Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

‘I will lead resistance’ against UK threats, coercion of direct rule- Premier Wheatley

‘I will lead resistance’ against UK threats, coercion of direct rule- Premier Wheatley

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has vehemently rejected the neo-colonialist nature of the relationship with the United Kingdom (UK) and the threat to suspend the constitution and take away democracy from the Virgin Islands (VI).

In a press conference today, October 7, 2022, the Premier lashed out against the concept of direct rule in the 21st century as the need to lead a resistance against forcing reform without the people of the VI and taking power and putting in the hands of those who are not elected.

Suspension of VI Constitution


“Everybody should be worried about the concept of our constitution being suspended because, of course, it's a reality… The Order in Council is there. There was a recommendation from Sir Gary Hickinbottom that our constitution be suspended. The concept has not been completely abandoned, everybody should be concerned about it,” he said.

Dr Wheatley added, “but what we cannot do… we cannot be implementing reforms based on coercion or force, that's something I reject completely. So when I go through this reform process, I'm being true to the process,” he said.

The Premier added that he wants to dialogue with the people of the Virgin Islands, as they see areas that need to be reformed for a long time.

Governor John J. Rankin, CMG on October 4, 2022, raised concerns over slow progress in some areas of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) reforms in the Virgin Islands (VI) under the “Framework for Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry Report and Other Reforms” (“the Framework document”), being led by the Government of National Unity.

Governor John J. Rankin, CMG on October 4, 2022, raised concerns over slow progress in some areas of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) reforms in the Virgin Islands (VI) under the “Framework for Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry Report and Other Reforms” (“the Framework document”), being led by the Government of National Unity.


VI people must be involved in the process


Premier Wheatley’s contention; however, is that the people of the VI must also be involved in the reform process and be informed of changes.

“Going through reform for me is not a challenge, is not a problem. I think it's the appropriate thing to do to reform, but we must reform based on what the people want to see, and of course, we have to educate people, we have to allow persons the opportunity to have a dialogue, we have to give them the information and trust them to make the right choice and to communicate that to their representatives,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Premier has spoken out that he remains completely against the concept of direct rule and suspension of the constitution in the VI as a flawed concept; however, he said he doesn’t believe the governor's concerns will lead to suspension of the constitution.

“I don't suspect that anything that has taken place thus far will lead to the suspension of the constitution if I had to give my opinion… but I'm saying even the concept of seeking to suspend our constitution is something I don't agree with and I think that we the people need to stand up and send a message,” Dr Wheatley added.

Resistance against Direct Rule


Dr Wheatley assured that without a doubt he will lead and continue leading the resistance against the flawed concept of suspending the constitution.

"And that's been happening already… there was a recommendation to suspend the Constitution and then we went into action and as you can see, it's not suspended, but that's not enough."

The Premier added, “to be coerced or forced into any type of action is unacceptable and that's something that I also will lead the resistance on,” he added while calling for the voice of the people in the process.

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
×