Public should be consulted on full CARICOM membership — Penn
Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn said residents should be consulted on the issue of full membership in CARICOM for the BVI.
The BVI is currently an Associate Member of CARICOM – the regional integration body that encompasses various Caribbean nations and territories – and Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley told reporters that he has been speaking with Cabinet colleagues about the issue of full membership.
Premier Wheatley pointed to Montserrat, another UK Overseas Territory, as a full member of CARICOM. He also mentioned Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which sought and received entrustments from the UK to join as full members.
Meanwhile, Penn criticised Premier Wheatley for not consulting with other elected officials or the people of the territory in preparing the BVI for full membership.
According to Penn, such issues are critical and could shake up the dynamics of the BVI overnight.
“We don’t know what his plans are,” Penn stated. “I heard in a press conference that he’s seeking an entrustment from the UK to be able to be a full-time member. He hasn’t said what his plans are to us as a House [of Assembly].”
Penn highlighted freedom of movement within CARICOM as a potential concern with significant consequences for the BVI and said he feels the Premier is not engaging in necessary public dialogue on the issue.
Dr Wheatley, however, addressed the freedom of movement issue during his press conference. He suggested the BVI could have full membership without participating in all programmes, including freedom of movement.
“Now [with] Associate Member status, we’re still able to benefit in some ways. But of course, what’s really important to us in the Virgin Islands is that we are able to have some level of restriction on the various CARICOM programmes. For instance, freedom of movement would not be desirable for us,” the Premier said.
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You and your cabinet colleagues is not we the people so please come to us the people when Making such decisions.Again we you all are a bunch of criminals cause you only make decisions to please yourselves
he is always talking about independence now he wants to bend over to ask the UK if the is allowed, and then he wants to join with align with another group with their own rules, mans a joke!
Why not cancel elections and just consult with the public on everything going forward. SMFH!!!!
There are advantages and disadvantages of joining CARICOM
Consult the public- Get a specific group of mixed nationalities and locals
List the advantages
List the disadvantages
Of joining CARICOM
See which area benefits the overall economic development of the BVI and make your choice
That is what a good leader does
Do not make decisions based off emotions and bias .
Just my two cents
That age-old BVI xenophobia raising it’s ugly head…
“Penn highlighted freedom of movement within CARICOM as a potential concern with significant consequences for the BVI and said he feels the Premier is not engaging in necessary public dialogue on the issue.”
*yawn* That word doesn’t scare anyone. A small country with limited resources, its locals must be protected.
Public consists of a majority of CARICOM citizens with 1 foot there and one foot here and are the spoilers here as they were there.
I don’t like when He continues to use the word “I”
He must remember that all Elected Officials are the
peoples’ Servants and must be included in everything that affects Us and our Territory. He is only the Figure Head But not all decisions are his
alone. Try using the words We and Us and Together We
will consider this or that. We shall look at the Pros and Cons of becoming a full Member of Caricom and we shall decide whether at this juncture free
movement is the right way to go.
You might like you Premier but
… now he will juat say we us and together but the reality will still be I Me, my cronies,friends. Been the same for all leaders sincw the great Lavity Stoutt.
You are 100% correct and that is why this territory is where it’s at in these troublesome times. Most Politicians where they get in Office instead of respecting the people who put them there, they are all of a sudden know it all. The greed for power is so prevalent and they are indeed only seeing themselves, their Families and Cronies. But their time is coming. How many more innocent people have to die because of the greed for power? They think we don’t know But we are fully aware..Even Ray Charles can see when this Territory really began to go Down Hills with the greed and lust for money. Corruption is the order of the Day. What starts wrong will end wrong.
Please don’t as long as the prime minister of svg is in power
Please I begin allyo ralph onile didn’t low the bvi to become and I am so glad he made the right choice so I’m asking youall please don’t make the mistake with the prime Minister or svg right now we need a lot of help we are 2nd under Hati tortola is a peacefully place dont corrup the bvi with the other nation look at those who join full membership. Is that the road youall want the bvi to come down to well surely UK will take it over
Please no