Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
E Jay Saunders at 3:09pm on Tuesday was fired as the Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Taking up the portfolio is Premier Washington Misick.
“The Premier has advised Her Excellency Anya Williams, Acting Governor, in accordance with Section 34(2)(b) of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution the following change to ministerial appointments with effect from Tuesday 27 February 2024: Honourable Charles Washington Misick, Premier and Minister with responsibility for Finance, Investment, and Trade. The Honourable Erwin Jay Saunders will continue to serve as Member of Parliament for the All-Island District.”
A stinging fall-out from what was described by Saunders as a “spirited” challenge for leader of the party at the Saturday February 24 National General Congress of the PNP; it means Washington Misick will lead the party into the next general elections and Saunders will slide from the front to the back bench.
And it did not take very long. Less than three days after he faced-off with Washington Misick, the Progressive National Party all-island member confirmed that rumors became reality and he would join the backbench in the House of Assembly.
Washington Misick, exercised his prerogative as party leader and premier, and decided to strip Saunders of the ministerial portfolio which included his role as the deputy premier and the minister with responsibility for finance investment and trade.
Both of which, are constitutionally granted at the pleasure of the serving premier.
In announcing this ministerial change, the Premier stated “I wish to thank Honourable Saunders for his service these past three years as my Deputy and for his stewardship in the ministries he served. My government will undertake a review of the various functions and responsibilities as outlined in the current ministerial portfolios, and I will advise the Acting Governor of any additional changes in due course.”
Residents weighing in ahead of the official confirmation had said, they expected as much and are not shocked that Saunders was axed.
“It happened to AK (Akierra Missick) it will happen to E. Jay,” said a Magnetic Media subscriber.
Saunders made the reveal in a WhatsApp chatroom he had created to keep local media informed.
“Fyi, its official,” he typed.
When asked by our Dana Malcolm, if the termination meant he would no longer be deputy premier and would still hold the post of finance minister, Saunders said it means, “I’ll be joining the others in the back bench.”
- Jay Saunders, had even earlier in the day confirmed to Magnetic Media he had seen the rumors circulating about his termination; rumors that also said Jamell Robinson, currently the minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development was top of the list to replace him as deputy – but at that time, there was no official recall of his post in the Turks and Caicos Islands Cabinet.
Today, that is all changed.
We have reached out for comment from the premier on the events of Saturday and the National General Council of the PNP and his decision to cut E. Jay Saunders from his front bench, but there has been no reply up to publication time.
It is also reported that another who challenged Washington Misick for leader of the PNP has been disciplined and may lose his government job. Jas Walkin, the North Caicos District Commissioner, despite withdrawing his name from the ballot, reportedly after a warning from the Office of the Deputy Governor is now on suspension.
Saunders, who ran at large with some 4,700 voters supporting his bid on the PNP ticket has since the sacking, delivered a national address via his personal YouTube channel.
In it he supports Washington Misick for another term. He downplays his desire to leader the party, his father, former chief minister Norman Saunders once led. Some described the motion for leadership brought to the floor as a battle of two strong PNP dynasties. The Saunders of South Caicos vs the Misicks of North Caicos.
The vote at the convention was 88 in support of a two thirds majority for the E Jay Saunders’ name to be added to the leader race ballot. Only 58 of the voting delegates decided a small minority was sufficient in order for the interest to advance. The motion by Saunders’ side lost and so were his prominent jobs as second in command for the party and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
National chairman of the PNP, Kyle Knowles, MP on Sunday February 25, in a statement declared that Washington Misick was duly elected of the governing party.
It set off a firestorm of comments about what would happen next. E Jay had on Sunday, a day after the contentious vote, said he would like to keep his job as the DP but was also prepared to have his positions revoked.
The premier has remained relatively silent on the matter, only issuing a statement from his office saying thank you and farewell.
No explanation was offered by the elder statesman to confirm the motive for sacking Saunders; a move many have decried as unwise given the high performance demonstrated and long-standing challenges E. has remedied in his three years in the Cabinet.
No one has been named to the deputy premier’s position as yet.
It is unclear also how seriously this shocking turn of events has fractured the Progressive National Party.
