordinates/british-virgin-islands “British Virgin Islands is located at latitude 18.420695 and longitude -64.639968. It is part of America and the northern hemisphere.” Location matters being at the table matters – the BVI has a lot to prove but being vulnerable is not one of the attributes that keeps us at the table. Too many people worked hard and sacrificed time with their families to build a BVI that is and should be resilient.
I too can’t believe I am thinking this but BVI needs the kind of task force that will be tolerant and fair, not exclusively bigoted in fear and idolatry, or discriminatory by economic challenges and immigration persecution.
Required introspection may be proposed to address taboos such as flushing out prevalent xenophobias that are remnants of a dated and declining democracy. Yes, BVI should seek to become more ingratiated not only to other regional BOTs but by becoming more congruent with the state that is UK for it’s good and all it’s peoples sake. Transition is sometimes better than translation and/or transference.
The truth is, Natures Little secret has become a Big Lie with big liens and oversized lenses. A place where the wealthiest want to own an island, the rich want to live “ expensivist”, the expatriates want to indefinitely over-extend their contracts, the “island people” want to work for the American Dollar to build their homes “back- home”, and “locals” just want a better chance and a better way of life than their hard working parents did. I get it. It’s hard watching people come into your country, do better than you, look down on you at times and reap off the successes of your ancestors! For us all to have a stake we have to be stakeholders. But, Nothing happened overnight, As a nostalgic place, BVI is no longer a secret or as conservative as it used to be- the whole world has changed just in the last 3 years.
Now more than ever, Real purposeful adjustments have to be made and compromise necessary because how long did it take for BVI become a place where everyone wants to be famous, and fashionable, and live the fast lifestyles? So at what cost has the BVI paid the price for trading basic dignities for dignitaries, diplomats, and celebrities’ statuses? The BVI is a melting pot with people from all walks of life at varying economic statuses. The needs of the people don’t always align with the economy and access is not where it should be; so many missed steps with hardly any direct access by the people for the people.
It’s Hard out here for a politician; hard AF, (as F*ck, excuse the straight-spaded extreme euphemism) Imagine waking up and your life is changed forever- such is the BVI now – indistinguishable “Furthermore, Famous” waking up to the precipitous of nightmares; Nightmares that were brewing as you were making your morning bush teas, remember to also smell the coffee.
Subsequently, is the new BVI-LOVE going to be more reflective of “ONE-HEART”considering state of affairs overshadowing efforts of good souls decades of goodwill towards progress in the BVI? How transparent and what will civic engagement look like to eventuate best practices and fair outcomes for the citizens and residents, expatriates and tourists and Yes what reparative protections will be safeguarded for indigenous people, their offsprings and their properties? A lot of stuff needs unpacking; this is serious business that needs not just brilliant minds but now us a time for beautiful mindsets and objectivity- so the government needs to be reflective of not just a particular demographic.
The best shine comes from a good clean; but are we polishing up or dusting off? Is it date night and you looking for quick fix? WYSIWYG! you can believe your own eyes, choose not to do nothing or you can get your eyes checked. The diagnosis is in. To draw a parallel peripheral vertigo can effect people’s vision as well as their pocket. Leveling Up ain’t easy!
Remember, Turning a blind eye is costly- imagine the blind leading the blind, it happens but is it the best scenario for an advancing democracy that is a BOT? So what about dimming your own light for others to shine? Who cares? We all should, even if just for those who are despondent. For these of you who can be enlightened, other of you continue to aid so that our new leaders inspire us.
But for this weekend Let’s reserve judgment and invite Grace under pressure, Politics is sexy, power is seductive, patience is steadfast. To feel shame is to be human. So We have to wait for the legal process to play out; and one is innocent until proven guilty. As we look to understand and as we struggle to forgive even if we don’t at first we will by the eleventh: hour, day, week, month or year; hopefully not 20 years.
Ask anyone who’s had their heart broken: Betrayal sucks it knows no gender, no age no ethnicity it has no borders it sinks and it stinks. But there’s always fashion and creativity and once awhile someone straddles the catwalk, walks down the red carpet with Grace confidence and swag! A great model is what we are watching and waiting to see emerge.
Finally, on a lighter note, even if you don’t know why a turtle earns its wings, you do know how it feels to be loved by a dove! To know the BVI is to love the BVI even with its imperfections! “I’ll fly away” the song enters my head – Enough said. BVI on my Mind!