A group of vocal demonstrators, who crowded the Anguilla House of Assembly on Monday afternoon, November 9, stopped the first reading of the Banking Bill 2015, moved by Chief Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr. Victor Banks. In the process of the demonstration, some person or persons damaged the House’s main entrance door.
The draft legislation, passed in other member territories of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, also comes to Anguilla in the wake of the conservatorship of the island’s two indigenous commercial banks and the working out of a solution over the past two years.
With emotions whipped up by a number of concerned citizens and other antagonists against the Bill, the demonstrators arrived well in advance of the House of Assembly meeting.
They were instructed by one or two of the organisers to express their opposition to the Bill as soon as it was introduced by Mr. Banks. They did just that, in a resounding and prolonged “No, No,” thus abruptly stopping the proceedings.
Appeals by the Speaker; Mr. Leroy Rogers, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Morrison; and other Officers of the Royal Anguilla Police Force, were of no avail to calm the explosive situation including requesting the protesters to be respectful or to leave the House of Assembly. The den of noise continued even after the Speaker briefly adjourned the House during which he met privately in his office with both the Government and Opposition parliamentarians.
At the end of what appeared to have been an extended adjournment, the parliamentarians returned to the Assembly Chambers. Chief Minister Banks was permitted to directly address the still defiant demonstrators, stating in part:
“We are not going to proceed with the first reading of the Banking Bill on this occasion (shouts from the protesters). We will now have the opportunity to do what we would have done after having the first reading today – and that is – out to public consultation and to explain to you, the people of Anguilla, what are the truths, the misconceptions, the motives, and all those things involved, in the process going forward.
“So I want to thank you all so much for coming out and demonstrating that you are concerned about Anguilla, that you are concerned about yourselves because you may be of the opinion that things you have been told will happen because of the Banking Bill. We have to take this opportunity, in the days ahead, to make sure that you get the truth, make sure that you understand the issues – and make sure that we go forward together.’’
The House was adjourned until Friday, November 13, but has been rescheduled for Monday, November 16.
Meanwhile, the Government organised a series of public consultations on the Banking Bill.
