He argued that democratic accountability is needed so residents can properly assess the performance of those responsible for public safety.
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr Natalio Wheatley has argued that the Virgin Islands needs control over its security sector, saying the territory currently lacks the tools to hold anyone accountable under the existing constitutional arrangement.
The Premier made the remarks as the Virgin Islands prepares to enter constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom in July on a proposed new Constitution. One of the key requests from the Virgin Islands delegation will be the transfer of responsibility for internal security from the Governor to the elected government.
Under the current system, the Governor has responsibility for security matters, including policing.
“Right now, we don’t have the tools to hold anyone accountable for how we secure ourselves,” Wheatley stated.
He argued that democratic accountability is needed so residents can properly assess the performance of those responsible for public safety.
“If the people of Virgin Gorda are not satisfied with how they are being protected by the security services, they need to be able to have tools to hold somebody accountable,” the Premier said. “An elected government who appoints a minister can then be held accountable for providing security to the people of the Virgin Islands.”
Wheatley acknowledged that the issue would likely receive close scrutiny from the UK during the upcoming talks. He noted that in some British territories and regions, including Gibraltar, the UK government maintains control over policing and internal security.
However, he pointed to neighbouring jurisdictions such as the US Virgin Islands and St Maarten, both of which manage their own internal security, as examples the Virgin Islands could follow.
“So, we have good precedent,” Wheatley said.
The Premier also stressed that any transfer of powers must be accompanied by proper checks and balances to prevent abuse by the executive.
“While we do want to transfer more power from the Governor to the elected government, we are also cognisant of the fact that the public wants to see checks and balances on the power of the executive, as it should be,” he said.
The Virgin Islands and the UK are expected to begin formal constitutional negotiations in July as discussions continue on reforms to the territory’s governance structure.
The Premier made the remarks as the Virgin Islands prepares to enter constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom in July on a proposed new Constitution. One of the key requests from the Virgin Islands delegation will be the transfer of responsibility for internal security from the Governor to the elected government.
Under the current system, the Governor has responsibility for security matters, including policing.
“Right now, we don’t have the tools to hold anyone accountable for how we secure ourselves,” Wheatley stated.
He argued that democratic accountability is needed so residents can properly assess the performance of those responsible for public safety.
“If the people of Virgin Gorda are not satisfied with how they are being protected by the security services, they need to be able to have tools to hold somebody accountable,” the Premier said. “An elected government who appoints a minister can then be held accountable for providing security to the people of the Virgin Islands.”
Wheatley acknowledged that the issue would likely receive close scrutiny from the UK during the upcoming talks. He noted that in some British territories and regions, including Gibraltar, the UK government maintains control over policing and internal security.
However, he pointed to neighbouring jurisdictions such as the US Virgin Islands and St Maarten, both of which manage their own internal security, as examples the Virgin Islands could follow.
“So, we have good precedent,” Wheatley said.
The Premier also stressed that any transfer of powers must be accompanied by proper checks and balances to prevent abuse by the executive.
“While we do want to transfer more power from the Governor to the elected government, we are also cognisant of the fact that the public wants to see checks and balances on the power of the executive, as it should be,” he said.
The Virgin Islands and the UK are expected to begin formal constitutional negotiations in July as discussions continue on reforms to the territory’s governance structure.
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