Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

Election reform among priorities of new government’s agenda

Election reform among priorities of new government’s agenda

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said his National Unity Government is heavily focused on election reform, constitutional review, and the new Register of Interests Act as the territory seeks to chart a new way forward with good governance.
Speaking at a press conference late last week, Dr Wheatley noted these things were high on the agenda not necessarily because they are present in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) Report but because, over the years, the various administration has encountered challenges on these fronts which needed to be sorted out.

“We had an ad hoc committee that made recommendations on election reform. I think some of the issues identified in the report do not necessarily speak about election reform, but it (election reform) will help with some of the things discussed in the report,” the Premier said.

Dr Wheatley further noted that the election reform committee – headed by Lisa Penn-Lettsome – will meet with him soon and have a briefing on where the territory is in terms of the review.

“We also have … something coming up very early — the new Register of Interest Act and you can expect that is coming soon where [House of Assembly] members’ interest will be made public,” Dr Wheatley added.

In the meantime, the Premier said his administration is also committed to making changes to the constitution.

“As you are well aware, this constitution that we have is actually an order that is provided to us by the United Kingdom government. So, it is not a constitution that perhaps other countries that are independent would be used to,” Dr Wheatley said.

“We would have this committee and we are asking for the United Kingdom government to accept the amendment to the constitution. So, they have a great deal of authority as it relates to the constitution reform. We have committed to make the constitutional changes in line with the reform in the COI report,” he added.

The Premier sought to make clear that the constitutional reform should not only be looked at through the lens of the COI report.

He said a constitutional reform should be seen through the lens of the aspirations and hopes of the Virgin Islands people and that is how his government is going to present the constitutional reform to the people.

“But we are committed to making the reform through that process for good governance measures and solve some of the challenges which have been identified in the report and throughout the years. Sometimes we have some issues where we have to interpret the constitution and we have some provisions that don’t seem to speak to some of the issues that have come to our attention,” Dr Wheatley stated.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
×