Governor dodges question on suspension of constitution before his departure
A suspension of the Virgin Islands (VI) constitution will mean full colonisation of the Territory and put the Governor fully in charge of the VI.
This means the dissolving of the other two branches of Government- the Legislature and the Executive Branch.
In response, which many commentators saw as a non-answer, Governor Rankin stated, “The short answer to your question is that I remain fully committed to carrying out my responsibilities as Governor for the remainder of my term of duty. As it regards the issue of the reform programme, I remain committed to playing my part and working in cooperation with the Premier to ensure that the reform process succeeds.”
The target list for speaking truth to power
Many progressive voices in the VI continue to call for independence from the UK, while some of them have been targeted by the UK police officers.
When the last controversial Governor, Augustus J. U. Jaspert, was leaving the territory he set up a one-man Commission of Inquiry (CoI), which many believed had a pre-written script that the people of the territory are corrupt and the UK Governor and Police Commissioner (both UK nationals) are saints. All subjects under the Governor, including the police, were never inquired into.
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has pushed back on any plans by Governor Rankin and the UK Government to fully colonise the VI. He has gotten full support from the United Nations and from regional bodies such as the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The VI is a democracy with an elected Executive and Legislature. The Governor is not elected.
Mr Rankin is expected to depart the VI in December of 2023. The UK has appointed a new Governor in the person of Daniel Pruce.
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42 Responses to “Governor dodges question on suspension of constitution before his departure”
1)After Irma and Maria the 1st thing the UK did was send a ship with body bags. Enough said there.
2)After Irma and Maria the UK gave non-OTs grants for millions of dollars but give the BVI a loan guarantee offer (not a loan nor grant).
3)The BVI received little or no help from the UK like the UK is portraying internationally in regard to Irma & Maria.
4)The Uk bragging how much they spend on OTs after Irma & Maria but they refused to break down what they spent by islands and categories so the truth can come out as most went into fueling and maintenance of their ships & soldiers.
5)I clearly remember the BVI Government stating they want to take the UK loan guarantee but needed clarity in some of the areas of the agreement which the UK refused to give but the Governor now trying to fool us saying otherwise.
6)The Uk always has to guarantee any loan any OT gets so what was so special or different after Irma and Maria that they wanted an agreement signed when the procedures for such guarantee already existed. I firmly believe what the COI has done is what they wanted to do in the agreement. This is why most question the transparency of the COI.
7)The last Governor found a man who was missing when neither the police nor their dogs nor others could find him and to this date no one has received a clear explanation on this matter with the dead man that was found by the Governor. Quite interesting to say the least.
8)Plenty rumors of ill behavior of Governors but never looked into especially their bank accounts abroad and in their family's names which will show what happened while they served.
9)Rumors of Governors owning major property in the country while serving but such are quickly dismissed.
10)Abuse by them on public officers but such are quickly dismissed.
11)Could not pass the BVI marijuana bill but want 48 recommendations passed in record time.
12)The Governor & his UK staff refused to be a part of the new BVI registry of interest act to register their interest in the BVI but insisting others in the public service & public office (which I agree) do so and make it public. Their excuse is they are already part of such in the UK. Really?
13)The public service is under the Governor's responsibility and most of the failures is the government system the COI points out, but the Governor is getting a free pass. I guess because the COI is really him any how.
14)Likewise the police have been a failure with no serious succession planning, but the COI gives the Governor and UK Commissioner of police a free pass as they blamed everyone else for their failures except themselves & the COI accepted this folly & let them get away with it. I guess because the COI is really them any how.
15) As for the COI the Govenor cannot state if the Commissioner was selected through a transparent and open process. No one can find if there was a tender process, or interviewing process, or what were the terms and conditions of the hiring that contributed to him accepting the assignment. Plenty questions I have on this alone.
16)The Governor keeps insulting our intelligence the COI was an independent process. Meanwhile, he called it. He hired the man who was doing it. He & his bosses put his colleagues from the same UK office the Governor works from to assist the Commissioner and to do the recommendations. He received his own work. Yet still insisting it was independently done. Oh please! If a politician did this, then the public would not let them hear the end of it.
17) The Uk & Governor wants to suspend a constitution in the 21st century. This is unbelievable! It is wrong!
18)Used a slavery 1880 Commission of Inquiry Act to do a 2022 COI. Talk about people with nerves. Notice no recommendations to upgrade this act was made by the COI. I wonder why?
19)Put unrealistic deadlines to implement mostly unrealistic 48recommendations which some are good for the BVI, but most are not. There is no input on them from the people. This is an exercise doomed to fail before it started. It is a full set up.
20)Make it seem as if he or no Governor has done anything wrong or failed in their responsibilities over the last 40yrs. Talk about being naive. This says a lot about their ongoing colonial mentality.
21)The Uk made it known they could not help the BVI with covid as they had their own issues in the UK. They handled COVID WORSE than what they are accusing the BVI of doing but sweeping their mistakes under the rug but trying to exploit the BVI actions for finding how best to keep their people and economy alive from dying because of the worse pandemic in the last 100yrs where no government knew how to handle it & what to do. The UK refused to do a COI during covid on their actions in the UK but did one during covid on the actions of the BVI. They said the timing to do a COI in the UK during covid was wrong as all energies in the UK must be channeled towards saving lives and livelihoods in the Uk. TALK ABOUT HYPOCRCY!!!!
22)Now using a modern-day slavery action in the name of an Order in Council to say to the BVI you MUST do as we say & when we say, or we will take over your country, constitution, judiciary system, laws, rights, government, parliament, democracy, freedom, elections, elected officials, public service jobs, cabinet, generations, and everything else. The country will run how they want & by them only and to hell with the people of the BVI as they alone know what is best for us in the BVI although we built it by ourselves over the many years, while they neglected us. Now the BVI is a strong & prospering country they want the BVI but not with its people. To hell with elections unless who they want to run the country is allowed to run and win. IT IS ABOUT GLOBAL BRITAN!!! Read the document!!!!
I will stop there for now, as there is plenty more. I am not saying the BVI does not need to improve in some areas as every country does but the way the Governor and the UK is selling this is totally unjust and unjustified. The way they are going about it is high handed. Orders in Council should be banned as they are anti-democratic.
Moreover, there is no surprise or big news that he dodges, skirts, the constitution suspension issue. As noted earlier, the Guv is here to represent the UK and he is reading, singing from the playbook. He is a diplomat and has canned answers to questions on specific subjects, especially controversial issues. The CoI was a pre-planned, departing gift by controversial departing Governor Jaspert as he was exiting out the door. It was a team effort by the occupants of Mount Olympus and others. One does not have to look to far to verify that it was a team effort. For example, all functions under the Governor was airbrushed over or ignored altogether. Others coalesced together and they don’t hide doing so. Only Virgin Islanders don’t see the value in working together cooperatively, collectively and collaboratively for the their personal well-being, as well as the interest of the territory. The conditioning worked well and going as intended ,for Virgin Islanders have adopted the attitude of putting the needs of others before and over their own best interest. Their altruism is interesting. With our behavior, are we working for some type of meritorious manumission? Here is a news. There is none, for you are only being used, used, and exploited. It is straight out of the slavery and colonialism playbook.,
Moreover, if you give someone the gun( not literally), ammunition, and opportunity, it is good nite. You got to control one of those factors. Further, to start a fire, requires heat, fuel, and oxygen. Deprive of one of those things, there will be no fire. The CoI was one sided, pre-planned, selective, racist, etc., but if we didn’t provide the heat, fuel and oxygen there would not have been any fire. Nevertheless, some of the changes should not have been taking place just on the urging of a single, hand-picked, probably bias commissioner, but rather by a more August group of people, Virgin Islanders. Lessons learnt, let’s do the right things, learn from and capitalize on failures, execute the work plan, work together, plug along on a self-determination course, ie, free association, independence, integration, etc., Remember snakes are not loyal pets, for in time they will do what snakes do.
@ Manjack, indeed this may be the plan of Global Britain. The once powerful, exploiting, enriching, etc, British Empire has fallen. It is now a footnote in history.,So Global Britain is an attempt to regain some relevance. In the VI post slavery, the VI was struck by a series of events, ie, drop in sugar prices, hurricanes, riots, ie, 1853 Cattle Riots, etc. The VI was in a depressed state. Consequently, the planter class bolted from territory, referring to it supposedly as only useful as a bird sanctuary. Nonetheless, the tide has change, turn, with the VI now being much more than a bird sanctuary. Gentrification is on the rise. The Brits now see opportunity in the VI and are using their leverage and power to gain control. If they gain control, there would be no push or need to change the VI political status. The VI may be recolonized while Virgin Islanders are in a deep slumber.