Clause Would Let Voters Choose Independence, Free Association or Integration, Premier Says
Premier the Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley said he will propose adding a referendum date on the Virgin Islands’ political status to the new Constitution. He announced the plan on Oct. 8 in an interview on Virgin Islands Voice with Government Communications Director Karia Christopher, noting recent discussions at the U.N. Fourth Committee with James Kariuki, the United Kingdom’s deputy ambassador, and linking the step to reforms undertaken since the 2022 Commission of Inquiry led by Sir Gary Hickinbottom. He also cited the U.K.’s decision by Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty, accepted by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, to revoke the draft Order in Council that could have suspended the Constitution.
Hon. Wheatley said the proposal aligns with U.N. decolonization mandates, including Resolution 1514, and follows what he described as a period of governance reform that set the stage for further constitutional advancement. “Sir Gary Hickinbottom said remedying the governance challenges is a precursor to our aspiration for greater self-government,” he said.
The referendum provision, Hon. Wheatley said, would allow voters to decide among options such as independence, free association or integration. He added that the measure is intended to put the timing and the choice “in the hands of the people.”
Mr. Wheatley noted that the House of Assembly has completed debate on the Constitutional Review Commission report and will meet in committee to form a unified negotiating position with London. He said the negotiating team will include opposition members, the commission’s chair, representatives from the attorney general’s chambers and community resource persons.
The premier framed the initiative as part of normal U.N. reporting for non-self-governing territories and as a response to the current constitutional balance of powers. He cited the U.K.’s retained reserve authorities, including the ability to suspend the Constitution, as a key reason to clarify the territory’s future status through a vote.
