Caribbean News
TCI is debriefed on Haiti by British Rep as President Moise prepares for a new round of protests
#Providenciales, September 27, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Embattled Haitian President Jovenel Moise, according to reports, will on Friday face a new round of protests despite a plea in a national address aimed at extending an olive branch to opponents in both the political and business sectors.
The Haitian President did not attend the UN General Assembly this week; he instead remained at home and spoke not to the world but to his own people who continue to demand that he demit the presidential palace and his place at the helm of Haiti.
Critics say the President’s words delivered in a National Address mean little with the mounting accusations of corruption, stalled investigations to unearth the truth of those charges and the sluggish pace for processing the political appointment of a new Prime Minister.
It did not help that a Haitian Senator, claiming to be in fear for his life shot with his gun, an AP photographer and palace security officer, according to numerous media reports on the incident.
The images of a senator wielding a gun exposes the enormity of the divide in Haiti and the deteriorating state of the country’s already crumbled political foundation.
Turks and Caicos Islands Government leaders one week ago – Wednesday September 18 – heard about the state of affairs on the ground in Haiti from the British Charge d’Affaires based in Port Au Prince, where schools and businesses remain closed due to the chaos.
The reveal of that debrief came in this week’s report on the recent National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was co-chaired by the Governor Nigel Dakin and Premier Sharlene Robinson.
“Updated by the British Charge d’Affaires based in Haiti on the current situation in Haiti, in particular the security and economic situation; domestic and international partner activity and public messaging to stem illegal migration.”
The status of Haiti was also considered from the perspective of the United States.
The NSC report informed: “Updated by the US Coast Guard based in Bahamas on their work in the region to tackle illicit activity including illegal immigration and human trafficking from Haiti. Current and potential areas of further collaboration with TCI agencies.”
It is the first time the National Security Council, which was established in 2015, has documented such a strong focus on the inner workings of nearby Haiti.
The report informed of an update from the UK Defence Attaché for the Caribbean and Overseas Territories; the representative leading on TCI issues in the UK Foreign Office and an update from Immigration Minister Delroy Williams on sloop arrivals from Haiti and abuses of immigration laws.
The National Security Council is looking into what support the UK can offer on the coming National Security Strategy of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Governor Dakin and Premier Robinson both promised the document was well in the making and soon to be unveiled.
At the meeting, which was also attended by the Deputy Governor, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police there was a report by the Prison Superintendent, Grahame Hawkins about the facility’s “operational needs of the prison and mitigation of related challenges.”
Most notable from the meeting summary shared with TCI media and public is that the first draft of the National Security Strategy was presented by the Governor and Premier to the National Security Council.
“…which aims to ensure the country is more resilient to natural disasters and strengthens its ability to tackle illegal migration including human trafficking and over-stayers.”
Next stop for the National Security Strategy is consultation with the Joint Law Enforcement Team (JLET), the Leader of the Opposition, Stakeholders, the Cabinet and the National Security Advisory Group.
#magneticmedianews
#tcidebriefedonhaiti
#moisegetsreadyformoreprotest
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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