HoA rejects Motion for amendments to ToR of Constitutional Review Commission
The proposed amendments, which included term limits for legislators and turning two other sister islands into districts, thereby reducing the At Large seats to two in the HoA, were brought during the Continuation of the Sixth Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Fourth House of Assembly at Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom, Tortola on September 21, 2022.
Hon Malone, ahead of the vote on the motion, added: “These particular measures have to be put to the Constitutional Review Commission to be taken to the people of the Virgin Islands. And if members feel that they don't merit being considered by the people? Well, that's the prerogative.
“But I can see full support for these measures because they don't automatically go onto the recommendations…"
People will have a voice - Hon Malone
Hon Malone further remarked that the Constitutional Review Commission came to the VI and had their way without giving the people of the VI a voice, “this is a chance for them to have their say,” he added.
Other proposals for amendments also called for consideration of the referendum and a timeline for becoming a unitary sovereign democratic state with the King as Head of State and the nomination of a local Governor General to be considered.
Other amendments proposed include a way to recall elected legislators, shifting the responsibility of the civil service, and whether the post of Deputy Premier and Premier should be determined from At-Large candidacy.
While the House Speaker Corine N. George-Massicote asked for a vote on each of the amendments, Unity Government Minister of Natural Resources and Labour, Hon Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) queried whether all the proposals can be voted down at once, showing that the Unity Government was not interested in considering any of the proposals or even letting the people have a voice on the amendments proposed.
The Speaker responded, “I was merely doing it for clarity in the event that certain provisions would have been more accepted than others,” while adding that she would rather continue in the manner rather than stop.
The Unity Government then used its majority seats in the HoA to vote against all of the proposed amendments.
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8 Responses to “HoA rejects Motion for amendments to ToR of Constitutional Review Commission ”
Yes the Premier and Deputy Premier should be at-large candidates looking out for the entire mterrutiry and not District reps favoring their district.
Yes when we go to the polls we want to know that when we put our X we are cutting for who we want as Premier. Not when election done they go behind closed doors with their handlers and financiers and decide who will be this and who will be that.
Yes let’s give JVD and VG/Anegada their own representatives. So 11 districts and 2 at large. When you run on your party ticket as at large that means you are going up for Premier or Deputy premier.
Yes the politicians need term limits and shouldn’t be able to serve forever. I think 2 consecutive 4 year terms and you must step aside for at least one term. Then you can run again for a maximum one more term.
I don’t agree with the Civil Service being a Ministry.
Yes we need our own Local Governor General. Not no more white man sent here by UK appointment.
Yes let’s look at 2/3 vote instead of just 50% plus 1 or a majority. 7 to 6 vote doesn’t mean that the best interests of the whole is beung served. 9 to 4 (2/3rds) is a much better indicator.
Why is it that none of the other 11 had the balls to agree with confusing these recommendations and sending them to the Constitution Review team for further consideration?
Carvin is totally in point here.