No direct rule once VI implements CoI recommendations- Gov Rankin
This was announced by Governor John J. Rankin, CMG at a press conference minutes ago, June 8, 2022.
According to Governor Rankin, the Commission of Inquiry report which was published on April 29, 2022, had identified significant failures of governance, including “evidence” of corruption, abuse of office, and serious impropriety to address these failures.
He said it was clear that fundamental changes were required and the final report proposed 49 recommendations to improve good governance, accountability, transparency, and the rule of law, providing a comprehensive and robust road map that will help the territory deliver better public services and meet the aspirations of the people of the VI.
He said the question was how to best implement the Commission of Inquiry recommendations in support of the best interests of the people of the territory since the publication of the Commission of inquiry report.
Final proposal accepted by UK
The Government of National Unity had submitted a final proposal to the UK government outlining clear timelines how they will deliver the Commission of Inquiry recommendations but without the need for a temporary partial suspension of the constitution.
“I can inform you this morning the UK ministers have agreed to the proposal submitted by the Government of National Unity.”
He said the premier and the Government of National Unity had made a commitment to improve governance in the VI “and therefore it is right that elected officials here should have the opportunity to implement the CoI recommendations.
Direct rule not exactly off the table
Governor Rankin also made it clear that direct rule was not exactly off the table; however.
According to the UK-appointed governor, he will formally assess progress every three months before sending a quarterly update to the Foreign Secretary in the UK and this will continue throughout the full period of CoI implementation, which is estimated to be two years in total.
“If the government of National Unity Government fails to deliver any of the milestones without reasonable justification or assess that progress is being frustrated in anyway the UK government and I will take action to protect the interests of people here.
According to Governor Rankin, that includes “a continuing option” of temporary suspension of the House of Assembly, Ministerial Government and replaced with a temporary governor-led interim administration assisted by an Advisory Council.
Early elections?
Meanwhile, there have been growing concerns in the public that the coalition government dispatched a proposal to the UK on reform without consultation with the people.
Premier Wheatley announced that the final proposal will be published on the Government of the Virgin Islands website today.
Further, there have been growing calls for early elections to allow the people to decide who should lead the VI during the implementation of the CoI recommendations and other sweeping reforms.
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40 Responses to “No direct rule once VI implements CoI recommendations- Gov Rankin”
The CoI Report had one overreaching recommendation - to suspend the constitution - but the UK Government has accepted that the CoI was so flawed that this overreaching recommendation should be ignored.
At least the UK Government is playing with a straight bat even if the CoI did not. Gus, who has been pushing for a suspension inside No 10, must be fuming!
The people asked for no constitution suspension, so the uk have given the Unity Government a chance to implement the proposals. The COI thought that only direct rule could get the needed changes done.
Direct rule is still on the cards if the Unity Gov is unable to make the changes or misses the timeliness.
Gus does not work in No. 10. He has better things to do than fume over the BVI.
Governor you piss me off!
go home and do not return
%^&*
Like leaperds can't change their Spotty skin,I don't believe that the patchup so-called unity government have the .oral ablify to change until maximum pressure is applied on patched up so-called unity government.
I do understand that the UK representative, our current Governor has a measure of sympathy for the local governing body, but how muchch does he has in his heart for us, the people, that have suffered for so many years under severed injustice financial mismanagement of our own money?
Does our current Governor knows the magnitude of how we have suffered, and the hundreds of millions of dollars we have lost? No.
Dear Hon. Governor, fear not. Do what is best for us. They done, though not them all, done what they to were best for them.
They will reorganise the cheese shop they say but the rats will remain in residence while they do.
There will be a party in Cell Block A, FDC , Miami tonight.
Over many years our local politicians done what they thought were best for them, though not them all, deliberate Mismanagement of our finances.
We need you Governor to help us recovered as much of our lost finances, if you are able to do so.
Please Governor John Rankin, fear not toothless political ravenous lions. Do what is best for us all as quickly as possible,. Good governance in the BVI is a must for us as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance, Governor John Rankin
Is not the BVI business the people’s business? So how can the Unity Government make an agreement with the UK government without first consulting with the people? How democratic is this? Is an election coming soon? It should. Does the agreement between the Unity Government, a caretaker government, and UK binding on the next government? Or is the election suspended? A general election must be held as soon as practical. Does Premier still have the power to call an election? Constitutional review needs to happen ASAP.
Since the agreement between the Unity Government and the UK binds follow on government, if any, a general election should be held as soon as possible and practical. A government with a longer tenure is needed to implement the recommendations. Clearly, the constitution has many democratic deficiencies that needs fixing. The Constitutional Review Committee needs to get work. The people must get the chance through a referendum to determine what political status it wants, ie, a)stay as an OT, b) pursue independence, c)free association, d)integration or e) some other option. The people seem to be left out, pawns, in this chess game. The Christian Council met with Governor Rankin and Amanda Milling yet the people have not been briefed. The Unity Government engineered an agreement with the UK but the people is only seeing it after the fact. The Unity Government gets an “F” for its action. This cannot continue; the people must be engaged. The BVI people keeping letting themselves be treated like mushrooms (kept in the dark); they must get animated, show up, speak up and demand answers. As earlier generations of Virgin Islanders have done. For commissioners have tried to put their thumb on the scale but the people push back. I saw a Facebook posting today on history repeating itself in the BVI. Check it out.
This is an appeasement and coercion agreement between the BVI and the UK that occurred in secrecy. In a representative democracy, how was the people, the major stakeholders, was left out of the discussions and negotiations? The people should have had buy in. What were the UK demands on the table? What were the BVI demands? Did the BVI cave and just appease?
The UK got everything they wanted out of the negotiations , if there were any negotiations at all. The CoI was clearly one- sided but the UK concurred with Sir Gary Hickinbottom’s findings and recommendations. Governor John Rankin got easy concurrence from the Unity Government; a pause was put on suspending the constitution and imposing direct rule. It is being held in abeyance as a sledge hammer to get compliance. It is definitely direct rule without the suspending the constitution.
Several other bloggers have called for a general election as soon as possible and practical, and rolling out the Constitution Review Committee into action now. I too second those notions. Further, there are 40+ recommendations force fed into 24 months. That seems like a heavy lift. The recommendations should be phased into priority bands. The implementation plan will require resources that the VI is starved of. Did not Premier Wheatley say last week that revenue intake was insufficient to meet basic operational needs and the NVI was facing potential bankruptcy? Is the UK going to provide grant money? I doubt that. Is it going to provide reparations? What did Jaspert say on that. The BVI is on its own. It may have to borrow to meet its needs?