The deadline for delivering the delayed Commission of Inquiry reforms has been pushed to the end of August as Governor Daniel Pruce hailed a new understanding with Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley on Friday.
All 48 agreed recommendations were due to be in place by the end of this month, but Mr. Pruce said that goal is now unrealistic while nevertheless rejecting calls by his predecessor, John Rankin, to extend the cut-off point even further to November.
Mr. Pruce also said that Mr. Rankin’s call for the governor to be given sweeping new powers to implement the reforms is unnecessary at the moment.
However, he left open the option of seeking these powers in September if needed, and he supported the continuation of the controversial United Kingdom order in council that allows him to temporarily suspend parts of the Constitution in order to push through the measures if the government drags its feet.
“It is clear that implementation of all the COI recommendations will not have been completed by the end of this month,” Mr. Pruce said during a Friday press conference launching his first quarterly review of the reforms. “Therefore, they will not have taken root by this time as required for the order in council to be lifted.”
‘Collaborative’ attitude
Overall, however, Mr. Pruce struck a much more conciliatory tone than the scathing review Mr. Rankin issued shortly before his departure in January.
Describing a more “collaborative” attitude between Government House and the government following a Feb. 4-6 visit by UK Overseas Territory Minister David Rutley, Mr. Pruce heralded the establishment of a joint coordination centre, the recent appointment of Kedrick Malone as a delivery manager, and the finalisation of a joint action plan that he and the premier discussed last week with Mr. Rutley.
He also noted that four recommendations have been completed since January: a costed plan for the extension of the Register of Interests; the cessation of House of Assembly grants; a review of grants for educational scholarships; and a review of crown land disposals.
Premier’s response
The premier responded Monday by saying the governor had presented a “fair and balanced” assessment of the current situation.
“I endorse the review and its content, which reflect the work our respective teams have produced,” Dr. Wheatley said in a statement. “The shared commitment by the governor and I to meeting the recommended [Aug. 31] deadline is grounded in enhanced levels of collaboration, coordination, and communication between and among our respective teams and all stakeholders.”
Outstanding reforms
The reconciliation was a marked departure from the acrimony that resulted after Mr. Rankin’s call for new powers for the governor sparked regional outrage earlier this year, with the premier branding it a “power grab” and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States condemning it as a “colonial” throwback.
Mr. Pruce pulled back on Friday, describing “challenges of interpretation” over bringing in the needed legislative changes.
“The improved working processes mean that I do not judge that additional powers are necessary at this stage,” he said. “This should remain an open question to be kept under review as we move through the final stages of implementation.”
In his review, however, Mr. Pruce said that 19 of the 48 COI recommendations still need to be implemented.
These include “fundamental” reforms under the government’s remit, including measures relating to the curtailment of discretionary powers, the declaration of interests by legislators and election candidates, social assistance reform, and legislation relating to statutory board reform, according to the governor.
Other delayed recommendations are under the governor’s own remit. Two are “on hold pending external developments,” he said: a regional review of criminal procedures rules and constitutional changes to allow for judge-only trials. Meanwhile, he added, the deadline for audits relating to Covid-19 assistance programmes and government contracts over $100,000 has been bumped to the end of June.
The Governor’s Group is also overdue to deliver an amended COI Act; a register of interests for public officers; the Public Service Management Act; and legislation on the vetting of law enforcement officers, according to the review.
New deadline
Mr. Pruce insisted that the new deadline of Aug. 31 is achievable.
“The facts speak for themselves: We need more time,” he said. “These past months have seen tangible benefits. September should be devoted to a final and thorough review of all progress at that stage. We must not waste this time.”
The premier agreed that the new deadline is realistic.
“I am also pleased that we can continue our current working arrangement without additional powers being granted to the governor,” he said. “This is a testament to our shared confidence that the joint plan submitted to the minister for overseas territories, David Rutley, is both realistic and achievable.”
Self-governance
Dr. Wheatley said bringing in all the COI reforms would boost the territory’s bid for greater self-governance.
“I look forward to a successful review of the implementation of the recommendations in September 2024 and to the significant benefits the implementation of the recommendations and the ongoing governance reforms will provide the Virgin Islands in our quest for greater self-governance and constitutional advancement,” he added.