My fellow Anguillians – as you are aware, members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently visited Anguilla and held meetings with yours truly and the government negotiating team on the matter of Constitutional Reform.
I had a meeting with members of the FCO Team on Monday November 18th 2019. In addition to the discussions on constitutional changes, I specifically noted the deficiencies in relation to electoral reform that would render our upcoming general elections lacking a new voter’s list, an integrity commission and campaign finance regulations. These are very important reforms that the people called for during the public consultations with the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee, chaired by Don Mitchell Q.C.
It is quite obvious that the piecemeal approach by the AUF administration was deliberate. It was designed in such a way as to implement changes to our electoral system as part of their strategy for re-election in 2020. Achieving this was the prime objective of the AUF, against the will of the people supporting holistic constitutional and electoral reforms. Now that we are at the 11th hour, as a result of carefully timed delays, the AUF is now quite comfortable going into the next general election without the proper checks and balances to combat fraud and irregularities.
During the meetings between the negotiating team and the UK Representatives (FCO) I maintained my position that electoral reform was an integral organ of constitutional reform, and that attempts to separate those two processes without the important changes that the people called for was a betrayal of citizenship participation.
At the end of the week of meetings, there was a call from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the FCO Team to release a joint statement. The purpose of the joint statement in these matters was to show publicly the level of agreement in the discourse on constitutional reform. When the first draft of the joint statement was sent to my office, I immediately recognized that the consistent position that I have taken as Leader of the Opposition – a position which reflects the voice of the people for holistic reforms – was extremely diluted. Furthermore, the original statement implied that, as Leader of the Opposition, I had agreed to put a hold on constitutional reform until after the next general elections. Nothing could be further from the truth.
After more than a year advocating on behalf of the people of this country for holistic constitutional and electoral reform, it would be remiss of me to give in to the powers that be, for selfish political gain or expediency. Why would I agree to put a stay on reforms that are critical to ensuring that our next elections are free and fair? I was most disappointed to also learn that the current leader of the APM agreed to such conditions, knowing full well the irregularities that we encountered in the 2015 general elections, such as a final voters list being published just two days prior to polling day.
Knowing full well the perceptions and implications of this joint statement, I requested that the following amendment be made to paragraph 6 as follows:
“The UK and Anguillian teams, with the exception of the Leader of the Opposition, agreed that this process should not be rushed, nor brought to a conclusion before the forthcoming Anguilla general election. While acknowledging that this process should not be rushed, the Leader of the Opposition maintains that the Electoral System Proper must incorporate the proposed reforms called for by the people of Anguilla before the General Election is called. It is anticipated that the UK team will return to Anguilla for the next round of discussions and public consultations after the election. Both teams note the voices in the community who would expect a referendum.”
The email communications between my office and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs will show that I did not agree with the joint statement issued to the public and published in the Anguillian Newspaper dated Friday November 29th 2019. There is a very clear difference between my position as Leader of the Opposition and other parties that engaged in the negotiation team meetings. I am sure that the people of Anguilla will recognize my unwavering advocacy on their behalf for free and fair elections and the consistent position I have taken as it pertains to holistic reforms to our electoral system.
It is my solemn duty to stand with the people of Anguilla and I will continue to do so. Constitutional Reform is vitally important and serious and requires serious leaders who are willing to do what is right and not what confers on them a convenient advantage.
God Bless You and God Bless Anguilla.
