Leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are opposed to moves by the United Kingdom to impose direct rule on the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Mitchell has said.
Mitchell made the observation when he chaired a meeting of the sub-regional leaders on Monday. He told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the OECS leaders were of the view that “they could not support the move by London.”
Mitchell, who is also chair of the sub-regional grouping that consists of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, and the BVI, noted: “The general feeling is that we don’t understand why the British – in the 21st century – is making decisions similar to what they had done years ago in other countries.
“We think for them in the 21st century, given all the issues that have arisen over the years, to be making the same decision, is not in their best interest, certainly. It has never been in the interest of the region to have the colonial type decision. To us, it seems unwise for the British to have that sought of conclusion.”
On Monday, residents of the BVI took to the streets outside the official residence of Governor John Rankin protesting the recommendations of a report of a one-man Commission of Inquiry (COI) that examined allegations of corruption and abuse of office by elected and statutory officials.
“We as Virgin Islanders come to say to the United Kingdom that you should not suspend our constitution in an attempt to establish direct rule over us,” said Bishop John Cline, who organised the protest, saying he wanted to speak directly with Amanda Milling and the Governor.
“We live in a democracy, we do not want the Constitution suspended for six months, much less two years. We do not want it suspended at all. We want the right to elect a government, we want the respect of the UK and we want the respect of the UK in helping us determine our destiny.
“Secondly, the Commissioner recommends an early and speedy review of the Constitution with the purpose of ensuring that abuses of the type he has identified do not recur, establishing a Constitution that will enable the people of the BVI to meet their aspirations including those in respect of self-government within the context of a modern democracy.”
Mitchell called for a non-partisan approach by the BVI to the situation, saying the people of the British Overseas Territory “should be united and there should be a non-partisan approach to this British conclusion.
“The government should consult with the opposition on this fundamental issue…The people should be able to solve whatever problems that they have related to the issues with their own premier. They should be able to solve that problem internally.
“The OECS was in fact indicating that it was prepared to provide an advisory group…to help the political organisations in the BVI to deal with that issue, and maybe look at the way forward given the details of the Commission of Inquiry report.
“They should be allowed to deal with those issues within the country with the support, if they so wish, of the advisory group from the OECS,” Mitchell said.
The Grenada Prime Minister told CMC that the arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie in the United States last week, on drug and money laundering charges, should not be used to cloud the issue surrounding the constitutionality of the BVI.
He noted that the arrest of the Premier of the Virgin Islands is a separate issue and the judicial process must be allowed to proceed.
