Submission from Shaun D Malcolm, Chairman,
People's Democratic Movement, Turks and Caicos Islands
THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO
THE GOVERNANCE AND
CONSTITIUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TURKS
AND CAICOS ISLANDS
It is a pleasure to have met with your Committee,
the Hon Leader of the Opposition and members of the Official Opposition
of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I write to your Committee as
a way to follow-up, in my official capacity as National Chairman
of the Opposition Party and in personal regard. Essentially what
follows will highlight matters of high national importance. Sirs,
we do believe that the personal freedoms and the finances of the
Turks & Caicos are at stake and that the Islands are reaching
a critical crossroads in the direction of this country. Before
I proceed to list the documents herein attached. I believe that
there is urgent need for a Commission of Enquiry at the least
when viewed against the background of lesser events worldwide
and in particular our immediate Regional Neighbors that have prompted
similar investigations. Elliot Spitzer, Governor of New York resigns
over allegations of being involved in a prostitution ring, a British
Minister being forced to resign owing to his making a call to
the Immigration Office in London to check on a work permit, a
former Junior Minister in Jamaica was recently arrested and charged
with numerous counts of conspiracy to defraud the Government of
monies in what is dubbed the Cuban bulb scandal, etc. We have
convincing evidence that basic fundamental rights were flaunted,
cast aside and breached by our Premier and his Ministers, under
the watchful eye of the Governor, who a few weeks ago went on
National Television ("Education and You") to attempt
to exonerate the Government in the eyes of the public. May I now
present my position before this August Committee.
1. I am a trained hotelier with a tertiary
level education, former school teacher, choir director and a host
of achievements in the private and public sector. It is against
this background that I reached assistant managerial status at
the Sandals Resort in Providenciales, Beaches well over four years.
Owing to my exercise of my basic fundamental right to discuss
public issues, be an active campaigner for the Opposition, and
appeared on National TV that I was removed from my post. I subsequently
met with the Principal Owner and Directors of Beaches Resort,
and I was advised by them that my public activity was causing
the then Chief Minister, Michael Misick, a lot of "trouble"
and that he (Michael Misick) will not do business with them as
long as I remained a part of that company as an employee. So I
was forced to tender my resignation within a few days, so they
can get their business done with the Government. Please note that
I was a good employee and that there were no disciplinary complaints
against me. My only crime was being an Opposition activist and
spokesperson. Yet the fundamental rights provisions of the Constitution,
being the right of association and freedom to speak, in their
absolute form could not protect my job. Today as I write you sir,
with all the resorts in this country and over 10 years in the
hotel business, I still don't have a job in my country, because
the Government will not do business with any resort if they employ
me (I have a wife and two infant children).
2. On 1 June 2007. I wrote to the Minister
responsible for Natural Resources dealing with the Minister's
dictatorial destruction of my land grant. In this regard, I list
the
following:
(i) Letter to Minister 1 June 2007.
(ii) Emails to and from the Governor, 7 June
2007.
(iii) Letter to the Governor enclosing Land
Grant of 12 February 2003 and related letters from the permanent
Secretary Natural Resources.
(v) A copy of my passport.
3. Sirs, I also point out to you a list
of the Electors for Electoral District 8, the Constituency of
the Premier, there was not allowed any Claims and Objections proceedings
required under the Elections Ordinance. Please see list which
remains unaltered owing to his appearing at Claims and Objections
proceedings and interrupting the meetings. I was present at the
Claims and Objections in 2006 when he attacked the Leader of the
Opposition, the Hon Derek Taylor, threaten the delegation and
caused a row—so that the Supervisor of Elections was forced
to cancel the Hearings.
4. Please see also the copy of the DVD which
recorded the Premier's recent press conference where he falsely
alleged that the Leader of the Opposition and myself forged 500
letters of complaint to this August Foreign Affairs Committee.
5. I am also in a position to advise that
the "Let's Talk Politics" program which I used to host
on the Local TV Station, WIV, was cancelled owing to direct interference
by the Premier.
Sirs, we need this Government and the Governor
to be removed from Office without further delay, owing to the
numerous serious allegations of corruption and constitutional
breaches that have occurred in the past and continue to this day.
Time is of the essence as we as citizens watch
helplessly as Her Majesty's Representative, The Governor and PNP
Government continue to abuse its citizens' constitutional rights,
rape and plunder the limited resources of these Islands. A modern
day tragedy that generations to come will have as a legacy. Based
on the number of unrelated submissions of various breaches of
human rights in the TCI and allegations of corruption by public
officials; how can the current Governor who is responsible for
good governance continue to sit as chairman of Cabinet and have
the confidence of Her Majesty's Government when he publicly said
that he has not seen any evidence of these breaches.
Based on your visit here and interviews, you
were able to corroborate as true the allegations. What steps will
be taken by Her Majesty's Government in the short term to protect
the assets and reputation of the Turks & Caicos pending a
full commission of enquiry.
13 March 2008
|
