HoA resumes at 2:00pm today with debate of motion against Gov Jaspert

The highly anticipated Eighth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) will re-convene at 2:00 pm this afternoon, June 3, 2020, at the Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom, Tortola, where the motion moved by Hon Julian Fraser RA to reprimand the Governor over his handling of the BVI Airways Audit Report will be debated.

The motion was moved on May 28, 2020 and seconded by Opposition Member Hon Melvin M. Turnbull.

According to Hon Fraser, the Governor appeared to have acted with neither regards for the law nor the desires of the HoA when he held on to the report for almost 3 months, ultimately resulting in the late tabling of the report.

Debates to commence

Given the Governor received the report on February 7, 2020, the Statutory deadline for the report to be tabled before the HOA should have been May 7, 2020, however, the report was only delivered to Cabinet until April 23.

According to Premier, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), Cabinet having received the report so close to the statutory deadline was not enough time to comb the document and still call a sitting of the House with 10 days notice.

"There is no question, there is no excuse for us to be here four months and one day after the report was received... for something that should have been done within three months after being received by the Governor," Hon Fraser told the House.

House Speaker, Hon Julian Willock accused the Governor of interference with the legislature, when he said Mr Jaspert tried to 'strongly urge' the HoA to meet so that the statutory deadline of the document could be met.