The Governor could end up selecting VI's leader- Premier Wheatley
Coalition Gov't an experiment - Premier
“I want you to vote not only for the District Representative but for all the At Large candidates…. The other parties' only pathway to a government is the At Large and through a coalition. They know that none of them can win on their own,” he told persons gathered at the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) grand final rally on April 22, 2023.
Dr Wheatley added that the other parties contesting the elections have promoted the concept and idea of a coalition; however, he reminded that it is the only way they have a pathway to form a Government which would be an experiment.
“The PVIM endorsed Honourable Julian Fraser. Julian Fraser endorsed PVIM. I had a debate with them [and] Ronnie was going left [and] Hon Julian Fraser was going right. Honorable Skelton said when I'm the Premier, this is what I'll do, Julian Fraser said when I'm the Premier, this is what I'll do.
“Well, which one of you is going to be Premier buddy? You didn't work that out before the endorsement. So the first thing that's going to happen if you elect a coalition government, it's going to have a big fight,” he added.
Gov has power to select a leader - Dr Wheatley
Meanwhile, the Premier detailed that the Governor's Office recently sent him a memo reminding him what the Constitution says about forming a new government.
“And it says… the party with the majority forms a new government, the one who can command the majority in the House of Assembly. The Constitution also says, if the members were elected, if they cannot agree on who's the leader? Do you know what happens then? The governor selects the leader.”
The Premier tasked the people of the VI to look in the Constitution and added that if they cannot select a leader, the governor will have to power to select one.
“Do you want the governor selecting your leader, people of the Virgin Islands? So, you want to know what you have to do? You have to vote VIP all the way!” he said while reiterating that persons should vote for all in the VIP’s At Large team of Hon Carvin Malone, Hon Sharie B. de Castro, Hon Neville A. Smith and Zoe J. Walcott.
31 Responses to “The Governor could end up selecting VI's leader- Premier Wheatley”
So instead of making such a comment you should be advocating for independence. Which currently we are not ready for that. Our leaders and to be more driven and have strong head and a strong vision like the premier of Barbados. These guys here need to bow and look up to her.
Wake up Mighty Virgin Islander. The Governor in all our business. Did they move out Andrew because they dont want us going forward to 2030? We still going though. Tell him take that cr*** wom** out the House that we have to put money into, hthem ole wh*** sup***cy self.
Moreover, what is happening in the BVI is not happening by accident. It is rooted in Willie Lynchism divide and rule colonialism, an extractive, exploitive, exclusionary, violent, savage, abusive, racist, sexual rape, expropriated, etc institution. Colonialism was billed as a civilizing mission but it was nothing but. It was and is about might is right and white dashed with a huge dose of social Darwinism. Colonialism is an institution accountable only to itself. The local government is accountable to the governor who has unilateral power. But who is the Governor accountable to? Supposedly to the FCO but there is no daylight between the Guv and FCO. The Guv word is the word of FCO. By the way the Guv and office is a parasite on the local taxpayers, the host, paying for boarding and lodging, transportation, landscaping, entertainment, travel, food? Is this crusading?
On another, why did the Governor write to the Premier reminding him that if the voters do not elect a leader he has the power under the constitution to do elect a leader? Was he showing his muscle, power? Is this a normal practice? Did he also write to the opposition parties? Is the Guv trying to put his thumbs on the scale of local managed election. I’m sure that Premier and parties know what the constitution says. You get where I’m going with this—condescending perhaps. The last Guv was a media w….e and this one seems to be a power w…..e. Finally, what is happening is what happens when there is disunity, crab-in-bucket syndrome, Stockholm syndrome, and active “bring cum carry.” Behaviour. Oh, I forget the Sambo characters and foolish belief in meritorious manumission.
About 7000 voters deciding for 30000 redident