Dangerous! Premier concerned about governor’s powers
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has expressed grave concerns about the Governor’s ability to change legislation in the territory, calling it a “dangerous power” that residents should not desire.
He made the comment during a recent media briefing about the government’s efforts to implement the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations, which include the controversial Virgin Islands Inquiries Bill, 2024.
The Bill sparked considerable debate within the House of Assembly, with some legislators chastising the Premier for bringing it to the House of Assembly. The Bill amends the COI Act of 1880 and is currently in the HOA’s committee stage, where lawmakers can conduct a line-by-line review of the Bill and make amendments.
While responding to questions, Premier Wheatley acknowledged that the Governor could pass legislation on his own once it has been introduced, remarking that this was a “very undemocratic and a very dangerous power.”
He noted that the Governor can also send a bill back to the House if there are concerns, and lawmakers can make changes before the Bill receives assent. “If those changes are not accepted, the Governor, if he does not assent, the constitution provides for a process,” the Premier added.
Inherent conflict
Dr Wheatley pointed out the inherent conflict between the Governor’s authority and the democratic will of the BVI’s people when considering legislation. “This is a challenge of our present constitution [where] we’re really a colony of the United Kingdom. We call it ‘territory’ but it’s really a colony,” the Premier said.
He continued: “The Governor is not democratically elected, and he comes with a mandate from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, and if there’s a conflict between him and the people – there generally is a conflict – those types of conflicts we try to manage as best we can until the day when the people of the Virgin Islands decide that we want to be in a different type of system where those types of conflicts don’t present themselves.”
However, he emphasised the importance of democratic principles in the legislative process, even in the face of challenges during the collaborative process between his government and the Governor’s office, to successfully implement the COI recommendations.
“We have to make sure that we maintain the integrity of the democratic process by reflecting what the people would like to see in the Bill,” the Premier said.
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Imagine what it would have been like if we had no Governor and no UK restraining the governing classes in the BVI.
It has been bad enough as it is; Fahie awaiting sentence, the Director of Ports in prison, various senior figures charged or under active investigation and billions wasted or missing since the 1980s.
Enormous opportunities for the many wasted, in favor of a small, self-serving elite.
Many are not convinced that it would be any worst or better than the current challenges or those of the UK, EU, or AUS.
Some simply, despite all the evidence to the contrary, cannot wait for BVI News to open its doors that they may fix their hateful addiction.
People sit around in their chairs, sipping on their tea and pretend to be one of clairvoyancy and predictors of Black people behaviors and outcomes.
The day should come when Black people stop being civil with folk like “Resident.”
These crooked politicians have picked your pocket and yet you resort to threatening violence (playing on a racist trope that black people are violent animals) to someone who is pointing out that as imperfect a government system we have the thieving may have been reduced because of the check and balance in place. This is unhelpful rhetoric which does nothing to move on the discourse positively.
The current status of the BVI is as a colony with a veneer of democracy. Of course the current constitution is unjustifiable. I would like to see BVI people making the choice of what kind of partnership they have with UK (or no partnership at all) but that does not mean that all that is bad here is because of the Governor or FCO: there exists an elite here which has maintained locally power through the decades, creaming off the fat. It is that corrupt elite which has been successfully playing the race card for the last few years, to ensure that focus is moved away from them and to the UK. You bought into this rhetoric, that’s ok many people have, but consider Cui Bono (who benefits?). The UK receives $zero from the BVI. Don’t you think they would actually love to wash their hands of this place which has no geo-political significance, no natural resources, no nothing.
chat skin all day, lying under the dead bodies of bvi institutions,$4b pissed into sea last 10 yrs, while leaders walk on all, to their homes in usa bought with your pay.
Just admit the CoI proved that the alleged democratic governments of the BVI since 1980 cannot effectively govern the BVI. So now the UK Governor has the power to govern the BVI.
And you think that you should have more power. Thank God we have UK over sight. Next election we the people are sending you home. So exploit and do as much shit as you can because it ENDS.
Boi you got it right this time , it’s only DANGEROUS FOR THOSE WITH UNCLEAN HANDS / SO THOSE EHO PLAYING
RODEO , THE GOVERNOR ,IS YOUR WORST OR
NIGHTMARE / OR KARMA , THE END RESULTS IS STILL GOING TO BE THE SAME . SO KEEP HOLLERING
yall concerned about the wrong things!
Things yall should be concern about is having an increasing annual budget but the place looks like and operates like a 3rd world country..
stop wasting and abusing the tax monies for self indulgence and invest into the country.
improve the country!
roads
infrastructure
more opportunities for the youths they are being led astray by this fast life its not just the boys… the girls are getting caught up along with them!
better health care
better price control
better government services
more mainstreamed services
better electricity services
better water & sewage services
better bank interest rates! ours is crazy high compared to other Caribbean counties and USA
better internet providers with better rates!
can you believe how cheap internet is in other Caribbean jurisdictions that share the same exact providers as us? madness
yall here making noise over governor wanting more power to handle you delinquents but yall never make noise for making the country better
i dont want to hear it. i dont support it either so dont come here saying “virgin island people” say you and your close friends and relatives!!
Almost on spot… missing point is that we are a 3rd world country…
The people are concerned about your powers and how you abuse them.
to Little South Africa.
You mean Little South Africa which is governed by the ANC for the last quarter century (primarily by black people) and the ANC, now sadly famous not for Nelson Mandela, but for Jacob Zuma and his endemic corruption. You are quite unintentionally accurate with the similarities to BVI but perhaps you need to read more and speak less?
So why is it that locals get near free higher education on island, why is it that graduates over decades got the chance to study abroad.
All of that is local doing & local governance.
This ploy to make us seem unable to govern is the old plan they played in Africa and continue with this rhetoric. Now that russia & china are assisting African countries out of colonialism, now they want to shine the ligh on Africa as a place of prosperity.
Where as before it was manipulated into a place of starvation, french currency control, hiv aids you name it.