British Virgin Islands agrees to reforms, avoiding UK rule for now

• Britain has agreed on a comprehensive plan to overhaul governance of the British Virgin Islands.
• Plan involves suspending the BVI’s constitution and giving authority to the British government.
• Ex-premier Andrew Fahie was removed from office as part of the territory’s governance controversy.

After an official assessment identified widespread dishonesty in the British offshore territory, Britain announced on Wednesday that it has agreed on a comprehensive plan to overhaul the governance of the British Virgin Islands without direct rule from London at this time.

While an inquiry recommended that the BVI’s constitution be suspended, its elected government be dissolved, and the territory be effectively administered from London in April, Britain said it wished to give a new administration a chance to undertake reforms.
If there was not enough progress in strengthening governance throughout the two-year plan, Britain stated it would consider a governor-led administration, thereby suspending the BVI’s constitution and giving authority to the British government.

“In the first instance, I believe the new administration should have the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to change by implementing the 48 (inquiry) recommendations and the additional measures they have proposed,” Britain’s foreign minister, Liz Truss, said in a written statement.

“We will take action if it becomes evident that this method is not achieving the reform that the people of the BVI desire and deserve. This could necessitate a quick execution of the final Report proposal.”

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Following his arrest in Miami on charges of alleged money laundering and conspiracy to import cocaine in April, ex-premier Andrew Fahie was removed from office as part of the territory’s governance controversy.

To the charges, he has pled not guilty.

The arrest occurred one day before the publication of a highly scathing study on governance. Since the report’s publication, Truss added, Fahie’s departure and the formation of a new administration had marked “major advances.”

Activists had opposed London’s direct rule, and the territory’s new premier, Natalio Wheatley, had stated that the territory could solve its problems without suspending the constitution.

Wheatley spoke during a press conference with Governor John Rankin, saying that the statement on Wednesday was “in everyone’s best interests.”

Wheatley told reporters, “What we’ve essentially done today is we’ve been allowed to have an opportunity to have democracy continue in the Virgin Islands and implement reforms that we all know are correct.”

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