Legislators created a special select Reform Committee on Sept. 27 to help ensure that the House of Assembly meets its law-making obligations under the National Unity Government’s framework for implementing …
September 30, 2022
September 14, 2022
Commission of Inquiry supporting documents now public
More than 11,000 pages of supporting documents that Governor John Rankin received with the Commission of Inquiry report on April 4 were posted last week on government’s website — more …
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September 12, 2022
Government auditors get new teeth
The recent Commission of Inquiry reported finding evidence that the Premier’s Office under former Premier Andrew Fahie may have obstructed government auditors investigating Covid-19 assistance programmes. A new law is …
August 22, 2022
Jury reform is back on table after COI
Hoping to address long-standing issues with the territory’s jury pool that resulted in legal action in 2019, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley recently introduced a bill in the House of …
August 18, 2022
HOA okays gov’t contract for Vanterpool
Last week government backbencher Mark Vanterpool once again got permission to retain his seat in the House of Assembly while one of his businesses secures a government contract. To make …
August 11, 2022
UK loan guarantee off the table
Several recovery projects are far behind schedule as the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Irma approaches, but Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said during a Aug. 8 press conference that the …
July 29, 2022
Premier says COI reforms still on track
The framework for carrying out Commission of Inquiry recommendations includes a deluge of deadlines for July, but Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said last week that his National Unity Government …
July 29, 2022
HOA okays public Register of Interests
On June 30, legislators missed their deadline to make the Register of Interests public and establish penalties for violating declaration rules. On July 21, however, they passed a bill to …
July 27, 2022
HOA officially ‘rejects’ direct UK rule
More than a month ago, the new National Unity Government agreed to work with the United Kingdom to carry out reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry — thereby avoiding …
July 25, 2022
EDITORIAL: Next year’s general election must not derail reforms
With a general election due early next year, there is a very real danger that a divisive campaign season could derail the ongoing governance reforms and trigger direct rule by …
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July 19, 2022
Interests bill tabled, but not passed by deadline
The House of Assembly missed its deadline on June 30 to pass legislation to reform the Register of Interests by making it public. However, Governor John Rankin said the next …
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July 19, 2022
Premier, guv tout reform progress
Despite a missed deadline to publish the Register of Interests by June 30, Governor John Rankin and Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said on July 1 that they are pleased …
July 19, 2022
Premier pushes for OT cooperation
Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley recently thanked fellow leaders of British overseas territories for their support in the aftermath of the Commission of Inquiry report, and he offered to help …
July 18, 2022
Ministers field questions on COI reforms
This week residents were given the first public opportunity to weigh in on the plan the Virgin Islands and United Kingdom governments have agreed for carrying out every Commission of …
July 11, 2022
EDITORIAL: So far, so good on governance reforms
Despite a few hitches, the National Unity Government is off to a good start with the governance reforms agreed with the United Kingdom. Already, the territory is seeing badly needed …
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July 4, 2022
EDITORIAL: Reform detractors should put up or shut up
Make no mistake: The people of the Virgin Islands are fed up. For decades, they have watched their elected leaders waste taxpayer money, reward cronies, shun transparency, and otherwise break …
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July 4, 2022
Guv withholding some COI docs
A bundle of more than 100 supporting documents submitted to the governor with the Commission of Inquiry report — including contracts, letters, emails, minutes, memoranda and numerous other types of …
June 30, 2022
Premier says government is on track to hit COI targets
The National Unity Government is on track to meet most of the deadlines stipulated by its agreement with the United Kingdom for implementing the Commission of Inquiry recommendations and avoiding …
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June 30, 2022
‘Unfettered discretion’ out the door for grants
Assistance grants that were formerly disbursed at elected officials’ discretion will now be administered by the Social Development Department after the Commission of Inquiry blasted the existing system for a …
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June 22, 2022
EDITORIAL: Coming reports and audits must be published quickly
We applaud the specific deadlines in the reform proposal agreed this month by the Virgin Islands and United Kingdom governments. The targets are ambitious, but they represent exactly the sort …
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June 17, 2022
Reform plan a first for OTs
Forty-eight of 49. That’s how many Commission of Inquiry recommendations the new National Unity Government has pledged to complete over the next two years under the proposal recently agreed with …
June 15, 2022
EDITORIAL: Virgin Islands democracy has dodged a bullet — for now
This democracy dodged a bullet on June 8. Kudos to Virgin Islands and United Kingdom leaders for mapping a route to comprehensive governance reform without resorting immediately to a partial …
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June 8, 2022
No direct rule for now as UK accepts unity government’s proposal
The wait is over. Governor John Rankin and Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley announced on Wednesday morning that the United Kingdom will not suspend parts of the Virgin Islands Constitution …
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June 3, 2022
Commission of Inquiry cost government more than $8 million
The Virgin Islands government has paid out more than $8 million in responding to the United Kingdom-led Commission of Inquiry, most of which went toward covering legal fees, Premier Dr. …
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June 2, 2022
EDITORIAL: Funding the reforms
Given the developments of recent weeks, it seems clear that badly needed governance reforms are coming to the Virgin Islands by the hook or by the crook. This is great …