OT 332: Letter from Hon. Galmo W Williams, Premier and Leader, Progressive National Party, Turks and Caicos Islands

 

You will be aware, that on Monday, March 16th, His Excellency the Governor of the TCI released the Interim Report of Sir Robin Auld following his investigation into possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in relation to past and present elected members of the TCI Legislature in recent years. His Excellency the Governor made an official press statement outlining the actions decided upon by HMG in light of the Interim Report.

 

The Report contains twenty-four (24) wide ranging recommendations, some of which are quite

drastic and will impact heavily on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

 

You will also be familiar with the draft Order in Council that is to be submitted to Her Majesty in Council today and if made laid before Parliament on March 25 and brought into force once Sir Robins Auld's final report is received, unless circumstances justify earlier action in this regard.

 

We concede and accept that the findings made thus far by Sir Robin are extremely serious and that drastic actions are necessary to put matters right. We are mindful in particular of Sir Robin's comments at paragraphs 6 and 7 on page 10 of the Interim Report and paragraph 10 on pages 11 and 12 of the Report, which together, with other findings collectively amounted to a national emergency.

 

However, we are bound to say that we consider that the recommendations and the draft Order go to Council go somewhat further than might be necessary to meet the situation in the following ways.

 

1.We believe that to the extent that the Cabinet could have been reconstituted from among member of the House of Assembly who are not at risk of criticism in Sir Robin's final report, there is no necessity to suspend Government by Governor in Cabinet as provided for in the present Constitution.

 

2. Both political parties would be prepared to see those persons against whom any criminal complaint is made as a result of Sir Robin's recommendations be brought to swift, but fair justice.

 

3. Even if the Cabinet is suspended we believe that there is no necessity for the suspension of those provisions of the Constitution relating to the House of Assembly. The sweeping away of representative democracy in the Islands will take us back more than 50 years and effectively punish the innocent majority for the alleged misdeeds of the relatively few, though highly positioned elected officials whose alleged conduct Sir Robin was called in to investigate.

 

4. At the very least the House of Assembly ought to be allowed to meet to debate the Interim Report and the proposed Order in Council prior to its taking effect.

 

5. There are other aspects of the recommendations of Sir Robin's Interim Report that we would wish to discuss and debate with HMG before decisions are made in relation to those recommendations. However these are our principal concerns at the moment arising from the draft Order in Council that is intended soon to come into effect.

 

6. The Enlargement of the franchise to include Non-Belongers is repugnant as well as the inclusion of Non-Belongers in any advisory council or advisory forum.

 

We should be grateful if you could please convey our concerns in regard to these matters to the relevant Ministers at FCO and for your urgent response. We would be happy to meet with you regarding these matters if that were possible or to discuss same via telephone conference.

 

We await hearing from you.

 

 

 

20 March 2009