BVI Proposes Unity Government to Discourage UK Takeover; House Speaker Vacates Position; Premier Fahie Remains in Federal Jail for Now

Developments in the BVI have been occurring at breakneck speed, ever since last week’s arrest of Premier Andrew Fahie prompted Governor John Rankin to release the report of the Commission of Inquiry a month early.

Since then, calls for Fahie’s resignation have come from his own VIP colleagues as well as from the Leader of the Opposition, while Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley announced that he had replaced Fahie as Chair of the Virgin Islands Party.

Now, we learn that Speaker of the House of Assembly Julian Willock has vacated his position. At the beginning of a House of Assembly sitting on Tuesday, Willock addressed his colleagues, stating that he had received a call from Wheatley who said a majority of assembly members who agreed that Willock should leave his position. Willock said he asked Wheatley whether they had any evidence that he was implicated in any way, to which Wheatley responded no. Willock stated that he asked that he be given until Wednesday to collect his belongings before vacating the position. Willock also said he would be speaking with his attorney regarding the matter.

Willock then left the sitting and was replaced as presiding officer by Deputy Speaker Neville Smith, but not before promising that Parliament - and the public - would hear more from him on this matter.

Local publication BVI Beacon reports that Willock spoke to journalists outside the sitting, telling them that he was quote “a sacrificial lamb,” but failed to disclose the reason for Wheatley asking him to resign, although Willock says he knows why. He promised a press conference where quote “everything will be revealed,” and said it was likely to happen before the week is over.

Following that shock announcement, Deputy Premier Wheatley took to the floor. He began by publicly denouncing, for the first time, the alleged actions of his premier while reminding the public that Fahie was entitled to due process before the law. Wheatley then addressed the looming possibility that the United Kingdom will ultimately decide to suspend the autonomy of the BVI when it comes to representative government. To avoid that outcome, Wheatley said Virgin Islanders needed to come to terms with some inconvenient truths.

During the address, Wheatley said all political parties should put aside their differences and form a national unity government for the greater good of the BVI. As part of this new unity party, recommendations include Opposition Leader Marlon Penn being given the Health and Social Development Portfolio and his party colleague Mitch Turnbull being offered the Ministry of Labour and Natural Resources.

Whether the governor and mainland authorities accept the proposal remains to be seen, as Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom concluded and wrote in his report that current and previous administrations have not only ignored tenets of good governance but actively encouraged the continuing dysfunction in the BVI public sector.

Meanwhile, in Miami, Premier Andrew Fahie remains in a federal lockup, as defense and prosecuting attorneys argued over whether he could claim diplomatic immunity and whether he should be offered bail as he awaits the start of his trial on drug and money laundering charges.