Self-government

Increased self-government in our island must be accompanied by checks and balances. Social commentator Henry Jolson has an eye-opening article in the TCI Journal on how unrestrained Ministers in the Turks and Caicos Islands used the powers of self-government vested in them by the Constitution to abuse and exploit their people and the country’s resources.

The article begins with this paragraph:

Currently there is a lot of spin going around by PNP Government supporters, spin doctors, pseudo nationalists, CARICOM and persons who apply history in a convenient manner ignoring the realities of today’s history. Unlike the old days of conquest, imperialism and slavery, the TCI suffers from a form of conquest and abuse meted by duly elected members of the TCI Government. There is certainly a paradigm shift and routinely islanders are denied rights, jobs, opportunities by the elected government of the day. Yet owing to a decided vesting of powers and policy control in the elected Government, there is nothing the British Government can do to stop this runaway Government unless it removes the Government.

Read the entire article, and think of Anguilla.

Attorney Robert D’Arceuil has a very readable general article on constitutional reform in the same publication.

He looks forward to the next Constitution with this hope:

The new constitution will contain many other features principles and objectives than are set out here. The public debate will give the people of the islands a chance to decide on the shape and scope of the constitution so that its higher aims will benefit the people and the way they want to live. The objective of accountability and equal protection before the law, openness and transparency have to be realised this time around. The goal of transparency must be achieved. Above all else people seek equal rights and equal protection before the law.

I think his words are very applicable to us in Anguilla. We cannot continue with the same old close-ended freeness in government where only the friends of Ministers get work permits to bring in cheap labour, and only those with the right influence can have the ExCo overrule the planning board’s decisions.

We are tired of it all. We look forward to a brighter day.