Premature to remove Order in Council but Premier welcome to try
Ahead of Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley’s plan to petition Britain next month to remove the Order in Council that threatens to impose direct UK rule over the territory, Governor John Rankin said he thinks it’s too early for that.
Rankin shared that position during a press conference yesterday, October 19, when he was asked whether he would support the removal of the Order in Council.
He emphasised that the Order in Council — which he described as “an insurance” — would only be triggered if there is a delay, without a legitimate excuse, in implementing the recommendations.
He also outlined the next steps that would occur once it was deemed that this delay had taken place.
“This will trigger consultations between the governor, the Premier, and the relevant actors to assess and address the delay. So that’s what would happen if there were a significant failure in implementation of the framework agreement,” Rankin stated.
“We are at the very early stages of the process,” Governor Rankin assured. “We estimate that implementation of… all the recommendations will be a two year process. This is my first review after just the first three months of implementation. So I think its would be premature at this stage to sort of take the action [remove the Order in Council] that’s been suggested.”
The governor further noted that it is entirely legitimate for Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley to raise the issues he wishes in discussions with the UK Minister for Overseas Territories, Jesse Norman, who is expected to arrive in the BVI next week.
It is now left to be seen whether the Premier and his delegation will still continue to press for the removal of the Order in Council when they visit the United Kingdom early next month.
For months now, politicians and pundits have continued to incite fear that the BVI’s constitution will undoubtedly be suspended at the whim of the governor if the territory fails, in any way, to comply with governance reforms agreed with United Kingdom (UK).
But these fears were allayed when Governor John Rankin issued the first of several quarterly progress reports on the status of implementation of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations as agreed in a framework agreement between the BVI and UK governments.
The governor’s review largely concluded that, despite some concerns that still remained, there has been good progress made by the government in implementing the COI recommendations in a timely manner.
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“This will trigger consultations between the governor, the Premier, and the relevant actors to assess and address the delay. So that’s what would happen if there were a significant failure in implementation of the framework agreement,” Rankin stated.
Actors! The stuff hits us right in the face and we still miss it. Ah boy!
No more of these tin-pot dictators from the UK and no more of these empty kerosene can politicians. Let us join the USVI. The USVI has a stable and strong democracy and is doing better economically than we are.
Showonde jumping the gun…poor advice from his brother?
The reason they want the order removed is so that they can get back to their thieving ways with no fear of being dismissed.
Chicken, you are an idiot. You dont just join the USA.
Slowande and Co: takes notes, you are next
just the tax structure and associated legal accountabilities alone will have you crying the first day you become a U.S territory. 😉
At least the UK allows you to keep our room messy with little, to no intrusions.
@ Rubber Chicken. Do you think we can just get up and join the USVI? What make you think it is that easy. We belong to the UK. The USVI belong to the USA. THE USA sure as h**l don’t want us.
Oh yes? I thought they were hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and unable to meet their obligations without federal help?
you all are so slave!! now want to depend on usa so less you are.
We do not belong to the UK. Under international law, which is why we have been granted under international law, the right to self determination.
You call a COI and the threat of the suspension of our democracy little to no intrusions?
@lillian. Kiss your mudda ra** with your slave mentality.
Only in the blogs you can come say that s**t. Come out in public so I can burn you down.
It is not premature to remove it. It was premature to put it there in the first place. I guess people who operate with slavery mentality have to be treated like slaves in order to get anything done. Do this or else. What a thing.
The UK is hell bent on NOT suspending the constitution at all costs. It has, unprecedentedly, ignored the Commissioner’s very strong recommendation to suspend the constitution, after withdrawing the former Governor to the UK 9 months before the end of his contract, and accommodating him in a job at the Home Office for a few months before pushing him out of the civil service all together.
Whilst the UK wants change in the BVI, it clearly recognises that the current issues were caused by the ineffective performance of the former Governor, and an out of control Commissioner who appeared to have determined to recommend a suspension of the constitution before he arrived in the Territory.
The suspended order in council serves two purposes – firstly to bully the BVI into action (which seems to be working), and secondly so that the former Governor and the Commissioner feel less humiliated that their joint venture to suspend the constitution has failed. It will never be used to suspend the constitution – the UK has too many other problems to deal with and the BVI is merely an inconvenient distraction.
That is because we are not as corrupt as the BVI
He needs to do like Liz Truss and resign NOW and LET the door hit his a** on the way out to knock some sense in his d**n head.
Not all that glitters is gold my friend… enjoy what you have unless you are interested in franchise business and total domination of your local economy!!
Was it premature? It was put there and our new government knew it was there. They knew what it meant and still continued to behave in ways that initiated the COI and got us this sort of action.
So was it really premature? Is that how you think laws work? or the making of laws? do it when we need it only? and not be prepared before hand in case we need it?
You are not serious.
We have a gambling bill – approved.
we have a weed bill – approved.
We counted revenues from these two acts in our budge under Fahie
However, none of these bill have been implemented, there are no revenues being generated from them and the proceeds of criminal conduct act has not been amended to legalized gambling or the buying and selling of weed, but yet, the laws have been made for when it may become necessary for implemenation and the Fahie administration was spending monies earned from them without the money actually being made.
Therefore, was it really premature or are we seeing the expected end result of our patterns and failure to really be the change we want to see to avoid the uncomfortable circumstance of being really governed by the UK?
Your comment was ill informed.