Motion on same-sex referendum may come before HOA this month
A resolution about a planned referendum on same-sex marriage in the territory is expected to be brought before the House of Assembly for a decision very soon.
That indication was given by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley late last week when he told residents in a brief update that the resolution for the planned referendum was slated to be published in the government’s official newsletter, the Gazette, last Friday.
The territory’s leader said the resolution will then go before the House of Assembly (HOA) for debate at least 28 days following its publication in the Gazette.
Dr Wheatley has remained adamant in recent months that no High Court judge should be left in charge of charting the territory’s course on same-sex unions.
According to Dr Wheatley, once the resolution is successful, a date will then be fixed for the referendum.
The Premier promised to bring more information to the public on how the process will proceed in the weeks ahead.
Previously, Dr Wheatley explained that this will be the first referendum in the history of the Virgin Islands. “This referendum will give all eligible persons the opportunity to defend what they believe to be socially and morally right,” the Premier said at the time.
He also commented that the referendum is expected to also consider the question of whether new legislation should be introduced to provide persons in a domestic partnership with certain legal rights such as the ability to pass on one’s estate to their partner regardless of sex in intestacy.
According to the law, a referendum is only considered to be valid if at least fifty per cent of registered voters cast valid votes.
Once the results of a referendum are officially declared, they are considered final and cannot be changed. However, if someone who had the right to vote in the referendum believes there were any mistakes or unfairness in the process, they can take their concerns to the High Court and challenge the results.
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Why had he brought the free concert for a referendum?
Why hadn’t he brought the free concert for a referendum?
Do they have nothing better to do? how about fixing real problems :schools, Clinics. roads. Water! i could go on forever. Maybe set up a Internal Revenue taskforce to look into unexplained wealth.
Unlikely that enough registered voters will bother to vote in this referendum.
When you all decide to vote on this referendum remember to think about your kids and grandkids who may have a same sex partner and this referendum will affect you all relationships.
So many problems this country faces, yet this government has decided to make this referendum a priority.
They are busy running to the UN Special Committee on Colonization complaining about the UK Order in Counsel and got the nerve to be pushing forward a referendum on same sex marriage which is geared towards marginalizing further a minority marginalized group.
The duplicity and hypocrisy is stunning.
Very hard to take this government seriously and the Opposition needs to bring their no confidence motions not because of this issue but because of all the other things this government has been incompetent about.
I hope the Order in Counsel stays in place. It’s the only way this government will get its act together. Keep a hammer over their heads.
What about the referendum on independence!? So you can see definitively that the people of the BVI not with you on this so you can stop harping about it all over the place as if your words reflect how the BVI people actually feel about this.
We don’t need a referendum on this abomination it’s sickening. I guess next they will want one on dogs and donkeys. This is the depraved demonic enslavement that we are supposed to give up our culture for. Our ignorant and clueless elected representatives are leading us to hell.
Whoever yo bah, would rather live off of unexplained wealth than to live explainedly off of cursed, blood, human trafficking, human selling and more, unconscionable dehumanizingof of the human body for the purpose of profit.
Why do some have the notion that those people are never suppose to have wealth? That wealth belongs only to a certain kindof people?
Why are still think that they have the givenright to wuestionhow (we)earn our wealth?
Yeah, we know. The legacy contines, after centuries of feeling entitled and more.
They are a sick people. They are now seeking to impose social imperialism upon us.
It is a sad day in the BVI when a referendum needs to be had on same sex marriage. The BVI is a homophobic country and is bent set on infringing on law abiding citizens’ right to love and marry who they want. Hatred is being spouted in the name of Christianity.
An easy solution to this human rights infrongment issue is don’t allow same sex marriages to take place here then but for the love of God and mankind allow it to be recognized and legally binding.
This hatred and discrimination towards same sex couples need to stop, it need to stop.