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Anya Williams, MBE sworn in as Interim Governor of Turks & Caicos  

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By Dana Malcolm  

Staff Writer

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, March 31, 2023 – As the country hovers between British appointed governors, the reins are now in the capable hands of Anya Williams; she has been sworn in as the interim Governor much to the delight of her family and well-wishers.  

Williams was sworn in on March 29 at St Monica’s Anglican by her predecessor, former Governor Nigel Dakin, to a resounding round of applause from residents and country leaders.

Williams had an audience this time as she stepped into the role of head of state, but it is a position she has held time and again during her 10 and a half years as Deputy Governor. In fact, she has spent 885 days of that time as Acting Governor when British Governors were out of the country, she told the gathered guests.  

Taken together, they give her more than two years of service as an Acting Governor, a tenure equal to and in some cases outstripping the tenure of the four Governors she has served under Dakin himself.  

Citing her family as her strength, Williams, who is only the second Deputy Governor in TCI history and daughter of Pastors Dennis and Deborah Swann said, “Leadership is not easy. It requires a lot of support both on a professional and a personal level and so today, I last but most importantly must express my profound thanks.”

She took the time out to acknowledge her husband, Darren; children, parents, siblings, aunts, and extended family. Tearfully, Her Excellency Williams remembered her younger brother Brandon, who passed away after a car accident in October 2021. 

Williams has been retained as Deputy Governor for over a decade now, a vote of confidence from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, which oversees the process. 

It is this same office which in 2018, under then Governor Dr. John Freeman, recommended Williams, who is also a former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, for the Queen’s Birthday Honours granting her an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and affording her a meeting with the Royal Family, due to her bestowal. 

At the time, Freeman said: “This is richly deserved and as the citation states, has been made in recognition of her services to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Those services are notable.  The Deputy Governor continues to exhibit exemplary dedication to her duties, demonstrating the strong leadership that she displayed following the passage of both Hurricanes Irma and Maria which was commended by myself, the UK military, and NGOs present.” 

Many islanders agree with this characterisation of the Grand Turk native and in their reasoning have said Williams is well equipped now to not merely act in the role of governor for these islands and cays over short periods, but to possess the job outright.  

Turks and Caicos will welcome its first female governor in a few months.  Until then, Anya Williams will steer the ship from the Office of the Governor until June 29, when Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam will take up her new post in the TCI. 

Government

TCI Gov’t puts Haiti’s ARIEL HENRY on stop list

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Deandrea Hamilton and Dana Malcolm

Editorial Staff

Ariel Henri, Haiti’s caretaker Prime Minister, has been added to the Turks and Caicos’ Stop List.

An official March 13 notice stamped by the Immigration Director and distributed to all of the Turks and Caicos’ major travel partners confirmed the action.

Also listed as recipients are HE The Governor; Commissioner of Police; Labor Commissioner; Deputy Director of Immigration; Collector of Customs; Manager of American Airline; Manager of InterCaribbean Airways; Manager of Marco Travel; Manager of T&CTravel; Manager of Provo Travel; Caicos Express; O.I.C North Caicos; O.I.C. South Caicos and the Secretary of the Immigration Board.

Contacts outside the Turks and Caicos had spoken to Magnetic Media revealing that Henry was trying to find safe haven in the Islands.

Wednesday night, Magnetic Media was contacted by a prominent member of the local Haitian community who said he was fielding inquiries about whether the PM had arrived.

Our checks however found that he had not, because the TCI Government denied him refuge, that insider confirmation coming hours before the official document was shared with our news organisation.

The request, if it had been accepted, would have put him in the Turks and Caicos TODAY March 14.

Now on his way out of office having agreed to resign once a transitional government is in place, Henry has in the past been threatened by Haitian coalition gang boss Jimmy Chérizier calling on him to leave the post of Prime Minister.

Dr Ariel Henry has been stranded in Puerto Rico since last week when gangs tried to hijack the airport in Port Au Prince, purposefully denying Henry entry back home. The attempt failed, as gangs were held off by the military, but it spooked air carriers enough that many suspended operations into and out of Haiti.

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Government

Mike MISICK calls on Gov’t to REVOKE Richard Sankar citizenship; says he can’t pass it on in Same Sex Marriage

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Dana Malcolm 
Staff Writer
In response to a March 12 written ruling of a case between the TCI Immigration Department and the Attorney General and a married gay couple Richard Sankar and Timothy Hamon which decided that indeed they were discriminated against by the department, former premier Micheal Misick had some explosive thoughts and is now demanding a course of action.
He spoke to Magnetic Media on Wednesday March 13  after posting a stinging accusation on Facebook.
“I have known Richard Sanker for more than 20 years. I knew him when he worked for Prestigious Properties, I knew him when he first came to the islands, him and his partner.
As far as I know Richard has always been gay and there’s nothing wrong with being gay. For me it’s not about the fact that he’s gay. The fact he married a woman who he never lived a day with and imagined never being consummated and so therefore he obtained his status through fraud. The fact that he obtained his status through fraud means that the issuing of the status has to be nullified and void. Therefore I call on the government to revoke the status of Richard Sanker because he got it based on fraud. He married a Turks and Caicos woman for status knowing that he was gay. The marriage has never been consummated and now he marries a man and wants to give that man status. I thought I called on the government after revoking the status of Richard Sanker, they have to deport him so that he can never set foot in this country again. This is making a mockery out of our system and country. If this is allowed to stand it is setting a terrible precedent that anyone can become married through fraud and then get a status and pass it on l, divorce a Turks and Caicos Islander and marry someone else and then pass it on to them. This cannot be allowed to stand and so the government has to do something about it to protect the public interest and the interest of TC Islanders in general.”
In the ruling, the court found that the denial to a same sex couple of a right to marry and hence a right to have an overseas same sex marriage recognised in the TCI was not discriminatory.
The judge did not grant a change to the marriage ordinance but Justice Anthony Gruchot ruled the limiting of the grant of a spousal resident permit to only heterosexual couples is discriminatory.

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Government

Open Letter to the Governor and Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands Regarding the Deteriorating Conditions in Haiti

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The People’s Democratic Movement is committed to collaborating with both the PNP Government and the Governor to ensure the safety and security of our nation. In my capacity as leader of the opposition, I respectfully request an urgent meeting involving the government, the governor, the opposition, and the leadership team of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force. This meeting is crucial for strategizing on how best to prevent the potential spillover of the unstable situation in Haiti onto our shores.

We urge the government to temporarily suspend all active leave for members of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force, TCI Regiment, immigration, and customs officers until further notice. Do this with funds allocated for overtime and additional compensation as required.

It is imperative to hold the British government accountable for its responsibility towards the internal and external security of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Therefore, we propose inviting the British government to consider the deployment of military personnel and equipment to strategic locations across our nation.

Furthermore, we recommend an immediate increase in the weapons and combat equipment stockpiles of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force to ensure preparedness for any potential threats.

We all impress on the government for additional sea vessels capable of detecting, catching, and subduing other fast-moving sea vessels, as the mode of illegal trafficking has changed. 

I am suggesting that we redirect the $9 million, recently appropriated for land acquisition in the recent Supplementary Appropriations 2024 Bill, to funding the suggested and required National Security efforts. 

With a civil war just 317 kilometers away from our shores in Haiti, coupled with the escaping of thousands of dangerous prisoners, and the mass exodus of persons towards our coastline, it is clear that we cannot afford to be complacent. The safety and well-being of our citizens must be a top priority, and proactive measures need to be taken swiftly to prevent any adverse impact on our beloved nation, our lives, and our livelihood.

Let us address this clear and present danger with a unified front, being proactive rather than reactive. 

Hon. Edwin A. Astwood

Leader of the Opposition

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