Beautiful Virgin Islands


Premier denies delaying COI reviews

Premier denies delaying COI reviews

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has denied that his government was responsible for the months-long delays in publicising several reviews emanating from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.
Dr Wheatley suggested that the delays in bringing the reports on those reviews to the House of Assembly (HOA) were related to corrections requested by public servants.

Governor Rankin, while threatening recently to publish the reports if this was not done by the government, had explained that some reviews were received as far back as December last year and in January of this year.

“Some of these reviews had things that some of the public servants who were there, thought needed to be corrected before it went out… So, it’s really not fair to make it seem as though we were seeking to delay the publication of these reports,” the premier explained on the VIP Let’s Talk radio programme yesterday, April 18.

He noted that both himself and the governor had been calling for those corrections to be made for some time, and said he had also made calls for the reports to be sent to Cabinet and brought before the HOA.

“So, it’s very misleading to make it seem like we did not want the people to see these reports,” he added. “So, unfortunately the House of Assembly had dissolved before we had the opportunity to lay them on the table of the House of Assembly and it was certainly misleading.”

Democratic process

According to Dr Wheatley, when his Government of National Unity was able to stave off the suspension of the territory’s constitution, it did so with the intent of allowing residents greater participation in the democratic process.

“We did not sign on just to implement recommendations and shove them down the throats of the people of the Virgin Islands. They had to be a part of the process,” Premier Wheatley said.

Dr Wheatley explained that, following the submission of those reviews, there had been tripartite meetings involving the Deputy Governor, Permanent Secretaries, Financial Secretary, ministers of government, Cabinet Secretary, and others on how the reports will be addressed. The premier also related that there had been a consensus from those meetings that the reports will be laid in the HOA and argued that he was not in favour of publishing the reports without them being brought to the House, as the governor had threatened.

He argued that the reports also needed to go to the HOA before they were made public and said they needed to be debated by lawmakers.

“It’s not just a matter of publishing them and saying you publish them,” Premier Wheatley said. “It’s important when you lay these reports on the table to have the opportunity to debate them with the people of the House of Assembly.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Prince William to End Feudal Land Restrictions in Duchy of Cornwall, but Controversies Remain
British police appear unprepared to deal with usual suspects
Russia's Ballistic Blitz on Kyiv Sends Shockwaves Through Global Stability
Multiple Tragedies and Tensions Mark Global Events: A Closer Look
Elon Musk's AfD Endorsement Ignites Controversy from neo-Nazis who accuse the AfD of being what they themselves are
Ukraine Claims Unprecedented Russian Losses: The Truth Behind Wartime Statistics
Federal Reserve Chair Powell: "We are prohibited from owning Bitcoin and are not seeking any changes to that law."
A Democratic congresswoman with blue and black hair is having a meltdown over "President Musk."
A sizable group of unauthorized migrants is traveling through Mexico with the aim of reaching the USA before Trump assumes office.
Beatles Reunion Electrifies London: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Ignite O2 Arena with Surprise Performance
Starmer's Envoy Engages Trump Team as UK Seeks Strategic U.S. Partnership
Britain's Retail Rebound Falters as Black Friday Splurge Dissipates
Bank of Japan's Bold Reckoning: A Decade of Unconventional Policy Under Scrutiny
Republican Discord Threatens Government Shutdown Amid Holiday Season
French Retiree Dominique Pellico Convicted for Recruiting 72 Men to Assault Wife Over a Decade
Putin Defends War Strategy as Global Tensions Rise
Putin Claims Progress as Tensions Rise: Conflict in Ukraine Intensifies
Putin's Paradox: Claiming Strength Amidst Sanctions and Isolation
Water as a Weapon: The Contentious Struggle for Survival in Gaza
Syria's Future: A Fight for Democracy or Another Cycle of Oppression?
UK Considers Sending Troops to Ukraine: A Strategic Move or Intensifying The Proxy War?
Renewed ISIS Threat Puts Syria’s Cultural Heritage in Peril
Escalation in Moscow: High-Profile Assassination and International Tensions Intensify
North Korean Troops in Ukraine: A New Cold War Frontier?
Ukraine's Bold Move: High-Stakes Assassination of Russian General in Moscow
Dubai's Technological Leap: Brain Chips and AI Board Members by 2025
Tragedy Strikes Wisconsin School as Shooting Claims Lives of Teacher and Student
UK's Calculated Gamble: Balancing Defense Aid to Ukraine and Domestic Demands
UK Intensifies Stranglehold on Russian Oil, but Does It Dampen Putin’s Resolve?
British Voter Endorsement of Reeves's Bold Tax Strategy
Nicola Sturgeon Warns of 'Toxic' Discourse: The Perils of Polarisation in Modern Politics
Levelling Down: How the Conservatives Underspent on Regional Revitalization
Alleged Chinese Espionage: The Entangled Web Beyond Prince Andrew
Starmer Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope Amid Chinese Espionage Revelations Involving Prince Andrew
Balancing Democracy and Disorder: The Trial of a Milkshake Incident
Royal Mail Enters New Chapter Under Czech Ownership
UK Companies Slash Jobs Amid Economic Strain
Kemi Badenoch Rekindles Flat Tax Debate Amid Inheritance Tax Uproar
Rewiring Whitehall: New Cabinet Secretary's Mandate for Change
Legal Battle Revives: Lucy Letby Seeks Fresh Appeal as Expert Evidence Faces Scrutiny
Accusations Fly as UK-China Relations Spark Tension Within British Politics
The Delicate Dance of Devolution: As English Council Elections Face Delays
The Alleged Chinese Spy at the Heart of British Royal Circles: Yang Tengbo Unmasked
Prince Andrew Withdraws from Royal Christmas Amidst Chinese Espionage Scandal
EU Takes Legal Action Against UK Over Allegedly Neglected Rights of EU Citizens
Disaster Strikes: Oil Spill in the Black Sea and Cyclone Devastation in Mayotte
Oil Tanker Disaster in the Kerch Strait: A Confluence of Environmental Catastrophe and Geopolitical Tensions
Olaf Scholz’s Gamble: The Collapse of Germany’s Coalition Government and the Path to Early Elections
Keir Starmer's 'Sycophantic' Tone: Tensions Rise Over UK-China Relations
Trump Recognizes Partial Advances in Ceasefire Attempts in Ukraine Conflict
×