Fraser’s demands were too great — Premier Wheatley
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has suggested that stipulations made by Julian Fraser during negotiations with the premier’s Virgin Islands Party (VIP), were simply too much to accommodate as it sought an alliance to help form the government.
The VIP won six electoral seats at the just concluded elections, but needed seven seats in total to form a government in the 13-member House of Assembly (HOA), and approached Fraser about a potential alliance to do so.
Speculation was rife that Fraser, who is Chairman of Progressives United (PU), had insisted on becoming premier of the territory as a precondition to forming an alliance with any of the other parties that were successful at the polls. However, Dr Wheatley declined to confirm that this was indeed what happened.
“You had the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement who had three [seats], you had the National Democratic Party who had three, and then you had PU with one. And of course that PU, that one seat, would’ve been necessary to make the whole thing work,” Premier Wheatley shared recently on JTV News.
He continued: “And of course Honourable Julian Fraser, we met with him, other parties met with him, and it became clear his demands were ones that many of the parties would not have been willing to accommodate.”
Despite being pressed on the issue, Premier Wheatley maintained that he was not inclined to disclose the details of talks that were held with Fraser and what his specific demands were.
“I don’t make a habit of disclosing any private or confidential meetings I have with anyone,” Dr Wheatley said. “I’ll just leave it as saying that his demands were too great and I don’t think that the people of the Virgin Islands would’ve been pleased.”
Dr Wheatley maintained that there was simply no means of forming a government for any of the other successful parties beyond sharing an alliance with Fraser’s PU.
“Outside of Honourable Julian Fraser, there was no pathway to a government being formed,” he stated. “So anyone who wanted to form a government had to deal with the Virgin Islands Party unless you would concede to the demands of Honourable Julian Fraser.”
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Let he hold that; want all gets none.
Fraser too demanding ?? Nooo could not be he seems like such a reasonable guy. Who would have thought, I never in a million years would have seen that coming. Oh my we are shocked ?. VIP, NDP, PVIM I see there was no way for you to have guessed he would be like that. I mean nothing in his past could have let you seen this coming ???????
Natalie,
We are also not pleased that we now have a premier who only got 400 votes (just 100 votes more than the runner up in d7).
This is not a democracy when we have a guy who basically just had his family vote for him as our premier.
You really dunsey, you know. What does votes got to do with selecting the Premier? Go and read and see what the Constitution states how you get the Premier. Manda School Children should not be on here writing piss.
Flew in a plane load who have not voted in years. That is his victory. The people of district 7 who live here did not chose you the plane load did. The territory did not chose you and your 400 votes the plane load did. You are not the majority and this territory’s Premier.
Well…Lorna give him a 6 for a 9. He is still spinning and trying to figure out what happened.
If the rumors are true, he had a lot of nerve being a party of one wanting to be Premier.
His career will end in the Opposition where he is no longer even the leader of. He apparently wanted all but ended up with nothing.
Now to the person who lost their mind on the radio saying Lorna was a frig, yes she was. She frig-up your hopes and dreams along with all the others who were jockeying for position as Premier or Deputy.
Your egos got check-mated by a woman who outsmarted you all and beat you to your game.
Fraser as Premier?
He would have been the second one to be arrested.
Fraser lost my respect over the years but Lorna? She lost ALL my respect in one second. Their legacy precedes them both. What a way to be remembered, as having ZERO respect of the people who actually held you in any esteem. I prefer respect over big title any day! THAT ladies and gentlemen, is integrity. Marlon and the team, Ronnie and the team, yuh large!! I respect you guys 10000%. Lorna and Fraser did you both a favor. Now buckle up, hold hands and move on together. The Lord has cleansed you from your weakest links. This needed to be done before you reunite again. May this country never see the likes of its spoils again after this 4 years (but some still thinking something going to happen before the 4 years over, judging by the two in the lead of the accidental government)
What votes have to do with democracy? Everything.
The constitution needs to be revised if a nobody with 400 votes can become premier. Probably the lowest number of supporters you need globally to become premier.
A win is are win wheather by one or hundred had nothing to do with primre ship a**hole
Wow! No confidentiality, integrity, diplomacy, maturity from the just sworn in Premier. (That’s not to say he had these virtues previously.)
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation
I wonder how long Sl**ande is going to survive.
He now has Lydia ( sorry, Lorna ) in the camp.
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
You the dunce one. We know what the constitution says, and it needs to be changed! Imagine the leader of a country with 400+ votes! While the highest voter recipient sits on the opposition, the People spoke and base on the at-large votes we did NOT want a VIP government.
“Premier Wheatley maintained that he was not inclined to disclose the details of talks that were held with Fraser and what his specific demands were.”
Here we go, no transparency right from the start!
“I don’t make a habit of disclosing any private or confidential meetings I have with anyone,”
When you are in government, all your discussions about and for the government with members of the elected government are not private and should be open to the public as it is a government of and for the people.
The previous Premier had 400 votes and Shari DeCastro had 4000. Obviously how many votes you get does not qualify you for anything. If votes counted for Premier Stacy would be Premier.
I am not his family and I voted for him, and I am sure many other did.
This man stand in the hot seat under the pressure of direct rule aka modern colonization and in my opinion he steadied and has continued to steady the virgin islands ship.
He is the right person for the job, yawl can continue to be salty all yawl want but this man stand for the Virgin Islands in the storm and has and will continue to as we progress forward.
Talk all yawl want about he don’t deserve this and he don’t deserve that but his loyalty to US, and his fight for our freedom as a territory is proven.
So who vex vex alyo hold that! And who salty go bathe!
Say what you want he is still the premiere LOLOL. and i know that make you feel some type of way LOL
The fact that Natalio was WILLING to try and form an alliance with a district man who barely won his district in order to retain power is alarming. That would have VERY CLEARLY been against the interest of the people – yet he was willing to do that to keep his seat as Premier. Not one of these politicians has put the country or the people above themselves in this election.
Frazer out smart himself by thinking that nothing would accomplish without him. He had an opportunity to be something before his political career come to an end but he blew it because of pride, and we all know what the Bible says about pride. Frazer know that the majority of his own supporters do not support the idea of him being Premier…..happy retirement sir…..
Fraser is right where he belongs
Yawl yawl yawl…sounds like a base mentality with a zero IQ that would support Sl**ande.
Much Respect to Hon Lorna Smith…I feeling proud and much safer that you are there.
I am delighted and amazed at this unexpected chain of events. Our ancestors
were there guiding and with God’s grace. The best outcome in this situation. These two anointed leaders will work together well.They are a good fit.
Lorna save the Day!
Thank You Lord. We needed this and Lorna heeded! These BVI are a blessed group!
LOL guess you drank his kool-Aid lol…Y’all keep taking about the UK wanting to take over,but none of you want to say it’s because of your own people that caused all the drama LOL LOL. Y’all are saints right???
Why don’t you go win a district instead of talking pi**
Even if he had won by 1 vote we all would have had to accept the fact that he have more votes than his opponent. What? his opponent didn’t have families and friends too?
This premier is still an accidental premier. First accident Albert second accident scar face from the third. What would happen Mr accident if someone from your party had deflected would you have given them the same amount of praise you gave lorna.
What is this nonsense I am hearing about Kyle being demoted. Where in the hemisphere would you find someone with his experience and education being called a parliamentarian much more a deputy premier. You got rid of the sheep as I had predicted great move. You got rid of number 6 as I predicted waste of time. You just need to get rid of the useless one from the 9th.
Now tell me if you know that lorna is so qualified, more qualified than the whole cabinet than slowman why didn’t you make the sacrifice on the behalf of your country and make lorna premier.
But mark vanderpool my word she will never be satisfied before she remove you weakling and become premier. It will happen. Who got more vote you or Frazier.
How quickly you forget that at one time Myron had more votes than the Premier Dr. Smith?? How quickly you forget that Ms. Decastro had more votes than Mr. A. Fahie. What’s the difference now?? A lot of ayo vex but try to remember Mr. Wheatley from a young age was standing up for his territory.
It was that same demand that resulted in his grandfather, Hon. Willard Wheatley, becoming Chief Minister on two occasions.
The minority runs the majority- BS! And btw, Natalee, Shari not Kye can walk in Mather’s shoes. They were below average before Anjuh obeah help them frig up our country. So move
On wid yah rhino dung pile. Lorna showed you all how selfish she is and she’s with the team she deserves.
Well this is it! According to Stacy Mather, both Lorna and Cindy were trying to get him to jump ship from PVIM and join the VIP and he said NO. All chairmen were approached by VIP, some if not all being offered deputy premiership and they all said NO. Miss Lorna and her orange bag was the ONLY ONE who went behind her party’s back when there was still 2 days of negotiations left to go. Not only that, all three opposition parties had already agreed to form the government she was well aware and that is when Lorna jumped ship. But why? You may ask. From what I heard listening to tola radio this morning from Ms Hull, the papers were being drafted to recommend Ronnie as Premier to the Governor. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, we understand that Lorna jump shipped because no way in hell could she stand to see her arch nemesis Ronnie, the splitter of the NDP, the undoing of her husband the former chairman, as the Premier. Yet she is on every other platform spewing lies as if the public is dumb. She is a joker lol!!? VIP even offered premiership to Mitch and Mitch said NO. LORNA worse than anyone in that opposition who had the decency to say NO and to report back to their leader (in Fraser case, he reported to himself lol). So there you have it folks. The truth is out. Wow. This is what it must have been like in the garden of Eden. The other members were too smart to eat of the fruit. VIP, you can keep your Eve. Good riddance and good luck! As for Cindy, like she got her envelope or something or she just completely lacks any sort of integrity (as if that was really a question to begin with anyway). This country is a joke right now! Haha..
That, my dear, was no accident. The people wanted a VIP Government and voted for one. Lets move on and hold them accountable.
It is true, I saw people I have not seen in years and only visit when a close family member dies.
Fraser only made that demand with the VIP and rightly so. Listen to the joint opposition press conference…the truth came out
I wonder how Fraser feels about this. I hope he tells us one day and be truthful about it.
FRAZER WANTED TO BE PREMIER BECAUSE HE DONT TRUST AYO
Updating my comments. After watching the joint press conference, Fraser, you have earned back my respect. LORNA, you can take the “L”
Fraser, it was not your fault AT ALL. Give that bag to Lorna.
I hope Ms.Smith wil honest with us and tell the world she is not a member of VIP but a member pf Govt.If she remains truthful as an independent not to toe party line.Put country first not self
Yes!!!!!
You are aware that anyone who runs for a district can never have more votes than than the top at large candidates. The district has a certain number of voters and at large the total number of voters in the territory can vote for them.
So the argument that the top vote getter must be premier is not accurate.
HE CAME TO FRASER, FRASER DIDN’T GO TO HIM
Fraser was loyal to the PVIM and NDP team
Lust and avarice is the downfall of men. Well played Premiere…well played.
Duh and that is because of the way the constitution is written. The highest vote recipient should be the Premier. Someone running at large, not no district winner!
Did buddha say no or that he will think about it and get back to her in 1 hour? Did Mitch say NO? Did Cindy try to convince Buddha or did he say that she was present when he received the telephone call from Lorna. I did not hear what you heard in the press conference. If you are providing a summary, please for the benefit of all don’t add.
J. Cline said in his interview that if they did not form the government, he was going to present Mitch to the VIP. That does not sound like a no to me.
The Constitution stands. Until it is changed, that’s the law. The Premier is the leader of a party with six seats and you want to overlook that? You didn’t want no VIP Government, but God did. Sprinkle that on your flour pap, take the outcome and move on. Bam! Bam!
Leave that trouble-maker Mitch alone. He mashed up the NDP, you wanted him to mash up VIP? God wasn’t sleeping, nor was the God of our forefathers and mothers and the ancestors, wide awake.
The people who voted for Lorna, voted for the NDP. This votes were not casted with the intention for the same governance. We need to look at the bigger picture. What Lorna did was a slap in the face. It’s not what she did but the principle behind it.
The dog and the bone mentality.
Fraser have enough time to fix his 60’s hair and mustache. I couldn’t imagine him being the premier.
More people didn’t vote. Shame on them.
This low turnout, and after the fact arm chair quarterback stuff is not going to fix anything.
One thing for sure, nobody seems to be paying attention to all the broken stuff in the BVI. We need politicians to take a hard look at basic enfastucture before dumping money on foolish shinning objects:
Basic = schools, hospitals, roads, affordable internet/housing
Foolish = airport, raises to gov officialspensions, banned gay marriage
Just like the plane load Myron brought in from the DR correct?
i agree the better ting for him now is serve a year or two and bow out resign while the going good. to wait til 4 years pass heve will no longer be respected by the masses
More is coming from you Mr. Wheatley and it will not be good at all shame on you.
so what took them so long to make their decision??
apparently there plane loads and plane loads of people because I read on other blogs that Mr. Myron flew in plane loads, Mr. Turnbull flew in plane loads now the Premier flew in plane loads. a lot of voters living overseas man no wonder they are outnumbered here. also what size planes?? was there any big ones I would like to know if they landed safely at EIS.
And all are cheaters out of the 400 most people was payed by the poll and out on the outside most of them you win the election on your own strenght I can say that for sure your people working for you need to stop give money this is not good Frazer don’t want you to lead him because he see right through you. Even though you bring people from overseas that 100 and something people please deduct the people from the 400 vote as well money is the root to all evil remember that. People going to know you just now wait.
Y’all want to crucify Lorna but somebody would have had to switch sides in order to form the government!! I wanted NDP to win but I sure as hell did not want this country to be run by Fraser! If the circumstances were different and Lorna traded places, then I would have considered her move a traitor move. It’s obvious that Fraser does not want to play a role lesser than Premier, otherwise those 3 parties would have formed an alliance before Lorna made her decision. When it comes down to it, Ronnie, Marlon & Fraser were butting heads over power to some degree because if a CHANGE in government was going to come, it HAD to be with the 7 of them.
While I understand that each party would have their separate meetings, the obvious next step would have been that all 7 persons from the 3 parties (PVIM, NDP & PU) would have been in the same room, at the same time when discussions were being held. That move about party head meeting with next party head and then they are going back to discuss with other members was nonsense. I just hope that now that Lorna is with the VIP, she now proves all the naysayers wrong and works in the best interest of the Territory.
The opposition should now uphold their duty and help us keep the government in check.
Anyone who can lie on the platform of a church where the podium is from which a preacher delivers a sermon is dangerous.
O we forgot we are stupid and cannot work anywhere else in the world. Consider this, the Premier the entire BVI and we want a premier and deputy voted in by the entire territory. We will make this happen next round. Party leaders we beg aryo to get at large candidates to lead your parties. We had enough
Paying people to vote for someone is not true democracy, it is a breach of someone’s right to choose. We get what we pay for. If only one who have the evidence would step forward we will be on our way to stamping out this type of corruptive behaviour out of to our territory. Then we speak about independence? But he right, about you all because you all can’t work anywhere else but he can work anywhere else in the world. We are treated like moomoos. Another one of the Caribbean countries would have loss his behind in the election.
We agree that a win is a win even when paid for it is still a win.