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Virgin Islanders could end up with a constitution they don’t like

Former Minister of Health Carvin Malone

Territorial At-Large Representative Carvin Malone said if BVIslanders aren’t careful, the next version of the constitution may not reflect their ideas and hopes for the territory’s future.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, Malone is urging residents to submit their views to The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) which started public consultations on November 1.

Speaking on the Honestly Speaking radio show earlier this week, Malone said the 2011 census showed that BVIslanders represented only 42 percent of the territory’s population. He said that percentage has decreased to about 39 per cent in recent years.

He also posited that the number of Virgin Islanders in the territory will decline even further if the constitution doesn’t reflect a society that suits them.

“If we fail to take part now, then that very important number (42 per cent) may well be down to 25 or 20 percent. Who will be making the decisions for us as the Virgin Islands? So I’m saying it’s critical to get involved,” Malone said.

He added that the situation is worsened because today’s youth are already in favour of leaving their birth countries to travel and reside in other places around the world.

Malone also said the strength of Virgin Islanders is further threatened because families aren’t as large as they used to be in the past.

“When you look at the structure of the family — the average family size used to be 12, 13, 15. But today the average family size is three and two. We are talking about growing our tourism and financial services but the population is only growing by immigration not by birth. So we have to look at this review as being critical to our next generation,” Malone explained.

According to the CRC, a number of persons and small groups have expressed interest in submitting their views.

Interested persons can register for day-time meetings by using the calendar on the Commission’s website, where the Secretariat at the Commission will reply to confirm the meetings.

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8 Comments

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  1. Sad says:

    Carvin Amlone woii just stop please stop this nonsense. You act like only Virgin Islanders matter. Can’t you see they all running away because of a failed system. You are just one of the problems treating expats bad. Now you trying to fix up constitution for you own selfishness. You who does torture expats. You are a fake.

    Like 9
    Dislike 2
  2. smh says:

    So you think we like what we got NOW! Go away with this crap, Uk come and get us back on track, please.

    Like 9
    Dislike 1
  3. Rubber Duck says:

    Thats what we have now.

    plus an incompetent government we don’t like either.

  4. Ñot nice says:

    People don’t be foilish we don’t want the uk

    Like 4
    Dislike 7
  5. @ Ñot Nice says:

    were where you and m’alone , when the coach was flexing off his ? with taxpayers money ? ( and now he’s allegedly singing like a canary on everything , since he got kicked out by the other puppets/ what has he done constructively , that we can give him credit fOr ??? ?

  6. Killer bee says:

    The natural resources of the Virgin Islands cannot be sold, without a country wide referendum been held and 51% been in the majority.
    (to outside sources) our islands, & our marine species.

    2. Candidates running for elections should be disqualified if he/she has been previously found guilty in a court of law of violating the laws of any country.

  7. @ Ñot Nice says:

    were where you and m’alone , when the coach was flexing off his ? with taxpayers money ? ( and now he’s singing like a canary on everything , since he got kicked out by the other puppets/ what has he done constructively , that we can give him credit fOr ??? ?

  8. WEW says:

    NO… The politicians won’t like. The people will love it.

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