Dr Wheatley gave that indication in the House of Assembly Tuesday afternoon following the abrupt announcement by House Speaker Julian Willock that he intended to resign from that post.

The Acting Premier mentioned the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report’s recommendation for the United Kingdom (UK) to assume direct rule of the BVI, then said: “If we want to avoid that unwelcome consequence, first of all, we all have to look at ourselves.”

The Acting Premier called for a renewed commitment to the principles of democracy, good governance, accountability and transparency.

He said there was a need for everyone to recognise what they can do better to improve the BVI since everyone has a role to play.

“I’ve had to look at myself and I’ve had to make some difficult conclusions,” Dr Wheatley said. “And we will not get past this moment if we are not willing to hold ourselves accountable.”

“To get through this moment and to save our Virgin Islands, we need unity, and we need sacrifice,” the Acting Premier suggested.

He continued: “We have to be willing to unite and we have to be willing to make sacrifices. We have to be able to put aside all the petty differences that we have with each other, including partisan differences, including what social group you are part of, including who originates from elsewhere and who has had roots here or born here or whatever it is.”

He said residents have to fight for unity but said it appears that at times persons would rather fight for division instead.

COI recommendations pose threat to our democracy

He said persons of good moral standing and integrity are present right in the BVI and are fully competent and able to govern the BVI in a better way than has been done in the past.

“We all have a responsibility to improve and to hold each other accountable,” Dr Wheatley stated.

I will be making a statement later and we have discussed … the Leader of the Opposition and myself and members of the Opposition and members of our government having a united front in the face of the threats of a takeover,” Dr Wheatley said.

He added: “And not just that threat [but] the threat of many of the areas which have been identified in the Commission of Inquiry report and even outside of it. Things that we know happen and which are not right. Those post threats to our democracy.”

We denounce Premier Fahie’s alleged actions

In the meantime, following repeated public criticism that members of the governing Virgin Islands Party have not denounced Premier Andrew Fahie’s alleged actions described in an affidavit filed before a Florida court, Dr Wheatley has now decided it was prudent to do so.

While restating his position that Premier Fahie should be afforded “due process in the legal system”, Dr Wheatley added that it was not difficult for him or anyone else to say that the actions described in the affidavit outlining the charges faced by the Premier are deplorable, disappointing and shocking”.

“We denounce those actions beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Dr Wheatley added.