Relationship with UK was strained under previous regime — Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has confessed that the BVI’s relationship with the United Kingdom was strained under the previous Andrew Fahie-led Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration.
Despite his denials at one time, Fahie’s tenure was characterised by numerous public spats with former UK-appointed governor, Augustus Jaspert, much of which was brought into sharp focus during the months-long Commission of Inquiry (COI).
Speaking on the Territories Talk show yesterday, Dr Wheatley, who now heads up the VIP component of the government of National Unity, said the current relationship with the UK is good, particularly because he felt that the principles of democracy have been respected from the beginning of his tenure.
“The decision to not impose direct rule I think was a good start to this kind of new relationship—this newly invigorated relationship which of course under the previous regime had become very strained. Our relationship was not very good, and we kind of have a new start right now,” Premier Wheatley stated.
Dr Wheatley was at the time responding to the question of whether the UK and BVI now have a good relationship, and how this impacted the exercise of the ongoing COI-inspired reforms being executed by the government.
According to Dr Wheatley, the UK’s decision not to impose direct rule on the BVI following the COI report’s release was also reflective of this good start.
Taking ownership
But amidst concerns that the reform process is being imposed upon the BVI, Dr Wheatley said the territory is seeking to take ownership of the ongoing process and has accepted the need for reform.
“There are lots of areas that persons have complained about for many years, and we have taken it upon ourselves to use this opportunity and not let this crisis go to waste, but use this as an opportunity to seek to improve and become the model democracy that would make our people and the people in the region and the people in the world well proud,” Dr Wheatley said.
He added that while the COI has made recommendations for reform, his administration believes that the recommendations are broad enough that the people of the Virgin Islands can really have a voice in terms of how they are implemented.
“I believe that once the Governor and the United Kingdom respect the democratic rights of the people, respect the right of the people to have a voice, and not simply to impose things in a way that’s very one-sided, I believe that we’ll get along fine, we’ll get along well,” he stated.
And while conceding that there are bound to be some areas and some aspects that will cause some debate, discussion and tension, the Premier said he believed that it was in everyone’s best interest, including the United Kingdom, to ensure that constructive dialogue was continued and that issues were worked out as they arose.
“I believe if we do that — if we take that constructive approach instead of a heavy-handed or a one-sided approach — I think we’ll be just fine and thus far I think we’ve been okay,” he added.
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The UK knew Fahie was a cr**k a long time ago.
And Fahie knew they knew.
Yeah, but this foo was also a part of the problem. He was always spitting out hatred because he feel every white person is a colonialist. I wonder where he got his education and what race his teacher and Professor were. SMH
Nah sah! delegitimization of the peoples government is being underhanded snake!
There were clearly significant tensions in the relationship between Augustus Ulysses Jaspert and the Orlando Smith Government, and then even more tension between him and the Fahie Government.
The relationship between the Orlando Smith Government at the previous Governor had been ok. The relationship between the new Governor and the Fahie regime was ok (despite the CoI) and it seems to be ok with the Natalio Wheatley regime.
What was the common denominator in the poor relationships – Augustus Ulysses Jaspert. He appeared to be out of his depth without any real idea as to how to properly handle our idiosyncratic Premiers. Being rude (behind closed doors) whilst trying to give a public appearance of being chummy did not help his cause. Not raising issues at cabinet, and then trying to block the implementation of cabinet decisions is not a very effective way to manage the relationship. Former Governors seemed to more effective at managing the relationship.
Augustus Ulysses Jaspert was appointed for 3 years, and then given an extension of 1 year. However, in a virtually unprecedented move, he was recalled to London 9 months early – and the current Governor was urgently extracted from Bermuda and parachuted into the BVI at short notice. He seems to have done a reasonable job. He appreciated that the recommendation to suspend the constitution made by the former Governor’s appointee was a step to far – rejecting the primary and very strongly framed recommendation of a CoI was an unprecedented decision and perhaps gives some insight into what the UK Government thought about the way the CoI was conducted.
Prior to announcing the CoI, a decision was made in London to recall Augustus Ulysses Jaspert. After a cooling off period, he was given a backroom ‘delivery’ job at the Home Office (which is supposedly what he is good at) but only lasted 9 months before leaving the civil service to join the Crown Office. Was this the final nail in the coffin of a career that started going downhill whilst he was in the BVI? – only time will tell.
Let’s hope that the new Governor and the Wheatley administration can resolve the real problems that the BVI faces, and let’s pray that the inexperience of a Governor never again causes a constitutional crisis in the BVI.
Gov Jaspert was completely unqualified, as far as I could see, for the job. He was a social worker in a previous life. He was very young, which essentially isn’t bad, but he was not a trained diplomat or anything other than a social worker and in way over his head. As for being a part of Cabinet present governor when asked if governors shouldn’t take some responsibility for how governments performed, or didn’t perform, said that governors while they sit in cabinet, do not have a vote, they cannot say yay or nay. So he immediately denied any responsibility for anything. He said that it wasn’t for want of objecting to things on his part, he was simply ignored. Governors are sent here at the end of their diplomatic tenure. So no one really cares what they do out here. They basically toe the line, don’t get too handsy and enjoy sailing and other things, and go back to the UK at the end of their tenure with a nice tan. Our very educated NDP government played nice, were polite, but didn’t really care much about governors. Some of them never even went to government house unless it was for a Rotary fundraiser. AF simply raised the bar on how disrespectful he was going to be towards the UK and it’s “interloper” governor He could not have made that clearer than on the saturday of Jaspert’s departure when he turned up at the farewell looking like a street thug. Which we later found out he actually was. People really should stop embarrassing themselves talking about governors, they are incidental to what has happened here. They need to spend more time thinking about what our local (elected so called representatives, those people we trusted to lead us) said in the COI. Their responses to some of the questions were stunning for the most part. The COI was when we found out, if we were listening carefully, what they thought about the people living in this country. They don’t need to come out telling us anything about what the UK did or did not do, or who was good, bad or indifferent. They need to account for their actions against us, the people who took the time to vote for them They need to now start working on deserving to be called honorable anything. They need to find out what that word really means and to whom it should be accorded. It is NOT a title given to someone because they’ve been elected. They’ve been elected to SERVE. Another word they need to find out the actual meaning of. they need to be out asking “their” people what they feel or think. They should stop telling us anything about what they feel or think because frankly my dear we don’t give a damn.
Sorry. It’s 2 ?
Actually he was Mi5,not a social worker,
Jaspert was sent out because Duncan knew that Fahie and his pals and Government Official 1 were corrupt drug dealers. Jaspert was a security guy sent out to clean up the place which he would have done sooner had not the hurricanes arrived two weeks after he did.
It is not really surprising that the crooks didnt like him and stirred up racist accusations to try to discredit him.
One question that should be asked is, why the owner of the Yellow Top hated him so much.
He hijacked the party and threw the head coach under the bus
and now he is kissing @$$
I believe that Natalio has lost all his marbles upstairs. What previous regime? All of you, except Carvin and Andrew, are still a part of the government. The VIP could still form the government without Mitch and Marlon. What previous regime are you talking about? You and Andrew were the two main people who strained the relationship. Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten your constant attacks to please your boss? Slowande is good in his head? This is the same regime. Unless you are admitting that andrew was a one man show and none of you had the balls to say anything. If that is the case then all of you are useless. Dealing with Andrew is nothing compared to dealing with the British.
EXACTLY!!!!! He thinks we forgot his behaviour in the COI. He thinks we forgot that he was the Deputy and supported everything AF did. He think we forget his cowardice in not standing up for what was right all along. If not for this drug case, he would now be here campaigning for us to put AF back in power next election. Talking about previous regime. He is a part of the previous regime and a very key part too!
coup de tat
You’re a bloody hypocrite Natalio.
First you were against the UK while you were fahies lapdog. And now you’re the governors lapdog and the uk is alright.
You’re so fake.
continues between the Unity government and UK until all the CoI recommendations are in place and enforced accordingly. Anything less and the ‘strain’ will disappear due to suspension of the BVI constitution and direct UK rule so no gain then no strain!
All the time when you were playing some community activist all you wanted was power. Such a fake. First you were Andrew’s stooge. Cussing the UK every chance you get. Now you are the governor’s stooge and the UK is nice and lovely. You make me sick to my stomach.
Thank you!!!!!!!
The way this premier is behaving shows that he has no integrity nor is he trustworthy. He is selfish and self centred. He is a hypocrite. He is a totally unashamed kiss a****. He was part of the past regime and was also causing problems with the governor. Now he’s Saint Slowande. He needs help. Voters try get rid of him . He can’t be trusted. He’ll sell out everyone for his 30 pieces of silver or premier title. Who is this person?
The only thing we would like is for our ex and current political and civil service hierarchy to “take ownership of” is the blatant corruption! that has been revealed by the COI. The fact that those same guilty parties still have the gonads to demand to be in control of the clean up only emphasises how dire our situation is.
This is what old people call pot calling the kettle black, you was part the last regime clown, you just an big sell out