Road Town, May 12 (BNA): Dozens of activists in the British Virgin Islands organized a rally, Wednesday, to demand that the outer territory retain its self-governance, following a report issued by an investigative committee that said it should be governed directly from London.
The report came the day after former Prime Minister Andrew Fahey was arrested in Miami on drug and money laundering charges, which led to his dismissal and replacement by his former deputy, Natalio Wheatley.
“The future of the Virgin Islands has always been and will always be in the hands of the people of the Virgin Islands,” said Art Christopher, 47, restaurateur. “This is a long-term struggle that we are going to get into.”
The commission of inquiry found that millions of dollars in state money is spent by politicians and ministries each year in a region of 30,000 people without proper procedures, along with gross deception regarding the sale of public property and widespread abuse of appointments, Reuters reported.
Wheatley said the territory could address its problems without suspending the constitution and dissolving the assembly, as recommended in the commission’s report — which was independent of Fahy’s detention.
Amanda Milling, Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East, who visited the region to speak with local leaders last week, said governance must improve.
On Wednesday, the Whitley government presented a plan to Melling that would implement recommendations made by the commission of inquiry while preserving local governance. These proposals include ensuring that officials do not serve on more than one board at a time, as well as strengthening port security to curb the flow of illegal drugs.
“I hope that Secretary Milling and the UK government will give due consideration to the proposal and not go down the path of direct judgment,” Wheatley said in a speech broadcast online.
For centuries, the BVI, sugar plantations that were employed by slaves forcibly brought from Africa, gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1967 when it held its first elections.
FKN