"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
Reforms to governance, education, environmental protection, health care and other areas are among the government’s legislative priorities for a new House of Assembly session that started Tuesday, Governor John Rankin …
Continue reading “Throne speech promises wide-ranging reforms”
Our first draft of this editorial praised legislators for passing a bill last month to finally make the Register of Interests public, thereby promoting the sort of government transparency that …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Open the interests register with no restrictions”
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 …
Kudos to Premier Andrew Fahie for holding regular press conferences in recent months, and to opposition members for hosting similar sessions fairly frequently as well. We hope this practice will …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Keep the press conferences coming”
For all the talk about transparency that has come out of the Governor’s Office in recent years, we were disappointed by Governor John Rankin’s decision not to release the Commission …
The future holds many possibilities for the governance of the Virgin Islands, and one expert said last week that the territory has a solid foundation for exploring ways to take …
The stakes are high as the United Kingdom-appointed Commission of Inquiry prepares to submit its recommendations to Governor John Rankin next month. Following two similar COIs in the Turks and …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Direct UK rule should be a very last resort”
In response to allegations of poor governance aired during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry, Premier Andrew Fahie last week described a pattern of systemic problems with the Virgin Islands’ constitutional …
Continue reading “Facing COI, Fahie explains rocky UK relationship”
As the Commission of Inquiry continued its work here in the territory, Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley repeated the government’s often-stated complaints about the process this month before a …
Continue reading “Deputy premier slams inquiry at United Nations meeting”
Poor governance is a road to hell on earth for a country or territory’s residents. Once upon a time, there was a land in Africa sitting on the fertile and …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Bad governance blamed for ‘hell on earth’”
In recent weeks, hearings in the Commission of Inquiry have again highlighted a longstanding problem in the territory: Successive governments have used exceedingly poor practice when appointing and removing the …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Boards mishandled, almost across the board”
As the Commission of Inquiry resumes hearings on Monday, the government should turn over a new leaf by quickly and completely producing all requested information so that the probe can …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: As inquiry resumes, government must provide info”
In recent days, the Commission of Inquiry has shone a glaring spotlight on the long-standing need to reform the system through which legislators declare their interests, a task that leaders …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: The Register of Interests is broken. No surprise there”
After the Commission of Inquiry was announced in January, Premier Andrew Fahie and other leaders promised that the government would assist investigators by providing requested information as transparently as possible. …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Government must respond fully to COI requests”
We welcome Governor John Rankin, who takes office at a time when the territory’s relationship with the United Kingdom is as strained as it has been in recent memory. He …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: A memo for Governor John Rankin”
There will be no greater autonomy or independence in United Kingdom overseas territories until their residents trust local government. Recent crises in OT governance in the Turks and Caicos Islands …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Better governance seen as key to independence”
With a monumental task to complete in only six months, the commission of inquiry must devise a tightly focused strategy for shining its powerful spotlight into the dark corners of …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Inquiry will need a tightly focused strategy”
After arriving just 16 days before Hurricane Irma devastated the Virgin Islands in 2017, Governor Gus Jaspert has since been largely focused on the territory’s recovery and the Covid-19 …
Continue reading “Interview: Departing governor reviews tenure”
If leaders in the new government proceed with their predecessors’ plan to expand the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, they must turn over a new leaf by being fully transparent …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Before airport expansion, transparency needed”
Though the general election likely won’t be held until next summer, campaign season is already in the air, with politics increasingly driving public dialogue on the airwaves, social media and …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Keep the campaigns clean, please”