Premier and Minister of Finance Hon. Dr Natalio Wheatley says some residents want a return to the pre-Commission of Inquiry (CoI) era, when political support was often expected to be rewarded with jobs, land and other benefits.
“Some persons want to return to the pre CoI days because they said, if I support you, if I'm your supporter, if I voted for you, I [as Premier] should just be able to just give things unfairly based on my own bias,” Wheatley said.
Wheatley made the remarks during a public meeting on Anegada over the weekend as the Virgin Islands prepares for constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom next month.
The Territory's leader added that some residents have criticised him personally.
“Some people have actually [been] frustrated with myself as Premier because they said, you are the Premier, you are supposed to just be able to give me a job, give me land, give me this, give me that, why you can't do it? you are the executive,” he lamented.
Wheatley said the CoI process helped to strengthened the Territory's institutions, which is a good thing. He on went to state that the governance reforms implemented since the CoI have changed how government operates and require decisions to be made through established procedures rather than political preference.
“But the thing is now, we have a process, and the process is supposed to be equitable. It's supposed to be fair,” he said.
“It shouldn't matter who voted for me. Once you vote, you vote, I am supposed to represent all the persons, regardless of who you supported.”
The Premier's comments come four years after the Commission of Inquiry found widespread failures in governance, public administration and the management of public resources. The inquiry, commissioned by the United Kingdom and led by Sir Gary Hickinbottom, resulted in a series of governance reform recommendations and the threat of direct rule through an Order in Council.
That Order in Council remained in place as a reserve power available to the UK government until it was lifted earlier this year after the Virgin Islands implemented a range of reforms. Those measures included the establishment of oversight bodies, procurement reforms, strengthened governance frameworks, greater transparency requirements and other accountability mechanisms designed to prevent abuses identified by the inquiry.
“Some persons want to return to the pre CoI days because they said, if I support you, if I'm your supporter, if I voted for you, I [as Premier] should just be able to just give things unfairly based on my own bias,” Wheatley said.
Wheatley made the remarks during a public meeting on Anegada over the weekend as the Virgin Islands prepares for constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom next month.
The Territory's leader added that some residents have criticised him personally.
“Some people have actually [been] frustrated with myself as Premier because they said, you are the Premier, you are supposed to just be able to give me a job, give me land, give me this, give me that, why you can't do it? you are the executive,” he lamented.
Wheatley said the CoI process helped to strengthened the Territory's institutions, which is a good thing. He on went to state that the governance reforms implemented since the CoI have changed how government operates and require decisions to be made through established procedures rather than political preference.
“But the thing is now, we have a process, and the process is supposed to be equitable. It's supposed to be fair,” he said.
“It shouldn't matter who voted for me. Once you vote, you vote, I am supposed to represent all the persons, regardless of who you supported.”
The Premier's comments come four years after the Commission of Inquiry found widespread failures in governance, public administration and the management of public resources. The inquiry, commissioned by the United Kingdom and led by Sir Gary Hickinbottom, resulted in a series of governance reform recommendations and the threat of direct rule through an Order in Council.
That Order in Council remained in place as a reserve power available to the UK government until it was lifted earlier this year after the Virgin Islands implemented a range of reforms. Those measures included the establishment of oversight bodies, procurement reforms, strengthened governance frameworks, greater transparency requirements and other accountability mechanisms designed to prevent abuses identified by the inquiry.
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