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Positive talks had with OT Minister! Goldsmith to address public today

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley

The government has concluded discussions with Overseas Territories Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith about removing the potentially crippling Order in Council currently hanging over the BVI.

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley gave that indication in the House of Assembly last evening but did not disclose the outcome of those talks.

He said Lord Goldsmith is scheduled to address the territory some time today.

“I don’t want to pre-empt too much of anything by Minister Goldsmith,” Premier Wheatley said while assuring residents that they can rest easy.

“It’s nothing for anybody to be concerned about or worried about because our interaction was very positive. And I think we’re further cementing the very positive engagement that we had with the United Kingdom as we push for the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands, including our democracy — maintaining our democracy here in the Virgin Islands.”

The Order in Council is a consequence of the findings of a damning Commission of Inquiry (COI) report released last year, and is being held in reserve in the UK parliament.

It sanctions the partial suspension of the BVI’s constitution, removing power from the hands of local lawmakers and allowing for Britain to take over the territory for at least two years if the government does not follow through on its commitment to implement a strict regiment of governance reforms in the territory.

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12 Comments

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  1. Pure piss says:

    We did not elect Goldsmith so we don’t want to hear from him. We are not children. We elected the VIP and we should hear from them. The UK is running the BVI. This is ridiculous.

    Like 1
    Dislike 20
  2. Gone to the dogs says:

    You see the nonsense that this so called Premier has allowed. Never yet has an overseas minister address this country. He should not be allowed to. We did not elect him. The Premier should be addressing the BVI. If he wants to do so jointly with the governor then fine. But to have a complete stranger who doesn’t live here. He doesn’t work here. Has no understanding of us. Was not elected by us is plain out wrong. Let him go to address his constituency in the UK.

    Dislike 15
  3. Listen carefully says:

    An attempt to interfere in our elections I am sure. Listen carefully. They want the misfits that are there on government to remain so they could continue to manipulate them.

    Like 1
    Dislike 6
  4. LOL says:

    The Premier was bashed because the itinerary for the Overseas Minister wasn’t published and the public was kept in the dark. Now that the Overseas Minister will be addressing the public they’re asking who elected him. Being a Moo Moo every day must be hard work.

    Like 10
  5. Can't wait says:

    to listen today to a UK minister speak to the BVI audience in person after he left the Territory yesterday according to this media website.

  6. resident says:

    @Gone to the Dogs:
    If Lord Goldsmith has read the CoI report, and heard about Head Coach’s current difficulties, he probably has a pretty good understanding of us.

    He also might have noticed the terrible roads and waste disposal infrastructure and wondered what happened to the billions of Government revenue paid in since the 1980s.

    Like 15
  7. @Pure Pi** says:

    It’s funny, because you sound like a child …

  8. @resident. says:

    I guess that the whole of the UK are liars and crooks like Boris Johnson then. They are also inept and incompetent like Liz Truss. By the way we know you are not a resident. You are a UK operative blogging hoping to bend the minds of the BVI public. You people are disgusting.

    Like 1
    Dislike 7
  9. ISLM says:

    @Gone to the dogs: Your blog is very stupid the man is IN charge of these islands he doesn’t answer to you or anyone in the BVI when are you people going to get it through your heads we are owned by the UK weather you like it or not.

  10. hmm says:

    I don’t know why he thought he was gonna get the order in council removed without completing the recommendations same way I don’t agree with them being called “recommendations” if we being forced to do them.

  11. Common sense says:

    To be fair, they were recommendations from the Commissioner to the UK, the UK then decided which to implement. Don’t lose sight of the fact the UK decided against immediate implementation of the harshest recommendation, suspending the Constitution.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Remember that the BVI is not an independent nation

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