COI conflated ‘self-determination’ and ‘good governance’ — Walwyn
The important issues of the BVI’s right to self-determination and its level of good governance may have been mixed together when the Commission of Inquiry (COI) arrived at its findings in a report issued earlier this year.
This was the view shared by attorney-at-law and former legislator Myron Walwyn when he appeared on the Talking Points show aired recently.
Walwyn said there was a conflation of these two concepts, which he termed as diametrically opposed to each other. “It appears as if the [COI] commissioner attempted to make a comparison between good governance and our right to self-determination, and those are two separate and distinct principles,” Walwyn argued.
Paraphrasing the COI report, the former legislator said the commissioner found that the BVI’s right or aspirations to self-determination could potentially face delay.
“Anybody with an iota of understanding of international law, knows that is fundamentally flawed,” Walwyn stated.
Self-determination, Walwyn argued, has nothing to do with the territory’s ability to govern itself, and is an inherent right that is protected.
Self-determination misunderstood
In the meantime, Walwyn said he felt there was a misunderstanding in some quarters with what the notion of self-determination actually means. “Self determination does not mean independence. It’s not a synonym for independence and the persons who use [the term] self-determination use it to mean independence. That’s not what it means,” Walwyn argued.
He said, while the phrase may encompass independence, it does not necessarily mean independence alone.
“It could mean you have a free association with a state… it could be that you become subsumed into, as part of the United Kingdom, the United States, so I don’t think that anybody has asked the BVI people what it is they want,” he said.
Walwyn said self-determination offers just what it says, the right to choose what it is you want to do, including what sort of political and economic relationships you may want to have.
He also expressed that it was important for people who are championing the independence movement to look at the COI report, especially since achieving independence is dependent on the confidence of the people to be led by a particular government.
He said a focus should be placed on all the things that need to be addressed in the territory and building up the institutions of the territory such that, regardless of whomever is in office, it may not be material.
“We can’t have a system that is left up to the devices of the persons who are running it,” Walwyn argued. “The country should not be that vulnerable to the extent that it depends on [the character of] that person in office. Integrity must be built into the system, so regardless of whomever the player is, whether he’s good or bad, he can’t do nothing because the systems are that strong.”
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It has been a wild and rough few years, now we must endure the talking heads until elections are called.
You may have the support of the civil service you took such good care of, but when you come knocking on the doors of those of us in the private sector you existing and wannabe politicians are going to get a shock!
Wall, Wall, Wall
One million dollars
Wall Wall Wall
The man is making sense with what he is saying.
I just read this article and it makes perfect sense what he said. Your response about a wall is what is the problem in the BVI. We are busy trying to damage each other that we can’t even see what is being done to us. When brothers fight a stranger will inherit the land. BVI people stop being so simple minded and destructive to each other. Look closely at the fact that you are losing your country. Wake the hell up!
no one who cannot hold a Ministry should never run for office
Myron go home to Antigua. You were the shortest serving Head of the NDP.
Plus your name is all over the COI with the wall.
Stay in your business and improve the service of 7
Here comes lying Ann again
Very good observations Myron. This is the level of intelligence we need right to help us.
Myron just leave and take Claude with you
I don’t care where he from I voting for him if he decide to run. He was on me of the best we had. You could feel the hatred and malice inside you with your post. You sound like a sad person
Our leaders needed to read and understand that report before jumping to accept all these recommendations. They should have consulted with the people and other legal minds here and in the region. They played right into the hands of the UK. Every quarterly report that the governor brings out will highlight deficiencies because they want every excuse to suspend the constitution.
I always admired Myron’s way of analyzing things. You can tell that he gives good thought to what he is doing. From ever since the House of Assembly, I always wanted to hear what he had to say on a point because I knew it would be something of value and it would be substantive. Here again, your contribution in this article is spot on.
“… BVI’s right to self-determination and its level of good governance may have been mixed together…”
Mr. Walwyn, is Good Governance too much to ask for?
The point is, mixing a little good governance into our self determination harms nobody… Nobody other than those that (may have) benefited from kickbacks and/or under-the-table payments or those who earned something from doling out patronage.
We ain’t forget about his relationship with the … on certain blocks
I realize this island hates persons who have wisdom and commonsense
I think you are missing Myron’s point. He saying that you cannot use the good governance as a reason for holding back a people’s right to self-determination which is really what the UK is doing now. They are basically making us look like we are totally incapable of running our own affairs so that we would be dissuaded from seeking independence etc. It is wrong.
You missed the point
Too bad that Mr. Walwyn, for obvious reasons, is choosing to miss the point. How can we invite anyone to come and associate when our house is nasty. The BVI have never been in a more vulnerable, insecure state and we have NO confidence that the choices made for associates would be in our best interest for obvious reasons. We know politicians are a law onto themselves. They don’t listen to the public even when we scream unless they want a vote. I am tired of the endless search for discrepancies in the COI report. For sure it paints an accurate but painful picture of our nasty smelly house and it seems like the persons happy with he status quo is the politicians. Before we invite anyone in, let’s clean home.
I don’t think you understand what Walwyn is saying. Good governance has nothing to do with self determination. We need to pay attention to things
This is the man here for the job if we really care and love this country as much as we say , we need to give this man a chance .to bring us forward I know Myron can and have the common sense and the knowledge to lead us forward.
I agree 100 percent with Myron has said. I strongly believe that we should have given him a the chance to be our leader. His thinking is on a totally different level. Very knowledgeable person. Let us give him another look.
Clearly, many of these comments are Myron supporters. I will not be voting for him (pure f’king talk) nor any member that served in Gov’t prior to or after the CoI. Need fresh, progressive men and women that love this Territory and not themselves/family/friends!
We mention the CoI and guess what it did not just highlight elected officials and senior civil servants but also the BVI VOTERS. We cannot continue with BLIND LOYALTY! Down there in 1st district, not a word from the voters regarding the head coach. They voted in from 1999 to 2022 arrest and they know what has been going on with him. US has been after him since 2002 and look what happen 20 years after in 2022?……KARMA!!!
For you to even try to compare Myron to Andrew means that you don’t know either one of them. We are quick to condemn people that we don’t know. I have known Myron from childhood and I am proud to call him a friend.
This is how we are always quick to say the worst about each other. Did you hear or see that Myron stole anything or did anything wrong? This place is in trouble because of people like you. How could you pass your place and say something like this about people?
You want new people until somebody start a rumor on them and destroy their reputation and then you want a new set again. No body decent is going to run to represent this place if this is the mentality of the people. Once the UK say it we believe and condemn our own people. Don’t have to prove nothing.
Drew was saying the same thing for years.you have a habit of coming out after the horses have bolted. If you and Drew had stop the pi..ing competition them white boys would of got a lesson they would of never forget. As I said to Drew before. Stop the yapping and start doing. Over and out
Excellent points MW.
Walwyn is way ahead of his times when it comes to the caliber of politicians here . He is professional, knowledgeable, competent, no nonsense, helps all people in the BVI
I guess you all prefer criminals, incompetent leaders, leaders who cannot represent you , leaders who allow , PS, CEO, Education Officers and pissing tail
Principals who cannot control their children to be unaccountable
I guess you all prefer Leaders who allow staff to have the people they serve waiting weeks to get a single letter done .. Then you call those leaders bully . What a blind country
Look
How USVI capturing out tourism sector ? Please don’t eat my lunch !!! He he
I agree that they are separate but at the same time how can you push for self determination when its clear as day that good governance and many of the rules and laws for it to thrive don’t exist in the BVI. Not only don’t exist but meeting resistance! How can you say you want what’s best for the BVI while pushing for the freedom to continue to ignore good governance? lack of good governance only hurting us the people… Nobody been telling us what to do or had their hand in our affairs for over 20+ years and the place is sh*t. Is like you putting cart before horse.