UK constitutional team to be announced soon

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the government will soon announce the members of a team that will represent the Virgin Islands in upcoming constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom.

Speaking during a press conference last week, the premier explained that the territory has recently completed an important step in the constitutional reform process after finalising a negotiating position approved by the House of Assembly.

“Well, in the House of Assembly, just yesterday, we would have completed the report,” Dr Wheatley said. “We had the House of Assembly produce the report on our negotiating position that we will adapt with the United Kingdom government.”

According to the premier, the report outlining the territory’s negotiating position will soon be made public. He said the document will first be tabled in the House of Assembly and then shared with the United Kingdom government.

“Since that document is completed, we are going to lay it on the table of the House of Assembly,” Dr Wheatley explained. “I believe sometime next week it will be laid on the table. That document will become a public document.”

Residents will then have an opportunity to review the proposals before formal negotiations begin.

“People of the Virgin Islands will have an opportunity to read it, peruse it, digest it,” Dr Wheatley said, adding that the UK government will also receive the report before talks begin.

Once that process is completed, the government intends to move forward with negotiations.

“And then we’ll be in a position to commence negotiations with the United Kingdom after that,” the premier said. “I’ll be soon announcing the members of the negotiating team that will be commencing those negotiations,” he added.

The premier said the government plans to give residents an opportunity to ask questions about the territory’s negotiating position once the report is released.

“I do think that we should provide an opportunity for interested persons, perhaps maybe through a public eye or something like that, to ask any questions of myself or other members of the team on the negotiating position,” Dr Wheatley said. “I do think that that would be something that would be good to do for the people of the Virgin Islands.”

He also confirmed that the negotiating team will ultimately be subject to approval by the House of Assembly.

“I plan to come to the House of Assembly with a resolution to ratify the team,” Dr Wheatley said. “But I’ll make a decision in terms of who is on the team, and then I’ll bring that to the House of Assembly for a resolution of the House.”

Constitutional reform has been a key issue in the Virgin Islands in recent years as the territory continues discussions with the United Kingdom on governance and self-determination. The upcoming negotiations are expected to address proposals emerging from the work of the Constitutional Review Commission.