Premier had option to seek elections at an earlier stage
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had a choice of dissolving the House of Assembly (HOA) and calling fresh elections once the United Kingdom (UK) government released the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report last year.
This was the position expressed by Governor John Rankin this week while dispelling the notion that the only choice left to elected leaders following the COI report’s release was to form the coalition Government of National Unity, as they ultimately did.
Governor Rankin told the media: “That’s my understanding. It would’ve been possible for a dissolution to the House of Assembly to be sought and I would have had to exercise my responsibilities under the Constitution. But the members of the House of Assembly chose to form a Government of National Unity and committed to the implementation of the COI recommendations, and so that’s the process in which we’re now proceeding.”
The COI report – which highlighted a myriad of governance anomalies in the territory – called for a temporary and partial suspension of the territory’s constitution and the implementation of direct UK rule through the governor for two years in the first instance.
But lawmakers from the Opposition benches joined forces with the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) instead to stave off that suspension, replacing two government ministers as part of the process.
The release of the COI reforms also coincided with the unrelated arrest of former Premier Andrew Fahie who was held in the United States on charges of drug smuggling and money laundering just one day before the report’s release. The arrest of Premier Fahie led to his replacement as leader of the territory by then-Deputy Premier Dr Wheatley.
At the time of his appointment, Dr Wheatley said the move to revoke disgraced premier, Fahie’s appointment and install a new government was an important step in stabilising the territory and moving forward to a brighter future.
“We had a vote of no-confidence against the Premier and of course, we were damaged badly in terms of our international reputation and even in terms of the confidence of our local people in their governance so that was an important step,” Dr Wheatley said at the time.
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Yet the Unity government made it seem as though it was them or a UK takeover. Surely our honourable leaders would not have lied to us! >_<
Take that all the Governor haters. The maturity of a man is not the jump and defend himself at everything. But to take his time and let the truth be revealed. The old man Frazer just told a meeting that the leaders can be trusted. He spoke a day too soon. We criticize our Governor, the white man, not knowing that the lies were really in the busson of our black brother. Keep up the good work Governor haters.
Rankin why didn’t you tell the people this at the time that the Premier chose to go ahead of the people and form the Unity Government? You knew that the majority of the people wanted a new election. But instead, you sat there and allowed this nonsense or did not make Natalio tell the people the truth.
These Unified *** letting John Rankin seem like the first cousin of Shabba Rakin (BouyaKa BouyaKa Shot). This is some kinda bizzarro universe or are our so called Elected (cause I do not think that the voting public voted for these Yankers) just liars. Hmmmm
wow, so there was a choice for better… only the bvi ppl know how to dig themselves into a hole
You really cant please us tortolians, the man give them an inch they took a yard and hung themselves a well known used local terminology the man stayed out what yall been asking for now he did what yall wanted he wrong if he said earlier yall wouldve said he’s too much in our business XYZ
Make up yall mind! It’s always ‘Governor always interfering with our business’ ‘White man this, white man that’ Now it’s ‘He sat aside and allowed nonsense’???
I hope people are vigilant enough to notice the cause of our demise.
So you all who have commented on this don’t know your own rights? I urge all of you to become conversant with your constitution. All these politicians are the same they are opportunist because the opposition knew this and they could have said hey we are calling on the ppl of the territory to demand from the Governor a dissolution of parliament and call fresh elections.
I do not believe a word this man says. He is a smooth confusion maker by design and training.
That would be interfering in local government affairs which is not his role. Don’t blame the Governor for the local government’s shortcomings.
Leaders lie and cheated to obtain the role of premier! Shame, the man said he had a gun to his head, now we know there was not even a gun in the room!
Election now!!!
We agree there needs to be improvements in the BVI like everywhere else in the world. However, the BVI is no worse than anywhere else in world although the Governor and his bosses are trying to get the world to think so. The Governor & his UK Officials organized a perfect storm to try to justify their actions and put the people of the BVI to fight each other and blame each other and live in fear so they could look innocent and be the ones to be called in as the saviors. They will soon learn that God does not like ugly.
U STILL INSISTING ON YOUR RACIST RETHORIC , KEEP ON FIGHTING YOURSELF , I BELIEVE HE LEAVING YOU FOR LAST , THEN WE WILL ALL SEE HOW YOU GOOD YOU ARE AT MOONWALKING
What polls? Governor is a big l**r! He know full well he and the UK was going to suspend the constitution. It was stop because the Unity Government was in place.
Read the constitution: https://bvi.gov.vg/sites/default/files/constitution.pdf
84. (2)
“The Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, may at any time, by proclamation
published in the Gazette, dissolve the House of Assembly”
@The reality. Why are you comparing us to other places in the world, we may not be the worse but comparing us to anywhere else in the world dont fix the problems in the BVI. We shouldn’t look at anywhere else and think because they are corrupt its alright for us to be corrupt.
This writer disagrees with you, your past Premier going to jail in the US for drugs and money laundering, your head of Ports and her son going down with him for the same crime. Your head of Customs under investigation, and, Post Office leaders charged with criminal action. Numerous police officers arrested, and, certain government ministers under investigation. No, I think this is about as bad as it gets when comparing the BVI to other countries.
Between the Premier’s arrest and the COI findings, were we really ready to lock ourselves into six years with a party, representatives and a government we might not be able to trust?
NO. WE WERE NOT.
Wheatley has done a terrific job walking the tightrope of public service while juggling UK demands. You may not like him, but he bought us time to see things more clearly.
(also to show just how apathetic we are)
Don’t forget that this is the same governor who said he knew nothing about Andrew Fahie arrest.
Governor we are on to you. I am disgusted when I hear these few people saying the UK should take over. You do not speak for the majority. It means that those persons do not read and research. The UK cannot take care of their own affairs and the people of the UK. In the UK poverty is at its highest. Unemployment is high. Strikes in all sectors are at an all time high. Crime is at an all time high. As a matter of fact certain areas in the UK do not report certain crimes because the police is not coming because they are short staff and under resourced. So who this Governor and his UK Officials think they are fooling. This is about using modern tactics to enslave Caribbean people in modern days. We must rise up to deal with this devious plot. There are systems in place already through the judiciary and other areas to address when there are wrong. Let them work and tell them stop trying to be that system because their back yard is not clean neither but they have it hid so far.
if it’s a black man he cannot be racist! You very well know that so stop the madness.
Isn’t it obvious by now that all accused or alleged criminal leaders and cronies is the Governor hater, its convenient and in their interest to do so..( A wise man call blue – blue, but a fool is always see an answer that is in their interest so it benefits them to call red – blue ).
People stop being stupid and letting the governor play these mind games. Think about it dissolve the house and call elections then what. With no suitable candidates prepared we are forced to trade in one set of j@ck@$$es for another. Calling elections then would have just lead to instability with no government in place. The UK is always putting us in a no win situation where our options are always to die by the sword or the gun.
We called for them to come… When you dig a hole…
is saying )> it’s not my fault ) ~¿~ ( I told him , the ball was in his court a long time aGo
@ resident,
What would have been better? Premier Wheatley is an activist, he knows his people and no one will pull the rug from under his feet. He stabilized the country for a period until an Election Day can be sought after.
If Premier Wheatley did not stabilized this country it would have given the governor all power for two years to do as he pleased and there after perhaps five to ten years. It would have bring changes most people would not like or ever want to bear to witness.
I believe in Premier Wheatley is an advocate for his people and the pressure of submission is building up but he stand firm because he knew history should not repeat its self.
Alot of UK people are.
While we squabble and struggles just to patch the potholes which only last for two weeks, Cayman is about to start a six-lane highway for an easier flow of traffic. There is no vison in leadership. Ask any of these politicians what is the ten-year development plant for the BVI they will tell you about community centers and basketball courts. This is the level of leadership we have.