Premier passes through a motion for NINE ALL ISLAND ELECTED Members

Garfield Ekon

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, June 25, 2024 – The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) House of Assembly has passed a motion to have an all-elected representative chamber, with the Government and Opposition expressing differing views on what is a major development in the ongoing Constitutional reform process.

Next on the agenda, is for the decision to be sent to the United Kingdom (UK), for the Privy Council to enact the change, where the Assembly will have nine All Island elected members, coming from five.

Addressing the House during a debate on June 13, the Hon. Premier, Charles Washington Misick argued for an immediate decision on the increase in all-elected member Assembly, and the removal of appointed members, while Leader of the Opposition Hon. Edwin Astwood said it was a matter for the people to decide on, in keeping with an October 2023 position reached with leaders in the TCI, and representatives of the United Kingdom Government.

In a recent statement to the Assembly, the Premier said his position on the reform is democratic and has broad consensus, and the issues have been ventilated on through extensive consultations.

To delay the process, he said, “essentially, all of the hard work that had been done up to today would have been a glorified waste of time. Unless we could move forward with the Constitution amendments, as we have all agreed, and accepted, signed, and submitted to the UK,” the Premier told the House.

While accusing the Leader of the Opposition of seeking dodge the will of the electorate to preserve the status quo, Mr. Misick said between 2014 and 2015 a bipartisan committee of the House of Assembly drafted a 16-point proposal to amend the 2011 Constitution, and it was approved and “this is the reason why I said what I said, they are trying to frustrate the process.”

Further, the Premier, an all island member of the House himself, said the islands have a “golden opportunity” to achieve Constitutional advancement, and all the political parties must seize the moment, and increasing the number of elected seats in the legislature and assigning them to the at large constituency in the first instance, is the most democratic form of representation.

“There the truth of the matter is, the Colonial powers are always reluctant and slow to relinquish power, and we have a golden opportunity to seize the day and accept what is now settled and stop accepting the gift of appointed members in the legislature. From an economic standpoint, we have been on our own for a long time. I mean, we were sort of rowing our canoe,” the Premier said.

He said if they are to honour the wishes of the majority of those consulted, they must go into the current election with a 19-elected Member of Parliament slate, and from his perspective, “it is offensive to suggest that the Boundaries Commission is hostage to external pressure.

Opposition Leader, Edwin Astwood accused members of Cabinet of being overly influenced by the UK support of the decision to expand the all island offering in the next general election.

Rebutting, Premier Misick said the only obvious pressure is that of the Leader of the Opposition, in this attempt to circumvent the will of the electorate,” he stated.