“There were promises

Made in the darkness 

Promises made in your sleep

Promises the gods demand you keep…”

In 1990, ‘Once on This Island’ took Broadway by storm but it was short-lived.

It dramatized a bargain that a peasant girl in the French Antilles made with the gods to save the life of a wealthy young man whom she loved.

BVI bargained and made promises, too.  

On 4th April 2022, HE John James Rankin CMG, received the COI report from its lone Commissioner, The Rt Hon Sir Gary Hickinbottom.

Sir Gary concluded, among other things, that the levels of reform needed within the government warranted “…temporary suspension of those parts of the constitution by which areas of government are assigned to elected representatives.”

The people, not all, expressed outrage.  The business community was against the move and even private investors did not see that as the way forward.

Government bargained with the UK against any suspension of the constitution but pledged to fulfill the other terms of the reforms.

The kingdom’s minister for the Overseas Territories acquiesced.  However, she took out an insurance policy; An Order in Council should BVI fail.

A government of national unity was formed; A COI Implementation Unit was set up; The House of Assembly was sensitized; And we were off.  Hope loomed on the horizon. 

Governor Rankin give five quarterly updates before demitting Office with his final being a bomb shell to the BVI.  He said he will ask the OTs Minister for additional constitutional powers to complete the reforms should the May 31st deadline be missed as expected.

BVI felt abused and aired that message in the halls of the UN, OECS and CARICOM.  But the sympathizers could not help.  We had to complete the reforms.

Some elected leaders are using this 11th hour to question the bargain made by the government;  Too late.

Any talk against our obligations, at this stage, is at best, misleading and divisive and at worst, dangerous; Perhaps even treasonous.  

For it emboldens the House to prove Sir Gary right in his assertion that it lacks discipline, integrity and personal honesty to pursue good governance.

Seven weeks before the 31 May deadline.

There are two balls in the air:

Partial suspension of the constitution and more powers to the governor.

 The Government made considerable progress with the reforms but will it be enough?  After all, 'Naaman had to dip seven times in the Jordan: Six won't do.'  

 But what will the Kingdom do?  It has already demonstrated its stalwart commitment to the COI reforms in a manner that would be admirable if it did not appear singular.

And Sir Gary’s conclusion that “This COI was established for the welfare of the people of the BVI?”  

Suffering has increased; The red tape in government is longer and inefficiency is rife.  But the emperor’s new clothes are beautiful!

And did Sir Gary think that our welfare also included our security?  Do the people of the Territory deserve better security?  (We cannot now ask Attorney Smith.)

Or is it that they deserve better when the government is on the hook but must accept what they get when it is the Kingdom’s responsibility?

But might often tends to be right.  And the Kingdom is mighty.

The damsel in ‘Once on this Island’ lost her life in the bargain.

We hope for nothing so dramatic.  

But time will tell and Fridays will opine.

 Happy Friday!