Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Apr 29, 2025

COMMENTARY: The unborn constitution Part 1

COMMENTARY: The unborn constitution Part 1

I am glad to be alive for such a time as this. When I read about our national heroes like Hope Stevens and Howard. R. Penn and how they wrote our future in their “day,” we are currently writing the Virgin Islands’ future for the next 50 years.

The men and women of that era laid the foundation for the society we enjoy today, and I pause to thank them for their sweat and tears that set the course for SELF-GOVERNANCE. The understanding then as it is now, is that a people have a right to make the decisions for their best interests and not be dictated to by others.

The re-institution of a locally elected legislature was not for show. We were being governed by a Governor based in Antigua and our social and economic conditions were in severe neglect. We lacked quality medical care and a basic education system compared to the other countries in the Leeward Islands. 

Our people travelled throughout the Caribbean region looking for jobs to sustain their families at home. (Does this sound familiar?) Some may say it was because of the small size of the country that the U.K. government didn’t make the necessary investments, but People are People, and they have a right to their basic needs being met and be given the opportunity to realise their potential, no matter how many square miles they reside on. 

Every day, the present is becoming history, and in my mind the current constitution review is punching in the new coordinates for the destination of the unborn generation, and it is NOT to be taken lightly. Here are a few thoughts I shared with the current review commission for us to ponder while they “architect” the new constitutional framework that we will hang the future of this country on. 

VISION

• I think the vison in the preamble needs to be clearer as to what the desired outcome is. If it is a full measure of self-governance as defined by the United Nations Charter, then there should be no doubt in a reader’s mind as to what the ambitions of the people are. If this can’t be stated in this review, then more public education is needed on the three political status options (integration, free association, or independence) of full self-government that are annually reaffirmed by the United Nations General Assembly. 

GOOD GOVERNANCE

• Commissions To promote the characteristics of good governance (rule of law, inclusiveness, participative, accountability, transparency, consensus driven, efficient & effective and strategic vision), we need additional institutions that check and balance the powers of the executive/Cabinet and legislative/House of Assembly bodies, as well as ensure continued constitutional advancement over the next decades.

We need to implement agencies such as the Human Rights Commission. It is inexcusable why this hasn’t been set up in 15 years. There needs to be a penalty when instances like this happen because it is not in the public interests and can be seen as a neglect of duty by the House of Assembly. A timeline should be made for when new institutions like this set-up should be established and not left open-ended. 

In my research, I noted that in the Cayman Islands Constitution 2009, PART VIII Institutions Supporting Democracy has a list of institutions we do not have. 

• Constitution Commission – is established as a permanent body. 

• Commission for Standards in Public Life – would replace the Registrar of interests. 

• District Advisory Council – would help bring inclusion of the civic society and accountability in district representation and they should be consulted on allocation of monies for small district projects.

• Freedom of Information – should be listed in the Constitution to ensure that legislation is enacted. Freedom of information is valuable to promoting good governance in any society. The people’s business should be EASILY accessible to the public for inclusivenesstransparency, and accountabilityAbuse of power can be a result of an uninformed populace to the policies and laws being made excluding their involvement in some way, shape or form.

• Electoral District Boundary Commission It is time for an Electoral District Boundary Commission to assess the current legislative branch representation make-up and confirm whether additional districts are needed an/ or Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and JVD should be separate districts and if territorial representation is doing what it was intended to do – bring independent representation to the HoA. 

• Statutory Bodies: I do not think another commission is needed to regulate them. 

– The legislation of each statutory body should be reviewed and modernised to make them more autonomous from the Cabinet. 

– Each statutory body’s Board should have a code of conduct for their members that align with the code of conduct for elected officials as they have been given a public trust to run the body in the public’s interests.

– Boards should not be appointed but an employment process carried out by the oversight Ministry.

Selah, let us pause and calmly think 


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
Corrupted from Within: How Deep State Power and Unelected Judges Hijacked Democracy Against the Will of the People
President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky just held an impromptu discussion on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.
World Leaders Gather in Rome for Pope Francis's Funeral
Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome as World Leaders Attend Funeral
Alberta's Push for Independence Raises Questions About Canada's National Unity
Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein accuser, dies by suicide
"China has survived for five thousand years, most of it without the United States as a market, and it can easily continue to survive without the U.S. market for another five thousand years — no problem," said a China analyst.
Elites vs. America: How Democrats Lost the Plot and the People
Pam Bondi Details Wisconsin Judge’s Actions Before Arrest: 'Can't Make This Up'
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Peter Navarro: The Man Behind Trump’s Tariff Madness
Milwaukee Judge Arrested on Allegations of Aiding Undocumented Immigrant’s Escape
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Trump administration moves to BAN essentially ALL artificial food dyes in the USA food supply at RFK Jr.'s direction
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
×