Legislators were never going to remove Fahie — Dr Pickering
Former Deputy Premier, Dr Kedrick Pickering has argued that legislators were never going to remove the now-disgraced former Premier Andrew Fahie from the House of Assembly (HOA) as they had suggested would happen.
Dr Pickering gave his take on the issue while speaking at a political rally last evening in Virgin Gorda, and referenced a recent statement by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley that it is unlikely there will be a by-election for the First District since it appears Fahie’s seat won’t be vacated on time.
Fahie currently remains on bond and confined to the home of his two daughters in Miami, Florida pending his January 2023 trial for charges of money laundering and drug smuggling.
“There was never going to be a by-election, there could never have been a by-election election,” Dr Pickering said. “There could only have been an election if the elected representative for the district resigns. If he doesn’t resign, they can’t remove him, don’t mind what you hear.“
According to Dr Pickering, there is no legal mechanism for the recall of legislators in the BVI and the only people who can remove a representative are the people who voted that representative into office.
“The constitution clearly states how a person can be removed from office – by death, or if that person becomes incapacitated – there’s no other mechanism in this country,” he argued.
House Speaker couldn’t remove Fahie
While turning his attention to the matter of Fahie’s unexcused absences from the HOA, Dr Pickering suggested that there was no material role for the House Speaker to play which might have prevented Fahie from keeping his House seat.
Standing Orders (rules) of the HOA require that: “A member of the House shall vacate his seat if the member in any one session is absent from the House for more than three consecutive sittings without the written leave of the Speaker.”
During the Fourth Sitting of the Fourth Session of the House in late July, House Speaker Corine George-Massicote said she would not be granting Fahie leave/permission to be absent from any future sittings of the House until his circumstances in the United States change.
But Dr Pickering argued that the Speaker of the House only has one function, and that is to look after the interests of House members. “The Speaker of the House can’t put out a member, the members can put out the Speaker because the members put the Speaker there,” he stated.
He continued: “All that talk that you heard about they are going to have meetings in the House of Assembly, and they are going to have three consecutive meetings and then Fahie would be voted out, it was never going to be possible. All of a sudden, they suddenly realised it was just a lot of talk.”
By informing the Speaker that he was going to miss a sitting of the HOA, Dr Pickering said Fahie did all he needed to do as the House rules required. “The Speaker can’t determine whether he accepts or she accepts what the reason is. The rules clearly say that you have to inform the Speaker at the appointed time that you are not going to be attending a meeting [of the House],” Dr Pickering argued.
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BVI people. I am warning you! Leave Dr. Pickering where he is. This is a man who only interested in himself and getting power so he could feel good around his rich, white friends. He is not for the people of the BVI. If the people in his own district don’t want to see him what could he do for the rest of the BVI. He did nothing for 20 years in his district and now he want to run at large that has much more work and responsibilities?
At this time we need people who will stand up for the people. This man is a sell out. Once he around white people it is a dead case for us locals. Leave Kedrick where he is! Mind you!
Like I said, VI must be careful AF is not successful in this case. Heads will role!
He is wrong
Incapacitated may refer to a medical condition like difficulty breathing or in a coma, but likewise, being under house arrest in a foreign country implies the individual is incapacitated and therefore not able or fit to function in office
He was the most unproductive government minister in the last 30 years in the BVI. Think and tell me one thing that Dr. Pickering did as a minister? Apart from telling us don’t eat shark, his buddy Branson was the force behind this.
First time in a long time that I have felt the ‘good’ Doctor to have been unambiguous, honest, and clear in what he has said. 😉
“there is no legal mechanism for the recall of legislators in the BVI and the only people who can remove a representative are the people who voted that representative into office.”
————————————————
That is outrageous, and needs to change like yesterday. No sitting legislator who is alleged to have committed the type of crime the former disgraced Premier has committed or who are engaged in other forms of misconduct should be allowed to remain in office.
Yes, they are entitled to due process in a court of law, however, the country should not be held hostage awaiting that day.
Here you have a former Premier under house arrest in Miami with an ankle bracelet attached who is still collecting some sort of salary and has not been kicked out of the legislature. Something is wrong…very wrong with that picture.
Lets face it folks: IMO, he is NOT coming home any time soon based on the allegations and the purported evidence the DEA have on him and his cohorts.
If he had any decency, he would have resigned a long time ago. Rather he is belligerently and selfishly hanging on to a seat and denying the residents of the 1st district proper representation. Outrageous!
This is untenable, and needs to be fix with out delay. If there is not the will within the current government to have this man removed, there has to be a legal means to get it done.
He should not be allowed to hold the BVI hostage. He has done enough damage to this country already in my view, and this country needs to get beyond his troubles.
Head coaches get fired all the time. He needs to go.
If the current government cannot find the testicular fortitude to remove him, I urge all voters to hold them accountable for their inaction whenever they get an opportunity to vote again, and kick them all to the curb. Enough of this BS.
This country does not need to held hostage by a selfish man with an ankle bracelet in Miami who is responsible for his own misfortune and responsible for terrible harm against this country.
The BVI does not owe his squat after what he is alleged to have done.
Mr. Fahie if you are reading, you need to RESIGN. Deal with your court case in January, and let this country move forward by picking up the pieces that you left behind.
Fat Albert is still the puppet master for these muppets.
Do what he says or he talks.
you make me get sick just reading the prejudice in your comments. it’s people like you we need to be fearful of. White folks in the territory make up a large percentage of the at large votes for your information. can you show us where one politician single handedly did something?? it’s the government that is in office that have to come together to get the things that needed to be done to get it done.even if Jesus come back to earth nothing would change .just like how black expatriate make up a high percentage of voters so are the Caucasians. and whether you like it or not the fact remains that Dr pickering have one of the best chances of winning one of the at large seats.what I know is that you stand OO chance of winning one.it is time you and others stop running down the Caucasians because they are carrying the weight of the territory. we should be glad that they are here.you can say all you want about Dr pickering but understand that we will not be voting for you or any of your type.i will not cast my x for anyone that is begging their bread at this time. sorry but I will not.
All of a certain Dr Pickering is Doctor save the BVI ??. I am going say this again none of these Politicians will never bring or vote on a referendum for term limits. This guy miss the Power and what does he have to prove at this stage in his life with all what going on with COI finding? Dr give someone else a chance not only you have vision and philosophies it also has young bright minds as well. Fraser, Dr Pickering, Ronnie etc from when , l was 18 years, l been voting and these guys still in the political arena. Power is a sin and allot of these guys love the Power and Control reason why they don’t want to retire.
The first job of a politician is to care about your people. This man cares about no one but himself. He just want to get back in government to behave the same way he did when he had power.
WE wonder if he instructed the SHARKS not to eat US ( shark meat has been a westindian delicacy for years just like whelks , conchs, lobsters octopuses, they just have to be prepared properly , and they goes well with vegetables / UNFORTUNATELY , he doesn’t appreciate AGRICULTURE
My heart bleeds for us taxpayers. We are being fleeced left, right and centre.
You need a dictionary.
Its not the same as being locked up bro.
this guy tried to give 131 acres away on Anegada for $1.5mil to a white guy with the blessing of Ralph O’neal both of them signed a MOU and it was only the governor at the time who stopped it as it was crown land.
He stopped everyone fishing for sharks even though no commercial fishing for sharks happen in the BVI, but now no one can sell shark in a restaurant yet are allowed to serve and catch Turtle which is endangered and even out of season on VG during easter parade.
He let white friends stop people going to the beaches on Oil Nut bay by putting up an illegal barrier but its ok because he said it was, allowed polysterene to be used for docks, the list goes on how he bent over and took it from his rich white friends when he was in power.
@liquid man,ha, ha, he build a beach for sheep, take food and jobs from the people( argriculture dept) is a medical doctor by profession and made NO improvements to PEEBLES.I refuse to say Orlando Smith hospital, another waste! The British war ship need to come for them!
Kedrick would be the worse thing for the BVI. Worse than Andrew. At least Andrew had some love for people. Kedrick loves Kedrick. He use the black people to get the votes so he could go cozy up with the white people. He is not for us and never will be.
Never trust a man who still wears a crew cut.
Your track record isn’t good.Why are you wasting your time?I pray finally you do the right thing.Go on the street and share the truth of all the bad you did and help as much people as you can.This is the only way.
If what you are saying is true then this tells me one thing. The money he got from doing shady business ran out . So now he is trying to get back in power to more shady business with the rich ! Boy Kedrick you a FU**! The people are on to you ! Do not waste your time running . You are DOA!
@ vex
No, he’s not. If they wanted to do it, it would have been done
See wah ah tel yo / I just use my charm , it works all the time
Kedrick walk out of a government meeting in Virgin Gorda at the community center after the hurricane when people started to ask questions about various things. He stormed out the meeting and leave the people right there and now come back up for a meeting?
Did VG see Kedrick immediately after the hurricane?
So can the Hon. Speaker be arrested and charged for “Breach of Trust?”
Poppy cock
THATS A VERY GOOD QUESTION ? ? AND WE WOULD LOVE TO GET A RESPONCE FROM HIS EXCELLENCY THE HONORABLE ESTEEMED ONE ON THAT ?, ( AS HE’S CONTEMPLATING RUN~IN
Anybody who vote for Dr. Pickering need licks. That all I got to say.
First, if you are white, what color is the paper used to wipe my Black behind with after pooping? Are the same color as that paper? Just asking…. Been living a color lie for centuries, which will not change because it fully beneficial to your tribe.
Second, your so called “white priviledge” is sooo obvious,and sickening.
There’s a ‘good’ party and a ‘bad’ party? NONE of them were up to any good. The NDP want the rich to get richer and the VIP want their cronies to get richer. The only difference is that the way their pockets were lined.
WAKE UP!
Once again BVI News is leaving comments unpublished that they don’t like and doesn’t fit their agenda. How African woke you are!!
I went to that man office. To speak to him about some things. He told me to come. 10am when I got there he told the secretary to tell me he not in. When asked the security if he comeing he told me. Yes. He no Good
“And then I slid my hand like this, as if I was feeding a horse”
Donald trump relies
“Exactly, grab em by the Pu&&*”
BVI first, I had respect for Andrew but all this back and forth is keeping the progress of the BVI back. We talking about Andrew too much now Forward. Lets get on with it.
His PS at the time he was in NR making choices that enabled several non BVI people to make money from BVI lands is now employed at ONB. His walking partner is another PS in NR who was part of the agencies who let it happen.
DR. P should stay out of a political position and keep himself as a commentator on the side. He was part of the Govt that made the UK govt decide for a COI. For the good of the BVI he should humble himself.
I had no idea the BVI government was such a clown show.
Are you sick….you prefer a man aka ‘Andrew Fahie’ who is accused of providing drugs/involved in drugs, moneylaundering and more…who has put the future of BVI in jeopardy – tourists do not want to visit as they feel the security has been compromised – unless Fahie gave you some of the money he admitted to over 20 years – yes you are right-he is for the people!!
Warning!!! No matter how you feel about the Doc …. he has a point – Tola is in serious trouble!!
When such a high profile man as the Premier (Fahie) can be arrested – what does that say for the rest of the people.
If your only problem is that the Doc likes ‘white’ people – then that is the least of your worries!!
All ya stop letting colour of skin take you off track from what is right! It’s the character that should matter.
The Doc need a speech writer to censor him at times. He lashed out about his affiliation with ‘white people’ when attacked by people – what he should have said was, “I like my white, brown, black, yellow, green & all colour of people; They are all my friends.”
TORTOLA IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!