TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC: A call has been made for a referendum to allow citizens to decide whether they want the territory’s Governor to get additional powers.
Veteran legislator Julian Fraser recently called in response to a statement from Governor John Rankin, who said he may have to seek additional powers to implement some of the reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry (COI) because the elected government isn’t making significant progress.
The legislator called the Governor’s threat an “act of aggression designated to discredit the Virgin Islands government.”
“Such an action would result in irreparable damage to our reputation and set our territory back decades in terms of constitutional advancement,” he said, adding that all elected leaders must dismiss such a move.
He suggested that both the government and the Opposition should convene an extraordinary sitting of the House of Assembly and introduce a resolution where all members would debate and denounce the Governor’s threat.
“The resolution should call for a referendum that would convey the position of the people — the very people the Governor often says he’s acting on behalf of.
“This referendum is important for two reasons: firstly, people are complaining that they aren’t involved in the decision-making of the territory. Secondly, the outcome would inevitably be the wish of the people.”
Fraser also said the referendum would be inexpensive and easy to execute if the government used the voter’s list from the April 2023 general election.
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