CONFIRMED: Premier to press for Order in Council removal on UK trip
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has confirmed that he intends to press United Kingdom (UK) officials to remove the parliamentary Order in Council during his upcoming visit.
Governor John Rankin previously noted that the Order in Council will be held in reserve in the UK to facilitate a suspension of the BVI’s constitution.
However, this suspension would only come into force if the BVI were to renege on its commitment to implement agreed-upon Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommended reforms or if he assesses that progress on their implementation is being frustrated in any way.
But Premier Wheatley told reporters at a recent press conference that he intends to meet Minister for the Overseas Territories Lord Zac Goldsmith on the issue.
“I will be meeting with the minister [Goldsmith], and I certainly will advocate for the Order in Council to be lifted,” Dr Wheatley expressed.
Things going well
The Premier’s statement comes as he asserted that things are “going pretty well” with the BVI’s implementation of the COI-recommended reforms in the territory.
“As I stated before, the majority of the recommendations have begun. Of course, we have lots of reviews. Many of them are coming in right now, which will, of course, help our completion rate,” the Premier said.
“But the important thing is the majority of things which should have been started already, have started already” he added.
With the exception of some items which he said were ‘lagging behind’, Premier Wheatley said his government was on track with reforms agreed to in the framework document signed with UK officials.
In the meantime, Dr Wheatley said his trip was centred on advancing the economic, political and environmental interests of the territory.
During the anticipated UK trip, Premier Wheatley is also expected to engage members of the BVI All Party Parliamentary Group and other UK parliamentarians who have an interest in the BVI.
The territory’s leader further disclosed that he also intends to meet with BVI students and citizens in the United Kingdom to hear their concerns and ideas.
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Look at who is representing us at these high level meetings. We are really doomed. He is going to press to remove order in council but lacked the courage to highlight the many inaccuracies in the COI report. He rushed to accept all recommendations without analyzing them. This man is living in a different world.
I Guess you dont understand even if you point out errors when people (UK) dig for dirt in a biased way it will be found even if its incorrect. Only to correct it later when no one cares and the damage has been done politically/nationally.
On that level politics is rigged recall no one elects the governor imagine what would happen if they said the new premier was not behaving after they just got rid of the last one through dubious means (setting him up).
The premier has said that the National Unit yGOvt has a full four years , which was part of the agreement with the UK.
The Unity govt came in 5 May 2021, and the unity govt is not the VIP govt.
DOES THAT MEAN ELECTIONS IN 2025?
Please answer the question.
Your comment made me scream laughing. But I agree though we truly in problems if he is who representing us!
The two Orders in Council are both wrong and do not reflect democracy nor a modern partnership. Both need to be removed immediately, both the one for financial services to make the register public and the other one with the suspension of the constitution.
Another useless expensive travel trip to the UK to accomplish nothing but live like the King in London for a few weeks.
Please tell me in what way evidence to the COI is incorrect? Everything came from the mouths and documents of our own officials.
Who gave Sl** Wande the mandate to go there on our behalf. They are months away from being voted out of office. He signed the thing and quite honestly it makes him look weak AF as they haven’t completed any of the mandate. If the mandate issues were completed ahead of schedule then I would say yes, send an emissary, not Sl** Wande, to negotiate the immediate terms of lifting the order. However that isn’t the case
On behalf of people of the BVI please have the Governor produce & make public what he wrote in his document to the UK to get the Parliament in UK and the Privy Council to issue the Order in Council. Also the same thing about the financial services with public registry where he has another pending order in council to force down our throats. Those two pieces of information and everything related to them needs to be made public. I am sure that in both it will reveal that the facts were massaged to fit their devious purpose. The people of the BVI need to know what was in those documents sent by the Governor so that they can have a fair and transparent opportunity to defend themselves. In a time of when the Governor and UK is calling for transparency, they have acted under a cloud of secrecy and deceit. This information must be known & known now. They should have no reason to keep this information private while they are using it to act publicly.
I wonder he is going to visit Queen Elizabeth grave when he go up there. What a fake freedom fighter. The man just wanted a job. That’s what all that imitation Noel Lloyd behaviour was about.
I mean no dis-respect but I hope our Honourable Premier is not going to the UK to advocate for the Unity Government to remain without us having Elections this year. This would be cause for protest. I really really hope that that won’t be the case. The people of the V.Is. did not vote in the Unity Government and if that is the case then the UK itself is going against our Constitutional rights.
People of the V.Is. let us stay vigilant and watch the script. Unless there is something that we are not aware of, our Elected Politicians need to pay heed to the 2007 Constitutional order plus the Elections Act as it pertains to Elections because if I am not mistaken, Elections are due whether Bi-Elections or full Elections in February or March. Check for yourselves.
the world is watching
Why is this man continuing to represent the people of the VI after all the allegation of inappropriate behaviour as a governmennt officer and servant of the Crown ?
The people need to know
The only pressing that is going to be done is to press you out of that office.
we have weighed you and found you unfit for purpose.
Get out of ny face
You may be on to something because the same thing happened and keeps happening with the BVI and the UK with the financial services. Every time they attack the financial services the BVI makes the adjustments and then the UK comes at the BVI again and again and again at other areas. This is evident when they went after public registry of companies and the BVI implemented the BOSS system to secure against illegal activities and satisfy the UK’s concerns, but they are back at the BVI again and threatening to get what they want and how they want it in our financial services industry with another order in council. Their attacks will only intensify. So, your analysis has merit.
The BVI can complete and implement every recommendation from that questionable COI process, and it still will never be enough to satisfy the UK Officials. Just wait and see. The reality is the UK Officials wants to rule all OTs directly especially financial services, so they can give their friends jobs as the economy in the UK is really bad. If we think we have it bad under elected officials, and our current local public officers, then wait until you are ruled directly by Brits Officials. BVI be careful what you are asking for because you will regret it. The Brits Officials must stop this abuse of power and officially in public and private remove the two Orders in Council FORTHWITH!
How about this: do the g****** job you agreed to and implement the COI recommendations, and the Order in Council will go away.
so basically we made an agreement then didn’t hold up our end then now want the UK to remove the order in council? Do what you agreed to and stop wasting people time with pointlessness.
@Dear Premier, while the removal of an order in council may be a bit premature, of pressing importance is the Governors of all OTs but particularly ours (Cayman’s funds and Bermuda’s insurance perhaps less susceptible) confirm that our commitment to meet global norms means now, (because of the ECJ ruling and the US commitment to verified registers accessible by authorities, but not public) that we ARE the global gold standard others are aiming for. UK has useless public unverified hodgepodge. It’s time for clear and unwavering support of the financial services industry – the “transparency” movement has been exposed as a sham, a power grab, an EU attack (no doubt encouraged by others) on the UK and OTs’ financial services business, because what they have is inferior. The rest, like that Greek politician, just appear to admit they want all humans controlled by their central banks in a quasi-Chinese dystopia.
Therefore, we and the other OTs, have much more aligned interests with the UK than politicians on both sides would have us believe.
you seems full of rage all byour comments are in the same groove , when was the last time you spoke the truth ? ? ? Or have you ever ?
BVI Cayman Islands Bermuda three of the top four richest islands in the Caribbean. Do the research.
Every word and every sentence you have written is presumed more true than the opposite, given the nature and realities of the adversary.
Unfortunately, the propaganda and the effects on our still low political exposed minds will only hasten our demise. We must begin formualting alternative trategies, because the horror is coming. It is not if, but how soon.
He refuses to implement a proper register of politicians interests and demands that the only thing that can force him to do so be removed. The answer will be go forth and multiply.
He doesnt need to go to London to hear that
Given thelinguistics, it appears that only wp people comments are privy to the up downfeature in most instances. Carry on BVINews, but we got got yah.