In response to a question from a resident during the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) radio Programme last evening, October 19, Premier Fahie said the BVI is larger than political parties and Andrew Fahie.

“We have to look now at the Constitutional talks that coming up right around the corner and decide how we want to see our country in the next ten, fifteen, twenty years…we [politicians] are not going to be the ones in power…but we want to ensure that whatever we do we empower our people to participate in the review when it begins and to see how you can be the captains of your own ship,” he said.

These comments are being made during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

Premier said the BVI’s future is in ‘our’ hands.

“You cannot look at constitutional talks and the BVI now with what’s happening as this is just a Fahie or this is just this person. We have to think about our children that are unknown, how do we make sure that advance constitutional talks in the 21st century and beyond that will reflect that we can man our own ship and do so in a transparent and accountable manner. Our fore-parents got us here and we cannot let them down," he posited.

Missteps

The Finance Minister said like other countries, the BVI had some missteps.

“This is not to say that we do not have improvements, but who would not have improvements to be made. This is not say, that our country has not made some missteps here and there but what country has not made missteps here and there. We have to move forward respectfully but yet with a forthright manner,” he said.

Premier Fahie said persons should not come to the BVI and judge.

“I honestly believe that without any disrespect to anyone and no one should come and give us any retrograde step or to judge us to the point where we feel bad about the good that we have done, even if there were some missteps,” he said.

The Finance Minister continued: “We are going to get it right; we are going to continue to be better. I feel that the CoI once done in a transparent and accountable manner with a just outcome will help us to become better but in no way should it help us to become bitter, be an impediment for us to be more forward thinking and more forward in what we want to do for this Virgin Islands.”

Premier Fahie believes that they can continue to build the Virgin Islands the same way their fore-parents did.