International
Premier Wheatley Denounces Governor’s Request for Additional Powers as a Colonial Act
Premier Natalio Wheatley has vehemently criticised outgoing Governor John J. Rankin’s appeal for additional constitutional powers, branding it a “colonial act” that threatens the democratic rights of the Virgin Islands’ citizens.
Premier Wheatley announced on January 5 his intention to write to United Kingdom (UK) Minister David Rutley, urging him not to support Governor John Rankin’s request, emphasising the potential negative consequences of such a move.
The Premier further stressed that “subjects such as immigration and crown lands fall under the elected arm of Government, and there is no justification for powers being transferred or given to the Governor to undermine the democratic will and democratic rights of the people of the Virgin Islands.”
In his final Quarterly Report released yesterday before his departure from the territory, Governor Rankin said the government has had ample time – twenty-one months – to initiate real reform but has only managed a total of 25 of 48 recorded with only five months left before the deadline expires.
“The governor should not be seeking additional powers to bypass democracy and the people of the Virgin Islands,” Premier Wheatley strongly asserted, terming it a potential “colonial act.” He stressed that the democratic will of the people, as expressed in the April 2024 elections, should not be undermined.
He emphasised the importance of constructive engagement between the UK and the Virgin Islands, highlighting the potential damage to the recently agreed Political Declaration.
Granting the governor additional powers, Premier Wheatley argued, would contradict the Political Declaration and damage the relationship between the Virgin Islands and the UK, setting back democracy in the territory. He called for unity among Virgin Islanders to protect democracy and human rights.
Governor Rankin expressed concerns over the government’s progress in implementing the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations, warning of potential constitutional suspension and requesting additional powers.
The report noted that “at the beginning of April 2023, the then UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Lord Goldsmith, wrote to me and asked me to agree deadlines with the BVI Government to ensure that the necessary reforms have taken root no later than May 2024.”
“This ‘should allow for the Order in Council to be lifted then.’ It looks unlikely that this will be achieved and hence unlikely that the Order in Council can be lifted at that point,” the report added.
The governor stressed that “despite the best efforts of many public servants to take recommendations forward, developing plans and policy, we have not seen the promised changes delivered.”
According to the Governor, it remains “an option to consider an interim administration whereby the Governor takes over the responsibilities of Ministers in line with the Order in Council. However, this is not my recommendation at this stage.”
Instead, he has recommended that “an extension to the COI implementation process will be necessary for the Government to prove their commitment to reform and get the work done. An extension to the end of November 2024 should enable the recommendations to be fully considered and for legislation to be brought into force.”
Additionally, he explained that Lord Goldsmith, in an April 2023 letter, “asked me to consider if ‘resources, additional powers or technical expertise’ were necessary to accelerate the Government’s reform programme. In addition to exercising the powers which I have under the Virgin Islands Constitution, I have reached the conclusion that I must request additional powers to help ensure the Framework Agreement proposed by the BVI Government is delivered. Experience has shown that providing more time alone will not be sufficient to deliver reform and that there may be a need for the Governor to step in further.”
In response, Premier Wheatley highlighted genuine strides in strengthening internal processes, specifically in areas like procurement. The Premier encouraged the public to review the progress presentation made by the Premier’s Office, available online.
Acknowledging the challenges faced, Premier Wheatley explained that adjustments to deadlines were necessary to ensure the completion of reforms. He pointed out the simultaneous efforts to balance reforms with the delivery of public services, hurricane recovery, and the pause in work due to the House of Assembly’s dissolution for the elections.
The Premier underlined that some of the ongoing reforms fall under the responsibility of the Governor, who faces challenges in balancing reform implementation and overseeing constitutional responsibilities in areas like security.
Premier Wheatley drew a parallel with the UK’s Brexit, emphasising that large-scale reform exercises cannot be completed in a short span, and the BVI government had done well considering the circumstances. He expressed disappointment in the Governor’s request for additional powers, stating, “It appears he wishes to act in areas of constitutional responsibility devolved to the elected arm of government.”
Former Governor Augustus Jaspert initiated a Commission of Inquiry in January 2021 to investigate potential instances of corruption, abuse of office, or significant dishonesty within the public sector in recent years, aiming to identify the circumstances that facilitated such occurrences.
The Inquiry Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom submitted a comprehensive 900-page report to Rankin on April 4, 2022 detailing findings of corruption across various government levels.
The report outlined 45 specific recommendations, including four overarching suggestions – the partial suspension of the constitution, to overhaul the BVI’s governmental and governance structures.
Amidst the looming possibility of government suspension and upheaval triggered by the arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie in April 2022 in the United States on allegations involving drugs and money laundering, an interim government emerged, led by the recently appointed Premier Natalio Wheatley. Wheatley, formerly the deputy premier during the review, spearheaded efforts to avert a constitutional suspension.
With the partial implementation of recommendations, the 2023 elections saw all political parties pledging to uphold the COI recommendations upon taking office. Premier Wheatley secured reelection in April 2023.
Rankin, who will be retiring from diplomatic service this month, shared that he continues “ to hold the best interests of the BVI in mind and I believe that these measures are necessary in ensuring that the BVI prospers in the future, with the strong foundations of a modern democracy.”
His successor will be Daniel Pruce.
International
President Biden Pardons Marcus Garvey, Recognising Legacy of Black Nationalism
WASHINGTON (AP) — United States President Joe Biden on Sunday, January 19, posthumously pardoned black nationalist and Jamaican National Hero Marcus Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X and other civil rights leaders and was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s. Also receiving pardons were a top Virginia lawmaker and advocates for immigrant rights, criminal justice reform and gun violence prevention.
Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey, with supporters arguing that Garvey’s conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride. After Garvey was convicted, he was deported to Jamaica, where he was born. He died in 1940.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr said of Garvey: “He was the first man, on a mass scale and level” to give millions of black people “a sense of dignity and destiny.”
It’s not clear whether Biden, who leaves office Monday, will pardons people who have been criticised or threatened by President-elect Donald Trump.
Issuing pre-emptive pardons — for actual or imagined offences by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration — would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways.
Biden has set the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued. He announced on Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offences. He also gave a broad pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes.
The president has announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just as Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. In his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of executions, 13, in a protracted timeline during the coronavirus pandemic.
A pardon relieves a person of guilt and punishment. A commutation reduces or eliminates the punishment, but doesn’t exonerate the wrongdoing.
Among those pardoned on Sunday were:
— Don Scott, who is the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in a chamber narrowly controlled by Democrats. He was convicted of a drug offence in 1994 and served eight years in prison. He was elected to the Virginia legislature in 2019, and later became the first black speaker.
“I am deeply humbled to share that I have received a Presidential Pardon from President Joe Biden for a mistake I made in 1994 — one that changed the course of my life and taught me the true power of redemption,” Scott said in a statement.
—Immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir, who was convicted of a non-violent offence in 2001 and was sentenced to two years in prison and was facing deportation to Trinidad and Tobago.
—Kemba Smith Pradia, who was convicted of a drug offence in 1994 and sentenced to 24 years behind bars. She has since become a prison reform activist. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000.
—Darryl Chambers of Wilmington, Delaware, a gun violence prevention advocate who was convicted of a drug offence and sentenced to 17 years in prison. He studies and writes about gun violence prevention.
Biden commuted the sentences of two people:
—Michelle West, who was serving life in prison for her role in a drug conspiracy case in the early 1990s. West has a daughter who has written publicly about the struggle of growing up with a mother behind bars.
—Robin Peoples, who was convicted of robbing banks in northwest Indiana in the late 1990s and was sentenced to 111 years in prison. The White House said in a statement that Peoples would have faced significantly lower sentences today under current laws.
By Colleen Long, Associated Press
International
UN and Ministers Back BVI’s Push for SIDS Disaster Resilience
The British Virgin Islands’ (BVI) call for greater disaster resilience among Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean has received formal endorsement from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and Ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The endorsement came during the Sixth High-Level Meeting on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, held in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, earlier this month.
BVI Special Envoy and UN Representative Benito Wheatley highlighted the devastating economic toll of extreme weather events on SIDS, exacerbated by climate change. Speaking at the meeting, Wheatley emphasized the financial hurdles these vulnerable nations face in achieving climate resilience.
“Small Island Developing States continue to bear the brunt of hurricanes and extreme weather, yet many are unjustly excluded from concessional financing and grants because they are classified as middle- or high-income countries,” Wheatley said. “This leaves us without the resources needed to build resilience and recover effectively from disasters.”
The meeting’s outcome document echoed Wheatley’s concerns, stating, “The Ministers and Authorities recognized the high and increasing cost of reducing risk to improve human security outcomes and promote climate resilience. In particular, they highlighted the challenge for SIDS classified as middle- and high-income countries that remain vulnerable but ineligible for international development assistance.”
The statement also called for increased investment in adaptation measures, concessional financing, and the integration of multidimensional vulnerabilities into disaster risk reduction strategies.
Nahuel Arenas Garcia, UNDRR Chief for the Americas and the Caribbean, commended the BVI for its leadership in bringing attention to the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS. “Ensuring that SIDS have access to just financing and disaster risk reduction tools is a global responsibility,” Garcia said.
The meeting, chaired by St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, coincided with the 13th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management. Delegates strongly encouraged the implementation of early warning systems across the region to mitigate disaster impacts.
The endorsement underscores a growing consensus on the urgent need to address climate vulnerability in SIDS. As Wheatley noted, “The fight for resilience is not just about survival; it’s about justice and sustainability for our future generations.”
The BVI’s advocacy efforts highlight the broader plight of small island nations grappling with the dual challenges of climate change and economic exclusion, a message resonating across the Caribbean and beyond.
International
British Virgin Islands Elected to Leadership Role in Historic UN Decision
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has been elected to a leadership role within the United Nations (UN) system, as a Vice Chair of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), solidifying its position as a key player in advancing the region’s economic and social development.
At the 40th session of UN ECLAC held in Lima, Peru, member states from across the Americas unanimously elected the BVI to the Vice Chairmanship, a position it will hold for the next two years. The BVI joins the leadership Bureau alongside Peru, which serves as Chair, and fellow Vice Chairs Colombia, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
Special Envoy Mr. Benito Wheatley accepted the role on behalf of the British Virgin Islands, pledging full support for ECLAC’s agenda and for Peru’s leadership. “I am humbled by the decision of the Governments represented in UN ECLAC to elect the British Virgin Islands to serve as a Vice Chair of this important regional intergovernmental body,” Wheatley said. “It demonstrates the trust and confidence by our neighbours across the Americas in the British Virgin Islands and our commitment to the sustainability, climate resilience, economic development, and social transformation of the region.”
The election coincided with the 40th anniversary of the BVI’s Associate Membership in ECLAC, making the occasion particularly significant. Wheatley noted that the BVI is honoured to represent both its own interests and to be a voice for the wider Caribbean in ECLAC’s senior leadership.
In addition to its new Vice Chair role within ECLAC, the BVI currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), ECLAC’s subsidiary body dedicated exclusively to the Caribbean subregion.
The 40th session of ECLAC focused on addressing critical development challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean. Delegates debated and endorsed an ECLAC report titled ‘Development Traps in Latin America and the Caribbean: Vital Transformations and How to Manage Them,’ which highlights key obstacles to growth, including low capacity for economic expansion, high inequality and weak social cohesion, and ineffective governance.
With its election to this influential leadership position, the British Virgin Islands will play an integral role in shaping the economic and social development strategies for Latin America and the Caribbean, driving initiatives that support sustainable growth and regional cooperation.
The British Virgin Islands first joined ECLAC as an Associate Member in 1984 and has actively participated in regional efforts to promote economic resilience and governance reforms.
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