Premier promises hard negotiations with UK over BVI powers
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has promised “to negotiate very hard” with the United Kingdom to retain control over key institutions in the BVI as the territory prepares for constitutional talks with its administering power.
Speaking on the Virgin Islands Voice radio programme this week, Premier Wheatley said the BVI government would push to preserve and expand its authority during the upcoming constitutional negotiations with the UK.
“We are going to negotiate very hard with the United Kingdom to ensure that we are able to maintain control of our immigration department, maintain control of our customs department, maintain control of our financial investigation agency,” Dr Wheatley stated.
The negotiations follow the conclusion of a self-assessment process related to the 2022 Commission of Inquiry (COI) reforms, which were implemented after the UK threatened direct rule.
“We were on the brink of direct rule, and now we have a pathway to self-determination,” the Premier explained.
He said his administration had completed most of the legislative and policy work outlined in the UK-BVI Framework for governance reforms. “It involved passing maybe about 17 pieces of legislation in the House of Assembly… countless hours in the House of Assembly and in Cabinet,” he said. “We fought through and we got through it.”
The BVI currently operates under a partially retained Order in Council, which empowers the UK to suspend the constitution if reforms fall short. Although the Premier acknowledged the UK’s support during the reform process, he maintained that “we cannot stay in the position where we are forever… We have to be able to advance, we have to be able to move forward.”
A formal self-assessment report has been submitted to the UK’s Minister for the Overseas Territories, with a decision expected by the end of June. “By the end of the second quarter, we look forward to hearing the news,” Dr Wheatley said.
The negotiations come amid rising tensions over a recent UK-commissioned law enforcement review, which some local leaders criticised as threatening BVI autonomy. Premier Wheatley urged solidarity among legislators in opposing some of the reforms in the review. He reported that a letter representing the BVI’s perspective was drafted to be dispatched to UK officials.
“We want every single member to join together in lockstep, not one over here doing their own thing and another over there doing their own thing,” Dr Wheatley said. “I look forward to all 13 members signing that letter and [to us] having a united front and a united voice.”
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He couldn’t even negotiate with some locals for the land for the horse track and now he is claiming hard negotiations with one of the super powers of the world. Father Jesus, which world does our Premier live in?
leader can’t acknowledge he’s already lost any position to negotiate with the UK. Please resign and let direct rule by the UK commence.
Are you mad, living in a past era or are suffering from abject psychosis?
Please don’t travel with that dude who went to the governor behind your back
We want:
– Roads fixed
– Ports fixed
– Better schools
– Better healthcare
– NHI fixed
– Corruption fixed
– Lower food costs
He goin in there go talk about his grandfather this his grandfather that.
he should also talk that the people marched on his grandfather too. sticks rocks and bats
Dear P487.
We have to advance and we have to mover forward.
Generally the idea is that we head for Independence as a nation.
the people of the VI would also like that Independent Country to be as free of crime and courruption as possible.
The reality for the people of the VI because of you and other corrupt political and elitist leaders is that we are not ready for it at all now.
The second more depressing reality is that we are currently heading in the other direction because of your leadership.
Everyone knows why you want Independence now.
You do not accept that the VI is a Territory of the UK and you do not respect that. What is now the multicultural country of the UK the Territory of the VI is currently a part of.
The disrespectful tone that you and previous leaders and criminals have had towards the UK does not reflect the feelings of the majority of the people of the VI. You know that but keep pushing your agenda, that you now have disengenuously called a “Constitutional Mandate.” That is not a reality but another attempt to push your misleading agenda. A referendum would give you the mandate you desire should the people express the wish to push for Independence now.
We all agree we would like to advance.
The sad reality is that we can advance no where whilst you are leading us in the wrong direction.
The diaphanous cloak you wear makes you see-through and it is transparently, crystally, vitreously, pellucidly, lucent that you are pushing your Sowande Uhuru agenda to ensure you and your corrupt buddies have no controls over their actions.
This is very easy to put to bed once and for all, a referendum on UK direct rule will provide this gentleman with the direction the people want the BVI to go, why is it not on the front of the government’s agenda.
All peoples have the right to chose their own destiny and regulate their own affairs, just as the UK is doing for it country. Why should be sujugated to them?
Further, their are several options that the people can persue than back to morecoloial rule. Noteeryone wants to be under the UK’s colonial slaughter divide and rule form of demcracy.
Says the man that let Yolo Productions “pressure” him into quarter of a million dollars for Vybz Kartel.
Among others, long before Adolph Hitler and others, before and after the Nazis,the British were one of the first European countries to establish and run concentration camps against Africans in kenya and others.
The natives of these islands were wiped out by them, the french, Dutch and others.
And they are using this their news site to spread their 10 year take plan which is already in effect..
And despite the facts being in front for all to see, the government is blind and lacking balls to confront the obvious, take over through legislation hiding behind CONSTITUTION CLAUSES.
Not one of those elected officials are seeing, and if they are, they are blind.
There is one soul that is up to par, and they use divide and conquer language on this site every day to divide us against Mr. of the opposition, the only one in all of politics that can and will challenge them on behalf of his this country.