COI eroding electorate’s confidence in government
Political commentator Claude Skelton Cline has said he believes the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI) is eroding the electorate’s confidence in its government.
The Honestly Speaking radio host made the comment while observing that Premier Andrew Fahie was grilled over policy and administrative matters before the COI recently.
“This exercise of the Commission of Inquiry, whatever else it may be, one of the things that it definitely is, is that this exercise continues to erode the people’s confidence in its elected officials and its government,” Skelton Cline said.
“It’s taken everybody – elected officials, persons who might be close to the elected officials – painting all of us with one singular brush, the reputational hazard and every other derogatory implication that can be had,” Skelton Cline argued.
According to the host, this seems to be very much a part of the COI’s goal.
Skelton Cline’s business with government over the years has also come under the COI’s microscope.
Wheatley annoyed after watching Premier at COI
Meanwhile, government minister Vincent Wheatley, who was a guest on the Honestly Speaking show at the time said: “It’s like saying you’re a thief, now prove me wrong. Now you prove me wrong, after I said you’re the thief.”
“That’s how it comes across to me,” he added. “I’ve already condemned you, now prove me wrong.”
Wheatley said he was annoyed after watching the Premier give evidence before the COI last week and argued that the COI was ‘totally unnecessary’.
According to the Minister, while the outcome of the COI will not, in most instances, be a bad thing, the BVI could have fixed its own issues without being labelled as corrupt or being made to appear as if it is on trial.
He said the COI’s outcome will likely highlight areas in the BVI’s governance that need to be strengthened. He also predicts that the COI will recommend new areas that need to be introduced and possible legislation or policy that needs to be brought into effect.
“It could have been done differently, not under this thing where we are going to see if you’re criminals, if you’re corrupt and all this other thing there,” he said.
“A lot of things they’ve identified as deficient, we too have recognised those things, and are putting measures in place to strengthen our democracy, strengthen our institutions, filling in these gaps to make sure we’re more accountable, we’re more transparent and [demonstrating] good governance is the order of the day,” the minister stated.
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The COI is just putting the icing on the cake….We have already made up our minds that Fahie will not be our premier next time around
@ Heckler.
The cake is what they all want.
According to the Minister, while the outcome of the COI will not, in most instances, be a bad thing, the BVI could have fixed its own issues without being labelled as corrupt or being made to appear as if it is on trial.
Only ONE Person called other Governments The most CORRUPT ever in the BVI. Also so , WHO called for AN COI into the Government.
Who is in charge of business of the day?
AAAAAAAHHHHHH
The government could not have fixed its issues! Much of what the government claim to be trying to do now is stuff that should have been done years ago. If the government had true interest in being better they could have started with submitting their declarations on time. Even there the premier a season politicians failed at.
Coi will bring ?? back
Can’t wait
Wheatley should be the last to talk….his appearance in front the COI was a disaster
I have never assumed anyone is a criminal and keep an open mind. I think the Coi is making people, both in and out of the government, think about how to run things better. I don’t subscribe to the thought that politicians are inherently corrupt but I will expect anyone who has more to answer to be asked to do so in front of a judge if necessary.
And that cronies will not be awarded so called consultancy contracts that produce nothing of any value.
WE WILL FIX IT NEXT ELECTION CYCLE
by hiring you and rehiring you that has eroded confidence in the government
Yes the COI is eroding confidence in government.
Because finally someone is trying to hold these elected people to account and consistently applying the same standards to be required of people appearing before the COI, regrdless of their family name.
However, the COI is not the CAUSE of this, it is just the vehicle – the behaviour of elected officials and their cronies is the problem that is eroding confidence, not the fact the COI is how we are finding about it.
And vincent, oh my gosh. Go siddung…
Transparency, for the first time, will do that. It is to be welcomed however, as neither the tiny electorate or the House of Assembly it votes in has shown itself capable of holding the Government to account. Where did all the government revenue generated between 1988 and 2017 go? Why is the Territory in the state it’s in, with woeful infrastructure and a woeful education system?
Government eroding electorate’s confidence in government.
Cline, why shoot the messenger?
All of you too full with pride.
And rightfully so!
If the COI exposing how the government really operates for example how decisions are made and how public funds are spent is enough to erode confidence in the government is the problem the COI or the government?
@ Heckler.
The cake is what they all want.
According to the Minister, while the outcome of the COI will not, in most instances, be a bad thing, the BVI could have fixed its own issues without being labelled as corrupt or being made to appear as if it is on trial.
Only ONE Person called other Governments The most CORRUPT ever in the BVI. Also so , WHO called for AN COI into the Government.
Who is in charge of business of the day?
AAAAAAAHHHHHH
It’s unfortunate when a hungry rat is continuously given the opportunity to singlehandedly guard the cheese.
We the people undoubtedly supports the COI. Daily its revealed how the corrupted ones and cronies support and cover for each other.
We have no confidence in our elected ministers and selected Blondie, but definitely do have in the COI.
That went a long time ago. That why they can’t sell this virus story. No confidence. Hope the Premier ask forgiveness for trying to shove that virus down people throat.
The COI should have been a long time ago, it was nice for Andrew Fahie to call for it but it backfired on him because he believed that he was above the law, even though the COI is going on he is still doing things that he shouldn’t be doing.
When you are going to tell the COI; I knew it was wrong but I took the risk that alone is criminal. Claude Skelton Cline and Vincent Wheatle, Andrew wanted this COI to be open to the public. This is for your reading Skelton Cline and Vincent Wheatle and whoever else think that the COI treated the Premier like a common criminal. Remember if you are going to tell untruths you must have a good memory, tell the truth and you always come out the winner. Remember the Premier started this out with a prayer.
Rawat then suggested to the Premier that it was never his government’s intention to rescind Cabinet’s earlier decision to dissolve the board as he (Fahie) claimed.
The Premier was then asked whether the use of the words ‘rescind’ and ’re-establish’ in his document did not definitively show that the board had in fact been dissolved and that there was no attempt made to reconstitute the board after the former Attorney General (AG) Baba Aziz told Cabinet that their actions could be deemed unlawful.
The Premier in response said: “I can’t answer it in the way you answered it. You answered it how you want to conclude, I can only state what I’m stating.”
Further, when confronted by his earlier acceptance that the government went ahead with discharging the board despite receiving contrary advice from the former Attorney General, the Premier said it was not a fact he was prepared to accept, “full stop”.
The COI was further told that the board was never reconstituted at any time, more than two years after it had been dissolved.
The Government is doing that all on their own.
The COI has identified several persons involved in cronyistic and corrupt practices. The list includes An, J, P, and C.
Naah! It’s people like you CSC and the so called esteemed One that contributed to the erosion within this Government. You’ll acting like you were elected Officials without giving your Actions or Talks any consideration upon the People
Time for both to go sit down and be quiet. It’s not everything you think should be heard.
Eroding What ? There is no more confidence.
You Sir are why the people have lost confidence in this Govt. Stop grovelling and have some pride. They have already thrown you under the bus. Yet you out there like them spitting in air and telling us it will not fall back in our face. Where is your decency. Have you no shame.
Confidence is not eroding, it was totally eroded well before the COI
They, the COI are the biggest thieves and criminals but who would believe this no one because they are white. They would always label blacks as such because we do it to our own without proof. Slavery in a different form. BVI watch out this is happening to you because of the treatment you are giving to your fellow Caribbean brothers and sisters and the whites have a free pass.
after reading some of those blogs you have said it all and it’s a learning experience on the way these untouchable jokers do their thing
Claude the government give you quarter of a million dollars for consultancy we the taxpayers hasn’t see nothing from you for that amount of money u been paid
A coi was called on a Government less than two years after election. That is trying to overturn an election and most Voters are not stupid. The VIP Government came into power while the Virgin Islands is recovering from two devasting hurricanes and a flood. Along with these natural disasters the whole world is reeling from the effects of Covid and the VI Government is also having to deal with COI. I commend the VI Government for what they are able to achieve so far. Many of you who ranting and raving against the Government if you all where in their shoes we would not even have salt to suck.
People don’t have faith in the government because by and large the government has not done much for its voters beyond sustaining a culture of cronyism, nepotism, corruption, back room deals and glad-handing. Plus, it’s pretty clear the place is broke, and no one seems to know where the money went.
You can’t blame the COI for uncovering corruption any more than you can blame the light for exposing roaches. You sir, and your cronies, are busted. Accept your fate.
The good reverend is mistaken, the COI was not required to shake anyone’s confidence in our government or our leadership. That had already happened. The COI is the result.
Read Dickson Igwe’s column linked on the main page.