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Cabinet Meeting of June 7 tackles TOLCO Loans, Natl Housing Policy, Bahamas Diaspora Office Lease & E-Govt gets a Steering Committee nod

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#TurksandCaicos, June 22, 2023 – Her Excellency the Acting Governor, Anya Williams, chaired the 15th meeting of Cabinet on Wednesday 7 June 2023 at the Premier’s Office on Providenciales.

All Members were present with the exception of the Hon Ministers for Tourism and Immigration, absent from TCI on official government business.

At this meeting Cabinet:

  • Approved for the Government of TCI to re-enter into negotiations of a Development Agreement with BELB East Development Ltd. for the expansion of an existing development including beach houses and resort facilities in Long Bay Hills, Providenciales. Related to developments more widely, Members also agreed actions for TCinvest.
  • Discussed the re-basing of the TCInvest/TOLCO Loan Portfolio reducing the total outstanding value of the portfolio, ensuring the stability of the portfolio. Members also discussed the handling of debt collection and agreed next steps.
  • Was updated on progress and challenges with projects being delivered by the National Delivery Unit and agreed the re-establishment of an e-Governance Steering Committee under the Premier’s Office and project steering committees within ministries. Members also agreed next steps.
  • Was given a presentation on government mechanical services and agreed to the investment in a new Mechanical Services Division to be established on Providenciales and a series of gender and youth facing initiatives.
  • Was updated on the implementation strategy of the three short term programs under the National Housing Policy, coving concessions for residential developers, home improvements programs for existing homeowners and, community renewal and infilling.
  • Approved the appointment of Tamika Handfield (Chair), Carla P. Blake, Melanie Smith, Kerchelle Bain, Pastor George Fulford as Members, Director Education, Permanent Secretary Education and President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College as (Ex-Officio) Members, and Wendy Saunders as Secretary of the Higher Education Advisory Board for a period of two years with effect from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025.
  • Approved planning application PR 16021 for the subdivision of Parcel 60002/391 to create four residential lots, one space lot and one road parcel at Millennium Heights, Providenciales.
  • Approved the awarding of the following contracts:
  1. a) PN 005663, TR 22/11, Boats for Police, and
  2. b) PN 005698, TR 22/15, Purchase of vehicles for NSS
  • Approved an engineering study for a water masterplan for Grand Turk, particularly consideration for additional water storage, and for this to be taken forwards by Provo Water Company.
  • Was updated on the lease agreement for a Turks and Caicos Islands Diaspora Office in Nassau, Bahamas. Members approved a lease for three years.
  • Approved an official funeral for the burial of the late James Fulford, former WWII Veteran and Member of the Ex-Servicemen’s Legion in accordance with the Protocol Policy.
  • Approved amendments to the TCI Airports Authority (TCIAA) Ordinance, categorizing all employees of TCIAA as “Essential Services Workers” and for this to be advanced to the House of Assembly.
  • Discussed the purpose of White Sands, Grand Turk, intended at the time of purchase as buildings designated as communal facilities for the development of cruise tourism vending and ancillary services.
  • Confirmed the approval of amendments to the Fisheries Protection Regulations to make provision for the introduction of a Class B Processing License and for this to be published.
  • Confirmed the approval of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board (Dissolution) Bill 2023 and for this to be laid in the House of Assembly.
  • Confirmed the approval of Appropriation Bill No.1 2023/2024 and for this to be submitted to the House of Assembly.
  • Confirmed the approval of amendments to the Justice of the Peace Regulations 2023, introducing further regulatory matters for greater efficiency in the administration of Justices of the Peace, and bringing greater clarity to the functions of the office of Justice of the Peace.
  • Confirmed the approval of the re-appointment of the Permanent Secretary – Ministry responsible for utilities (Chair), Akeem Missick, Aubrey Capron and Larry Swann as Members, and Chief Engineer or delegate, Chief Environmental Health Officer or delegate, Director of Planning or delegate, Director of Environment & Coastal Resources or delegate, Government Economist or delegate as (Ex-officio) Members, and Michelle Grant as Secretary of the Water and Sewage Board for two years from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025.
  • Confirmed the approval of the re- appointments of John Ariza (Chair), Menelik Astwood, James Fulford and appointment of Richard Harvey as Members, the Director of Planning, Energy and Utilities Commissioner, Permanent Secretary (MOHA) as (Ex-Officio) and Thea Lam-Calder as Secretary of the Electricity Board for a period of one year from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
  • Confirmed the approval of the appointment of Chalmers A. Missick (chair) and Marciano Williams (Deputy Chair) to the Physical Planning Board for a period of two years from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025.
  • Members were also updated on security issues and the provision of static security for government properties.

Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.

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Government

Why the Premier doesn’t need to be the Most Popular

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Deandrea Hamilton
Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 9, 2025 – It took some diligence and re-learning of the electoral process back in 2012 to understand the unique practice of voting for candidates in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

No longer were voters only choosing one constituency representative, but also five all island representatives. That has since ballooned to nine due to a constitutional change which eliminated appointed seats. Now, all seats in the TCI’s parliament are held by an individual who has been duly elected by the people.

Curiosity emerged in this 2025 national poll when E Jay Saunders, a PNP backbencher won the most votes in the all island category. He finished with 4,614 and topped Washington Misick, his party’s leader and the re-elected premier, who got 4,208 votes.

They were first and second, though the difference between them was 406 votes.

It’s not the first time the most popular finisher in the all island vote hasn’t also been premier. In fact, the first time this happened the person who got the most votes – Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson – had to be contented with serving as Opposition Leader because her party was not the one with the most elected candidates. That was in 2012.

In these islands, the premiership is won when two simple requirements are met.

One, when a political party elects its leader it is constitutionally entrenched within that document that the leader, if he or she wins their seat, will ascend to premier.

Leader of party equals leader of country if that party wins the most seats to form government and if that person is a holder of one of those seats.

Two, in order to satisfy the country’s constitutional requirement, you have to be elected to parliament and deemed the leader of the party with the most seats.

In TCIs case, we have 9 seats for the all island candidates.

Any individual who ended the day as among the nine people with the most votes, they would have satisfied that requirement because they would be among the nine elected in that category.

First or fifth, you’re in the nine and you’re the party leader, then you’re the premier.

If you’re a party leader and ended up the candidate with even the ninth highest amount of votes, you would still be qualified to be country leader.

Place in this category of the race does not matter. It’s why the fight for leadership is often so fierce within political parties, why a party has to be governed by a constitution so that clear rules are established and accepted and why the organisation has to be government approved or registered.

The governor then complies with the party’s written constitution about who he or she must swear in as premier if the said party racks up the most seats.

The PNP won the most seats; 16 of 19.

The PNP chose Washington Misick as its leader, therefore Washington Misick becomes the premier.

Popularity in the all island category in TCI gives one bragging rights (if they feel like it) and insight into how the public sees or accepts them. But, that’s all.

The voters in this 2025 runoff have demonstrated that of all the 20+ candidates that ran all island or at large, EJ Saunders was or is the most popular because he got the most votes in this category. He’s got to feel good about that fact and he should. That’s some seriously bankable political capital which he can spend in a bid to become the next leader of the PNP first, then the Turks and Caicos Islands if his party is able to repeat a victory in 2030, which is when elections are constitutionally due.

Popularity is super but in the Turks and Caicos’ system it does not automatically mean, premier.

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Misick promises to be Premier for all after “Sweet, Sweet Victory”  

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, February 8, 2025 – When the cheering and dancing and handshakes and high fives were given the attention they rightly deserved, Washington Misick, the resoundingly re-elected premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands turned his attention from the divisiveness of the election trail to a message of solidarity.

“I have lost elections, so I know how difficult it is for you but now it is time to put partisan differences aside and work on behalf of our people,” said Misick, as he spoke pointedly to the Leader of the Opposition from his celebration stage just after midnight on February 8.

“I want to thank our wonderful and loyal supporters.  Our campaign team and our candidates who worked hard, long hours, burned the midnight oil to mount this victorious campaign.  I wanna thank my beloved wife and our extended families of all of our candidates for all of their support. Tonight’s victory belongs to you.

Because of you we will be able to continue the work of building for our children and our children’s children.  I am inviting everyone to be on this journey with us, whether you’ve voted PNP or whether you voted PDM or whether you voted independent.  I want you to be on this journey with us,” he said.

The premier, who is now serving a second consecutive term in office and serving for a third time as leader of the Turks and Caicos Islands, was flanked by his winning team and throngs of jubilant supporters assembled at the party’s headquarters in Providenciales.

While the PNP was clearly most able to energize its base, winning many of their seats by spectacular margins, voter turnout in this 2025 General Election was at an historical low.  The premier, in his victory speech demonstrated his awareness of that fact and offered an olive branch to those who skipped voting altogether, which would have been over 2,400 people, according to Elections Office statistics.

“And to those Islanders who did not vote for me or the PNP, I hope that our work, policies and programs will earn your support and your blessings.  I promise, I will hear your voices, we will hear your voices and I promise that we will be there for you and I will be your Premier too.”

The Washington Misick led team swept the At Large category securing all nine seats, which now also introduces two first time Members of Parliament.  Only three seats from the constituency races went unsecured by the PNP; it was a total of 16 seats for the party in yellow.

“On this journey, we must have great success together and we will continue the economic and social transformation together.  No journey is without bumps and setbacks, you won’t always agree with the decisions we take but I will always be honest with you about why we make those decisions and the challenges we face.”

“To every islander and every resident, we will work hard everyday on your behalf and we will create the conditions and the opportunities to give all of our people a better quality of life,” he said to vigorous applause, adding, “Let us build together in a single purpose to make our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands the place where dreams flourish, justice abounds, love is abounding and hope is endless.”

The Premier informed supporters and those watching via social media that work for his new Progressive National Party Administration continues promptly on Monday.

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Government

Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE)

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PRESS RELEASE

 

Turks and Caicos, February 4, 2025 – Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) an election monitoring group established in Jamaica in 1997 has, following a request from the Governor’s Office in the Turks and Caicos Islands, agreed to act as observers for the general election which will be held in the territory on Friday, February 7, 2025. In keeping with this a team of four CAFFE members including two of the organization’s directors will travel to the territory. Two members will arrive on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, and the other two on the 6th. The team will observe and assess the voting and counting on election day.

CAFFE will provide non-partisan and independent observation of the process. The CAFFE team will assess the preparedness for the general election and its conduct against relevant international standards and the applicable domestic TCI laws. The team will release a preliminary statement after the elections. A final report on the observation and assessment of the general election, including recommendations, will be provided within thirty (30) days of the poll.

The observation team includes:

  • Anton Thompson, Deputy Chairman CAFFE and head of mission
  • Audre-Lois Reynolds, CAFFE Director / Treasurer
  • Robin Baston, CAFFE Member
  • Danielle Dunbar, CAFFE Member

CAFFE appreciates this opportunity to support the democratic process in the wider Caribbean region.

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