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OT 278: Letter to the Chairman from the Office of the Chief Minister of Montserrat
I read your report with interest and wish to take this opportunity to commend your committee and staff for completing an important challenging historic task.
This is indeed a landmark event, not likely to be repeated for many years. For this reason many of us hoped that your report would make recommendations to resolve the outstanding political issues which are related to the question of whether British Overseas Territories should have democratic governance as opposed to the colonial governance that persists in the territories.
We hoped for a political initiative arising out of your committee's work which would justify constitutional changes which would require an, appointed governor, to be obliged to act in accordance with the advice of the democratic institutions within the territories, which are set up to ensure good governance. These include the Public Service Commission, the National Advisory Council and An Electoral Democracy Commission.
We accept that until the Territories become independent sovereign states, that the Secretary of State should have the right to veto the decisions of local legislature, but object to this authority being vested in the Governor, who by virtue of his or presence in the Territory, cannot avoid having a direct effect on the political process that determines the success or failure of elected leadership.
In Montserrat, we have now reached the stage of a 5th draft to a proposed new constitution, and reached an impasse on the above mentioned issue which can only be resolved at a political level.
I am therefore with this letter, seeking your perusal, and opinion on an alternate advanced draft of the new constitution (attached)[1], which in my opinion meets the requirements of the United Kingdom contingent liabilities, but at the same time addresses the issue of allowing democratic governance, as is implied by the several references in the constitution draft, to Montserrat being a "Democratic Society".
Not withstanding the concerns expressed about activities in some territories that have led to public enquiries, we wish to know why the territories cannot have such a constitution, if this is what they request. An agreement by your committee with our position, will be the lasting legacy of your deliberations on the status of governance in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories.
Your opinion and response would be very much appreciated by the 20th of October of this year, as I wish to be guided by your opinions, when these matters are discussed with the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, at the time of the 2008 Overseas Territories Consultative Council.
Please convey to the members of your committee and staff our thanks for their efforts.
Please accept Sir, assurance of my highest consideration.
5 August 2008 [1] Not published. |