Premier slams website for publishing draft UK-BVI reform proposals
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has come out in strong condemnation of the unauthorised publication of a draft proposal between the BVI government and the United Kingdom (UK) by a local media house.
While the Premier did not name the offending media house, the draft proposal appeared on the Julian Willock-owned Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) website in recent days.
“It was somewhat unhelpful, and I think it’s unhelpful to the public to have draft proposals circulating in the public; especially when we are in the midst of negotiations and the language of those proposals is not final. All it serves in doing is confusing the public,” Dr Wheatley said at a recent press briefing.
And while noting that it causes anxiety to the public, the Premier said publishing the document did not serve the purpose of keeping the public informed with accurate information.
He further explained that it was important for the government not to publish the document ahead of it being finalised.
“Unfortunately, you have media operations and individuals circulating documents which are not for public consumption. Those things are not in the public’s interest,” the Premier shared.
Who is held accountable for document leaks?
While speaking to the issue of who is held accountable when confidential government documents shared with Cabinet members are leaked to the public, the Premier said there is a duty for Cabinet colleagues to ensure that those documents remain private.
“It’s not something that I would encourage at all. In fact, I would strongly discourage it. I’ll discourage it on the part of Cabinet, elected officials – any type of public officials who have an oath to treat information confidentially,“ Premier Wheatley said.
He further argued that there is a difference between respecting confidentiality and being transparent.
According to the Premier, there are appropriate forums and appropriate processes to share information with the public and those should also be respected.
“In any instance where someone who has shared a document wrongfully or incorrectly, I condemn those instances,” the Premier added.
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Back off the esteemed he is the big man
I guess he is still trying to learn what “openness and transparency” means. Not a good start to reforming the BVI’s rotten political culture.
He is ( was ) certainly one of the unhealthy looking f*t barrels in the government.
Are you the real rubber duck there seems to be three
There is only one Duck. All others are imposters.
You tell ‘em Brittany
Slow Andy doesn’t want anyone to see how the deal was made for the UK takeover but making it look like the negro dummies are still in power. End result? The UK rules everything and the negro dummies do all the dirty work. This could only be achieved having a Slow One in charge.
So it was not his intention to bring that draft to the people. I wonder if he’s really for change or he’s taking advantage of a tarnished ex premier to ride to the sunset Mr if you trying to fool the people you shall fail
This premier need to grow up
The VIP infighting gonna start now because the esteemed one is going to retaliate…The VIP party will now self destruct especially after both Carvin and Vincent gone wild
the only in fighting is how Natalio Wheatley turned on Andrew Fahie, Carvin, Vincent and Willock!
Now go talk that !!!!!
Let Nat go sit his @$$ down and keep acting like a b**ch
Slow Wande need vino
needs Vino
The draft proposals should never have been a private in the first place. The negotiations should not have been conducted in secrecy.
Which proposal is the Premier waxing about the Unity Government proposal which was not discuss with the people, or Statutory Instruments 2022 No. 627 Caribbean and North Atlantic Territories
The Virgin Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2022. What happens in the dark must come out in the light. Is the latter Order in Council doc true?
It’s actually illegal and I hope they dropped this on purpose to find out the snitch. It should be pretty easy to trace via Govt email.
True true bro, the hunt is already near complete.
LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING TO BE DOG EAT DOG ?
We have better things to do from some fight between a former speaker and soon to be a former premier
The premier was wrong for negotiating behind closed doors along with his brother alone
Slow Wande A-Who-You is the Governor’s lap dog. Eventually there will be infighting in the Unity A**Cowns and then the VIP scum bags.
Seems like a crime under the Computer Misuse of Data Act with half million dollar fines.
Says the one who implemented it. Squash public voice and dissent with the imperialism fist of fines and imprisonment. Sounds fair…
Says the the person not wanting ?? rule.
The hypocrisy of Natalio is in full display. This is the same news site that wrote constant inaccuracies about the former government. You rewarded the owner with being speaker for doing this. Now you’re calling his behaviour that he has engaged in for a decade to your benefit wrong. I see you as a power hungry person with no moral compass.
When, where? How did I miss this? Still can’t find it. Anyway, I agree, very bad to hide this from the people.
Transparency one way or another. love it
Everyone is equal. Yet some are more equal than others
He doesn’t share the recommendations with anyone before sending them to the UK, and now he is pissed off that some of it leaked out???
This is not the way to reform BVI governance. Trying to hide stuff from the press is the first step in building a new corrupt government.
The UK gave this guy lots of extra rope to hang himself and now he is getting ready to jump!
The only reason why Esteem was not relief from his post before is his ability to allegedly use the publication as a weapon. Watch out there is going to be much more. It just started.
Thank god vino broke it clap clap clap or else we would not have known about how the people was blind sided
What slow wander expect? He got rid of the best speaker we had so you made up your bed
Best speaker my donkey. He’s just as co**upt. Only difference is now he’s also bitter.
Chicken coming home to roost.
The UK has these leaders turning on one another . Milling and her crew this would happen that is why they did not do full suspension
They are allowing the leaders to screw up then do the act .
Now it appears they had nothing to do with it . The leaders did
Mental slavery one might say
Julian Willock for district 3
I will support him but in the end like others he will chicken out!!!!
All of them needs to be out of goverment control back off all of them please uk government keep them with simply jobs this is seriouslly we cant trust none of them ever again!!
before the Governor made his anouncement last week. Everyone was silent the expats had all the say. Now Virgin Islanders are turning on each other. Stop it we will get no where with this attitude. If you believe in something get up and speak up and stop blogging piss. Let the deplomats deal with deplomacy.
Former esteemed now has time on his hand, according to sources high up in the unity gov, he wont stop blogging on the yellow site, as he is trying to undermine the leader to position himself for a leadèrship challenge.
Slow Wande A-Who-You shouldn’t be slamming any media house. The Media Houses should be continuing investigating the so called 80k contract with Digicel. There is something fishy about that “arrangement”
Only silly people retaliate. Strong people do not allow others to shift their self control.