Walwyn troubled by government’s HOA walkout
Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn has voiced serious concerns about democracy in the BVI following a recent walkout by government members during a House of Assembly (HOA) session.
In an interview with ZBVI Radio, Walwyn highlighted the government’s actions as a deliberate attempt to avoid accountability.
“From the beginning of this session, when that vote of no confidence was made, you saw every tactic being deployed by the Premier to make sure that the people’s voices and their questions and concerns were not properly raised by the Opposition,” Walwyn stated.
The sitting in question commenced unusually late at 5 pm, a move Walwyn described as strategic. He explained that according to Standing Orders, the HOA should conclude at 9 pm unless members agree to extend. By starting late, the government ensured that time constraints would hinder its progression when the Opposition’s motion of no confidence was due for discussion.
Walwyn further detailed the events, noting that when it was time for the Leader of the Opposition to present the motion, government members exited the chamber. He pointed out that Honourable Kye Rymer remained to formally notify the Speaker of the lack of a quorum, as required by Standing Order 9. “After five minutes have passed and there’s not a quorum, the Speaker has no choice but to adjourn the matter,” Walwyn explained. Consequently, the session ended without addressing the motion.
“It is a very sad day for democracy in the Virgin Islands when you have a government that refuses to be held accountable by the people,” Walwyn remarked. He emphasised that a vote of no confidence is a fundamental mechanism in parliamentary democracies to ensure government accountability.
Meanwhile, in a separate press release issued by the House of Assembly, Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton described the Premier’s actions as immature and expressed shock at the developments.
“I am frankly astonished at the disregard shown for the House of Assembly and its procedures by the government side,” Skelton stated. “The Premier’s lack of maturity and respect in this matter leads me to question his commitment to our democratic institutions and to good governance in the territory.”
Walwyn underscored the contradiction between the government’s actions and its aspirations for independence. “If we have a government that can’t respect that but yet expects the people of the country to follow them towards independence, then we have problems here in the Virgin Islands.”
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You all are a set of children! You call for a ‘vote of no confidence’ and Penn is off traveling that day? The Opposition cannot even get its act together either.
Every single one of you 13 take the electorate for fools! Whole thing is something Netflix only wished it could dream up!
Having said that though, I suppose we (the electorate) are fools too, because you guys get away with the most shameless things and we keep voting you in! Very definition of insanity, I guess!
Are you even paying attention or just talking because you have a mouth. The vote of no confidence was not just called on Wednesday. It was laid way before that. The Premier knew that half of the members including the speaker would have been traveling to this conference. This is why he manipulated the session the way he did.
Now, I agree that some of the members display attitudes that make you question their love for country but that is not the case with all of them. Let’s be fair.
Let mr arrested … go sit down we don’t want to hear from you. Did you remember when the opposition walked out?
Thank God that that arrested man is back in the House of Assembly to look out for the people.
Sowandie manipulated the whole thing base on the opposition ego, you Myron is serious and on a proper academic track politically, but others in the opposition are for sale, Marlon penn should have put country above been called to Australia by the royal family commonwealth chit chat club to dine and have fine wine and travel allowances, did he ever stop to think that this social elitist chit chat party where the royal family train and harvest the future leaders to celebrate white supervision as stooges and betrayer of the BVI people, he would not have been missed, Marlon is promised a position,just like when I hear Fraser in the opposition meeting expressing his love for sowandie I said I smell sh#t, and there it manifested where Fraser was a Sn**e and a py**on at that, we are having the Lorna effect repeated over and over, where she betrayed a government not yet formed. Marlon is a sn**e, himself first and the people last, I would have cancelled that royal family social gathering in Australia for my country and the no confidence vote.
Eldread Who ever you are I would notttt want to see Mr. MYron taking no leadership in this Country if thats what you are implying. It seems like he does not favor BVI Islanders listen to him over the years.In other Caribbean Countries they favor their own prople.BVI better wake up and run their own Country.
It all within the rules in the US its called filibustering , same thing .
You do realise that the majority of the BVI population wants this No Confidence Vote right? All the projects being done won’t help the cause because they are projects that were already on the books to be done so there is nothing new there.
I do realize that majority of the readers of THIS particular pulication wants the no confidence vote but definately not the majority of the population. Lets face it there is a not so subtle condescension that the Locals.. well they just dont have the aptitude to handle complex issues such as running government.
You need to go back where you are from… from talking on our behalf.
House of Assembly has become a comedy show. The Premier do not care about the people. There are people here begging for help with things like their house roof, jobs, help to keep or start a business, w okalls that fell down, mold on the schools and other work place, a government complex that is just there while people collect billions of our tax monies in rent and more.I am not even going include the roads. The government can never find money for important things. However, they found 200k on more than one occasion for parties and to pay a criminal to come Tortola to party. Farmers who did not get any stipend could have done well with that 200k. This is sad. COI stepped in and nothing changed. Things got worst. COI being used as an excuse by the government so they don’t have to help people. Squandering the money then go take LOAN. Tell me did COI allow you to spend over 500k to party. My children getting sick from the mold on these schools. Fix it Jesus. What is the governor doing. Something need to change. I have to work 25 years retire and still can’t buy food but politicians work 8 years and receiving 200k. Wow where is the balance on this life. Blacks enslaving blacks. Horrible work conditions, price of living going up every day. We get a pay raise every century. People are crying out. No price control. We need to start holding these Politicians to their campaigning portfolio. People open your eyes. These legal criminals must pay for their crimes. It should be country above self.
WE HAD TO BE HOME BY MIDNIGHT
Does not really boost confidence in the Government.
Is this the same chap involved with the investigation of that wall?
Does not seem like we have Democracy in BVI