Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 17, 2025

HOA should be responsible for Constitutional Review Commission

HOA should be responsible for Constitutional Review Commission

Opposition Leader, Julian Fraser said he believes there is nothing more paramount than the territory moving towards self-determination and argued that the House of Assembly (HOA) should play a greater role in that task.
The Third District Representative was at the time debating a resolution in the HOA to adopt expanded terms of reference for the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), which were recently approved by Cabinet.

A suggestion that the BVI should move towards a Constitutional Review Commission came as part of the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report issued earlier this year.

Fraser, in the meantime, said he wanted to point out that there should be a determination of who should be responsible for the selection of the CRC.

He also said it was important for there to be legislation to properly establish who should be responsible for this.

“In my view, that legislation should be done by us and we should make sure that that responsibility falls in this House of Assembly,” Fraser argued. “It comes back to where it was in the House of Assembly. I don’t see it as the biggest thing in the world to do. We can do it.”

Fraser said he found insulting that the BVI was being asked to re-evaluate its vision as expressed in the preamble of a previous Virgin Islands constitution order in 2007.

“I think the vision was clear. If we fail to execute that, it’s not the people of the Virgin Islands we have to blame for that, it’s us,” the Opposition Leader said. “And if we had executed that vision, because the vision speaks directly to self determination, if we had executed that vision, we wouldn’t be here talking about this today.”

He continued: “So, it is clear in my mind, and it should be clear in everyone else’s mind, that this reevaluation that they’re talking about is not a reevaluation. They’re talking about a reversal.”

Fraser said he felt that the task was too ambitious and said a subliminal message was being sent in asking that the vision be reevaluated.

“We have already told you what our vision is,” he added. “The vision speaks directly to self-determination.”

According to Fraser, it was clear from the COI’s recommendations that they were speaking in terms of a reversal, since they spoke of suspending the BVI’s constitution and imposing direct UK rule.

Fraser said none of those recommendations by the COI will lead the BVI towards the vision that was made explicit in the constitution previously.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
HSBC Accelerates Chairman Succession as Mark Tucker Prepares Departure
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Cristina Kirchner Requests House Arrest Citing Assassination Risk
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Recounts Escape
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Two Women Found Dead in Eryri National Park
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Pentagon Initiates Review of AUKUS Nuclear Submarine Pact
Meta to Invest $15 Billion in Scale AI to Advance AGI Goals
Rare Cancer Cases Triple Among Millennials, Alarming Doctors
G7 Finance Ministers Convene in Canada with Focus on Ukraine and Trade Tariffs
×