The Honourable Victor Banks
Chief Minister’s Office
The Valley
Anguilla
17th April 2019
Dear Victor
Constitutional Reform – OPEN LETTER
Lord Ahmad, the Minister for the Overseas Territories, and the United Kingdom Government, have given Anguillians everywhere the assurance that cross-party consultation will occur now.
The need for widespread consultation has been recognized by the Foreign Affairs Committee in the report, Resetting the Relationship .
We appreciate that the House of Assembly’s Select Committee has been established, in part to satisfy the United Kingdom Government that there is full participation and engagement in the constitutional reform process. We are advancing. I note that Brexit developments and the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kingdom Parliament have superseded our earlier consultations, advanced through the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee in 2017 and earlier. These developments mandate that we renew our efforts to broaden the consultation, without prejudicing the acceleration of the laws that will balance the changes and reforms already advanced and contained in the Order in Council dated 10th April 2019.
Although I accept that the previous committee has been declared functus, I require that in addition to including earlier members of that committee in our deliberations that we also invite fresh representation from the united opposition, the churches, the business sector, the Chamber of Commerce, fifth and sixth formers, unions, and as many public bodies as possible to ensure we secure wide opinion and buy in. We have an opportunity to correct the neglect of the past several years and to evidence good practice going forward. I believe if we follow this course we will secure a better constitution for our people. Major issues are at stake and we must resolve these not just in form and appearances, but through principled leadership. On that note, I believe that in addition to securing this widespread representation, I believe that the opposition should share the deliberations, in the circumstances in line with international convention. Alternatively, I propose that an independent authority be nominated to chair these proceedings and I nominate retired Justice of Appeal Don Mitchell, former chair of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee, to be that person. I believe this is a national opportunity and if we get things right it will hold us all in good stead.
Thank you and kind regards.
Pam Webster
Leader of the Opposition
cc: His Excellency the Governor
Don Mitchell Esq., QC, Chairman, Anguilla Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee
The Honourable Evans McNiel Rogers
The Honourable Cora Richardson-Hodge
The Honourable Evalie A Bradley
The Honourable Curtis Richardson
The Honourable Cardigan Connor
The Honourable Paul Harrigan
The Honourable Terry Harrigan
The Honourable Deputy Governor,
Mr Perin Bradley
The Honourable Attorney General
The Honourable Speaker
