Although the memory of Hurricane Irma is now fading into history – the hurricane having devastated Anguilla and other regional islands on September 6, 2017 – there is still a great deal of recovery work to be done. Many house roofs in the private sector are waiting repairs; and in the public sector the repairing or replacement of a large number of badly-damaged Government buildings and offices, including schools and health facilities, has not yet been touched.
Notwithstanding this difficult situation, the time has come for serious consideration to be placed on several matters of state. The hurricane met Anguilla in the middle of a Constitutional and Electoral Reform process, for instance. In fact, the report of the Commission, headed by retired Judge, Mr. Don Mitchell, was already submitted to the Executive Council with a view to be taken to the House of Assembly and then for forwarding to the UK Government for discussion and agreement.
Speaking to media representatives at a joint press conference on February 13, Governor Tim Foy, OBE, had this to say: “It is always hard to say this, but I sort of want to turn the page over from Irma and say we now need to go back to doing the things we were trying to do before that. It is quite clear that we are in the run-up to 2020 and you probably have a lot of questions to ask the Chief [Minister] about elections and things like that.”
During the course of the joint press conference, Chief Minister Banks also made the point there was a need “to turn a new leaf after Irma.”
Perhaps fresh on their minds was the Executive Council’s Meeting of February 1 when the matter of Constitutional & Electoral Reform came up for discussion.
The following is an extract from the Minutes of that Meeting recorded in EX MIN 18/61:
Council noted:-
(i) voter registration – office space had been identified in the Inland Revenue building. The Hon Deputy Governor, who spoke to this, said that MICUH was working with the team to get the building ready. The DG indicated that he would update Council on the progress;
(ii) electoral reform – the Hon Minister, MHA indicated that the legislation (draft Election Act and Electoral Boundaries Commission) were presently with the Attorney General’s Chambers and all efforts should be made to move quickly on this; and
(iii) constitutional reform – political decision for discussion between GoA Ministers. Following discussion on what the Ministers wished to consider, correspondence should be sent directly to Lord Ahmad, Minister, OTs outlining the issues they would like to discuss and progress.
Action: HON DG; HON AG; MINS OF GOV’T
