Premier urges UK to honour decolonisation commitments
The United Kingdom must honour its international commitments on decolonisation and support the Virgin Islands on its path to self-determination, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley told the House of Assembly.
Addressing the House during an update on international affairs, Dr Wheatley said the United Nations has a clear framework for decolonisation, which “is meant to assist those territories on the UN’s list of non-independent countries to achieve a full measure of self-government within the ambit of international law and the UN mandate to eradicate colonialism in all its forms.”
The BVI remains on this list, overseen by the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation, also known as the C-24.
“The major finding of the independent UN report is that the Virgin Islands is ready for a change of political status,” Dr Wheatley explained. “The report recommends, among other things, the granting of full internal self-government, a timetable for independence, and an education programme on self-determination.”
He said the government has officially requested UN assistance with educating the public on the options under international law, namely integration, free association, or independence.
“We believe in self-determination, but which option is chosen for a change of political status is a matter for the people of the Virgin Islands to decide,” Dr Wheatley asserted.
He added that discussions with the UK government had already begun. “I have already given initial indication to the UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Honourable Stephen Doughty, that my government is seeking constitutional talks,” Dr Wheatley stated.
He also pointed to a 2024 agreement between the UK and Overseas Territories that commits to moving away from constitutional models that retain colonial elements. “The UK would support a shift away from the current constitutional model, which retains colonial elements, and move to a progressive constitutional relationship for all OTs with Bermuda as the baseline,” Dr Wheatley said.
The Premier announced plans to establish a decolonisation commission to support the education process and prepare for a referendum. He reminded the House that “it has now been 75 years since the Virgin Islands took initial steps in self-government on the path of self-determination.”
“We are again at a critical stage in our political development where a decision must be made on our political future,” he stated.
The UN has targeted 2030 as the decade to eradicate colonialism worldwide.
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The UK needs to exercise its power to remove cr**ks from power. This one in particular who is also unqualified for the role. 20 million GONE…sowande can’t find it till today. 5 million GONE…sowande saying fsc, VIDIC and liquidators supposed to get back the government money…250K gone for at least 3-4parties…sowande cannot say how much more was really spent on each of those parties, how the money was really allocated and what real benefit it was to the bvi people. UK…OPPOSITION…MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT WHO STILL CARE…THE BVI NEEDS YOU TO STEP IN ASAP! At this point, you are to be blamed for every day any inept leader remains in power. BVI people, stop being cowards and organize more protests!! You are to be blamed too for your own demise and sufferings. Time is of the essence.
Does the BVI belong to Natalio and his brother? Who authorized them to go out to seek independence on behalf of the BVI people? We want independence from Natalio and the VIP. That’s where independence we really need now.
You missing the point. It is the fundamental rights of the people of the Virgin Islands to chart their future to self-determination. We, the conscious people of the Virgin Islands, wish to take this path. The UK needs to honour their duty to the VIslands. It is just an administering power, not the ruler of the VI, as they want to showcase. So Natalio is just stating what is the right of the people of the Virgin Islands. We will make the decision as to how and when. UK cannot continue to hold whip over our heads through Order in Council. The wind of change is blowing from Africa. It is in the Caribbean too, just a matter of time before we formally say no to neo-colonialism.
S!0wW@nde is no Traore…
You seems to be missing the point.
So you can lose five more million
i dont want to hear no complaints in the comments cuz yall didnt have no backbone to show up for march against all this nonsense
yall proved to the politicans that you are afraid and satisfied with the status qou.
The politicans were actually afraid of this march and tried their best to sabatoge it.
that shows we the people have some serious power but yall afraid and weak minded. It shows that they know what they’ve been doing for past decade was pure nonsense and corrupt
all them need is independence to do whatever them want now.
hopefully u will have a backbone to vote for against that!
The UN says it is for the people to decide not the Wheatley Boys.
You are not being truthful. The UK is fulfilling its obligations but the VI Government is not.
Slef destination is not for the Wheatley Bros Gang to decide it is for the people.
They may choose to have oversight of our corrupt brothers and sisters so Vi can one day prosper and not just be for the benefit of an elite few.
It is you Natalio Wheatley that want COLONIAL style powers for yourselves and the elite.
Black Colonial rule is not much of an emancipation for the people of the VI.
Hon Premier Please stop, we are not interested in any independence with the corruption thats permeating within the BVI. Explain the Bank of Asia fiasco, how did the peoples money get invested in that bank? What date did the funds go in and at whose request or pressuring??
Obviously you are easily pressured to do shyte with money. We dont want no independence right now!!
S!0wW@nde want to drag the population into an authoritarian / totalitarian, but independent, state. He can go f@wk himself
“Granting of full internal self-government, a timetable for independence, and an education programme on self-determination are processess that should be in full effect as of today..”
As, it is known fact that neither the UK nor its brain washed unread embiciles will agree to giving up their plantation and master over us mentality for the greater good of the nation, its future and people.
One has to ask those embeciles again, where is the mother UK in resolving slave wages, poor unmatched to cost of living wages, protections of seniors from undue suffering due to high cost of living to inadequate monthly garnishings.
From the first to the ninth district, every last one of those elected persons are currently glaoting on their huge unearned financial stauts/earnings, while those who they depended on to elect them to their jobs are financial less off and stagnant.
Where is the UK in addressing the terrible physical structural issues that Heritage recently outlined, and everyone knows to be factual? Where are the Greedy Bill benefactors?
The colonialist and UK fought like cats and dogs with French, Dutch, Portuguese and others for centuries to gain their land mass portfolios, which today include these islands. They were not owned or earned through hard cash or labour, through blood, death and extermination of other races of people.
Meanwhile, their human hatred for the remnants population from their slave holdings are still a psychological mental aversion to them.
Hence, we have to begin what is right, proper and righteous. Stop seeing ourselves as producers of elected corrupt officials, and of builders and care takers of our home and future.
Indeed, all signs should read, welcome to the African Virgin Islands because that is what we truly are.
On what gounds are posting that commen?
Who are you speaking for?
Did you ask the peole who live there for now two hundreds years after slavery?
Did you or plan to educate those people on the pros and cons of a UK and or independent take over?
Will a UK take over be more beneficial to the people than the current owners and rulers of their communities?
Would be great to get a set follow responses, though they will be more than not, negative and pro UK, anti Black VI..
forget the racism and colonization stuff
use your brain and think logical
do you really think it would be a positive thing to give our politicians independence after what was uncovered from coi?
we didnt even need the coi to see that them corrupt
we had fake fishers, farmers and fake students getting large sums of money from the government when you and your family doing the honest thing trying to make ends meet.
we have roads built like it came from Afghanistan despite being a country with big economy backed by US DOLLAR. the roads the same from i was a child attending public school!!!!
we gave barges all our tax money during corona only for them to be parked up 90% of the time
we got greedy bill but your politicians find it difficult to get in a proper price control and decent minimum wage then turn around and give themselves a raise!
we had our airplane scandal, pier park scandal, bi-water , eshs wall scandal …..
all kinda ways to funnel monies to someone pocket
we got money for parties and everything else under the sun but can’t find money to fix the infrastructure, roads, water supply, electricity , sewages, modernize government services, improve education and job options etc etc etc
we paying rent to family and friends to hold government workers but cant fix one building damage since 2017. (budget increasing every year)
we almost had our leader of the country sell out to fake cartel’s!!! then the same politicians comes to your face crying about crime but have artist every year to sing about sex, drugs, violence and gangs
and our leaders are calling young men “business men” with big gold chains, pants below them waist with tattoos, with gang signs, unexplained wealth, promoting videos with guns, violence, sex and stunts on scooters ….
we got more youths than ever in criminal life before them even finish school! #moneyboys!
we got money paid out to “advisors” who provided zero substance!
we got government dipping into our social security for “big projects” only for it to fail with no repercussions
but all you can say is anti black and uk this and colonization……… smh
after seeing all of this you find it hard to believe why some people dont want independence and dont want UK to leave
bcuz once they gone we will be left in the lions den which is our own leaders!
He don’t speak for us I hope the uk just ignore him as usual. We barely have any confidence in his ability to lead this place. He need to go find out how much money total get throw away on vybz kartel concert.
Thanks for your “expected response.” They are appreciate, however, but leaves much room forforward moder thinking versus those thoroughly by western,colonial and antiquated models of existence, governance by by maintainace of the status quo which only few benefit from
The “racism and colonialism” cannot be forgotten, as their presence and our present is a result of the past. One canot determine his present or future if one does not have knowledge of his past.
No, the current politicians must go, but no where in my prose ami suggesting such a luny proposition.
As,the current elected leaders are full of current and fututre blood in the form of greed, greedy bills and more. They mere predators of wealth and personal financial,everyone from the 1st to the 9th.
Do remember, the first major authentic SELL OUT of the counntry was attempted by the H. H. Lavity Stoutt and his accomplices back in the early 70’s with the VIP banner.
The present convict you mention was a student and admirer of Atoutt, O’neal, the VIP and their methods of governance and appropreation methods.
The methods of monetary management must be taken back by the people. The omprovement and mamngement of such will only improve based upon who and whay quality of people present themselves for future governance, leadership and management positions.
Last, though i have responded to the context of your comment, and sespite your efforts to hide,and though i could also be wrong in my judgement,i continue to hear an English man and not a Virgin Islander within your prose finding a deep sense of hypocrisy therein..
Want to now tief the country as well!
The politicians really saying I want to live that colonial power from the UK and place it at my whims and fancy over the people as my subjects instead of UK subject. I will have all the power to do as I please with all the formalities of colonial authority. Because if you wanted to be independent you will have to build institution and industries, even the church got to be kicked out from presenting an inferior complex on the black people that Jesus is white, so decolonize religion and the education system, institutional power will still lye with white monopoly capital since you will depend on financial services and tourism from UK and the USA, so they will dictate your countries policy as you see everytime we are financially black listed by the EU. Power is what these black leaders think of and not their people, just jealous of the colonial formalities other nation or the white man dangle to us over the years. All the countries that are independent join the commonwealth which is an elongation of colonialism set by the UK so they never leave, they stay there and control all the leaders of former colonies. Your constitution and the change of governor to governor general will still have the power of UK controlling the BVI but with more power evolve to what will be called a prime minister with real power to make an a$$ of himself calling more parties and travel and pay Vybz Kartel quarter million USD and more if he wants to, and at that time he will control the police to tear gas protesters and arrest them because the governor will be powerless.
THE DUDE WITH HIS WIG FROM THE YELLO SITE IS SLOWLY TAKING OVER THE SITE , WITH HIS CONSTANT BLOGGING OF HIS USUAL RACIALLY MOTIVATED NARRATIVES / BLOGGING UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES AIN’T FOOLING US ) (@ LETOURPEOPLEGO ) ( & ( @ THE ) ARE JUST 2 OF YOUR RACIST SH* T YOU KEEP YAPPING ABOUT WALL BUT CANNOT CONVICT WALWYN AS YOU PLAYING JUDGE – JURY AND EXCUTIONER ON HIM HEY JUDGE JUDAS – LETS HEAR YOU HOLLER OUT ON WHAT THE BLOGGER ( UK ) WROTE , YOU HAVE ALL THE FACTS THERE / WE ARE WAITING ON YOU – HYPOCRITE / BUT THEN AGAIN YOU MAY HAVE ” SELECTIVE AMNESIA ” • ○¿○ SEEK TBE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND .
master WEATIE,IS saying )> my people this is serious , I want Independence now am in charge and i don’t want any , and I mean A N Y B O D Y watching over ME to SEE how I S P E N D THE THE MONEY / I RUN THINGS HERE , LIKE IT OR NOT – AM THE BOSS
Sowande was elected with less than 500 votes. Anyone who thinks that’s a mandate has drunk stupid bush.