Radio and social network personality Ramoamasagana Pemberton aka ‘Masa’ is adding his voice to the conversation surrounding the resignation of Virgin Islands (VI) House of Assembly (HoA) member-elect, Mr Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) and the conundrum that followed after he recanted his resignation and demanded to be sworn into the House. Photo: Facebook

“In my humble opinion, you elect certain people to make certain decisions and no matter how much they kick up, I mean, when it’s done it’s done. And I think in the BVI we have lost that respect for one another because of self-gain and whatever else we have going on around us,” Mr Pemberton said in a radio interview during the Tuesday, March 26, 2019, edition of ‘Hard Talk’ on Tola Radio VI, with hosts Julio S. Henry and Kaream K. Pickering aka 'Picko Moff'. Photo: VINO/File

HoA Speaker, Hon Jullian Willock. Photo: Facebook

New House Speaker, Hon Jullian Willock had indicated that he accepted the resignation letter dated March 5, 2019, under the Virgin Islands Constitution 2007, as per sec 67 (3) (a), however, Vanterpool’s argument was that his original letter was incorrectly addressed, therefore his resignation was invalid.

Work with new Speaker 

“In my humble opinion, you elect certain people to make certain decisions and no matter how much they kick up, I mean, when it’s done it’s done. And I think in the BVI we have lost that respect for one another because of self-gain and whatever else we have going on around us,” Mr Pemberton said in a radio interview during the Tuesday, March 26, 2019, edition of ‘Hard Talk’ on Tola Radio VI, with hosts Julio S. Henry and Kaream K. Pickering aka 'Picko Moff'

He said when Willock was appointed Speaker of the House, there was no protest given his strong involvement in the Virgin Islands Party and questions about his ability to be fair, therefore, people have to accept that he is Speaker and work with him.

“When Mr Willock had gotten Speaker of the House, people had questioned his involvement with the Virgin Islands Party saying he would not have [been] fair candidate for the position, but at the end of the day, you just have to work with him… work with him and see how it goes, that’s all in respecting one another,” he implored. 

Move on with Business – Henry

Governor of the Virgin Islands (VI), His Excellency Mr Augustus J.U Jaspert in a March 26, 2019, press release had indicated that following legal advice, the resignation tendered by District 4 Representative elect, Mark H. Vanterpool is invalid and there is no need to call a By-election.

Host Mr Henry, in adding his voice said, “Given the fact that the Speaker of the House can’t overrule the governor and you can’t get a By-elections… the Governor feels he done give his opinion, his opinion is that Mark’s letter of resignation is invalid because he wasn’t even sworn in as representative, so if he wasn’t sworn in he couldn’t have resigned.”   

Henry continued, “So the governor is holding by that, he is sticking with the constitution… for some of us who believe that the Clerk of the House would represent the Speaker in the absence of the speaker, it didn’t say that.”

He further pointed out that the constitution says there should be a sitting speaker and according to Henry, ”I feel personally [we should] move on with the people’s business.”