Wheatley Denies Changing People's Will
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley says the House of Assembly is within its mandate in reviewing the Constitutional Review Commission’s recommendations and is not overriding public opinion. He urged careful deliberation, transparency and broader public consultations before any decisions or negotiations with the United Kingdom.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has rejected claims that his administration is altering the will of the people in its handling of the Constitutional Review Commission’s (CRC) recommendations, stressing that the House of Assembly is fulfilling its constitutional role in considering what should be adopted. "We’re not changing the will of the people," Dr Wheatley said at a recent press conference.
He explained that the CRC report was commissioned by a resolution of the House of Assembly and that the document was therefore returned to the House for further action, including debate, selection and refinement of proposals. The Premier acknowledged the value of the CRC’s work and the public input that informed it but argued that not every suggestion can be accepted wholesale. "Any report, including the COI or any report, you don't have to accept all of the recommendations that the report has put forward," he said, adding that decisions require discussion and deliberation about what should be taken forward.
Wheatley also raised concerns about representativeness, saying parts of the CRC’s recommendations may reflect the views of a limited number of contributors rather than the wider community. "Some of the recommendations certainly have to be taken, in my view, with a grain of salt," he said, noting that some proposals may have come from "just a handful of people." The House of Assembly has moved into committee stage to finalise its report on the CRC findings prior to formal negotiations with the United Kingdom.
The Premier pledged to establish a negotiating team by the end of the year and promised public consultations before travelling to London for talks, emphasising that the process would be conducted transparently. For residents of the British Virgin Islands, the outcome of the CRC review and subsequent negotiations could affect aspects of local governance and the territory’s constitutional relationship with the UK.
The Premier’s comments signal a government approach that seeks to balance the CRC’s recommendations with broader public education, further consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. Dr Wheatley said the government will carefully analyse the report and communicate its conclusions to the people of the Virgin Islands, underscoring a commitment to open discussion as the territory prepares for the next phase of constitutional talks.
Primary source: BVI News