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A Tale of Two Manifestos and A Tale of Two Leaders

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Turks and Caicos, January 31, 2025 – The recently unveiled manifestos of the People’s Democratic Movement, PDM and the Progressive National Party, PNP paint a picture of contrasts. They highlight the stark differences between the party leaders, the Honourable Charles Washington Misick and the Honourable Edwin Astwood.

The people were awaiting the launch of the manifestos to find out what the two major political parties have in store for the next five years.

Launch

The launch ceremonies were very different. The PDM had too many speakers, with each trying to outdo the other. It was a long and tedious affair. I don’t know if the glum and depressed look of the candidates was from boredom or dissatisfaction with the cover of the manifesto. A manifesto and in particular the cover should signal clear ideas, plans and above all hope. The shadowy design on the cover was a harbinger of the inside. The manifesto was long on promises but short on an implementation plan and source of funding.

The PNP’s launch was the opposite. Short and sweet. It started with a prayer and our national song. Above all, the candidates looked like happy warriors who were proud of their manifesto. The cover was bright and the intention clear, the Citizen’s Contract 2.0 is about people, the economy and growth and development.

Party Leaders

We have two leaders who are polar opposites. Charles Washington Misick is a statesman who has a track record of building national institutions and supporting Turks and Caicos Islanders. His speech at the launch was serious and focused on the plans to take our country to the next level. I was struck by how detailed his letter to the voters is. It outlines the desperate state of the economy and country left by the PDM in 2021, some of the achievements and some of the broad plans for the next five years. He closed his letter by humbly asking the people to vote for the PNP. I appreciated that.

From the PDM leader, it was more of the usual petty jabs. Sadly, in the last four years he has not distinguished himself as a serious leader or a serious lawmaker. He presided over the Ministry of Health during the initial stages of the COVID 19 Pandemic and we could not describe his performance as stellar. His letter to voters is devoid of achievements or solutions but what was so terrible, he issued an edict for the people to vote PDM.

One leader respects the power and will of the people, the other does not.

Manifestos

The PDM’s manifesto has a very large basket of promises but they are not backed by a roadmap detailing how these will be implemented and funded. Ideas without the ability and resources to successfully implement them is as useless as the smoke from the dumpsite when it burns.

On the other hand, we have seen the economy grow rapidly and consistently under the PNP. We have also seen the GDP almost double, with tourist arrivals and investments at historic levels.  Thousands of dollars have been given to us to help us deal with the higher inflation brought on by world economic conditions – something many countries currently struggle to deal with.

The PDM has a duty to tell us how they will pay for all that they have promised. The Opposition leader has threatened to rip up the budget if he wins. Is he not aware of the framework agreement with the UK which (among other things) sets debt sustainability targets for the TCI which mandate that debt service charges are less than 10 percent of the recurrent revenue and has requirements for 90 days of cash?

The PDM claims that the PNP has plagiarized their manifesto. Nonsense. Anyone who has looked at both will probably realize that the PDM manifesto writers are the plagiarists. They copied some of what the PNP has already delivered and has publicly stated are in the pipeline. A word of caution to the PDM… no matter how you grandstand with words, you can’t plagiarize performance.

The PNP has performed and delivered on their Citizen’s Contract. In fact, the Citizen’s Contract 2.0 lists 100 promises made and kept and they have recently publicized even more.

I say to the people of our Beautiful by Nature Turks and Caicos Islands: Choose wisely!

Choose the statesman with a track record of building national institutions and development programs. Choose the party that has always delivered and made our lives better.

There is only one choice. The Progressive National Party led by the planner, the builder and the man who has delivered, the Honourable Charles Washington Misick.

Government

STATEMENT BY HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, DILEENI DANIELSELVARATNAM: APPOINTMENTS TO THE CABINET OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

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Turks and Caicos, February 12, 2025

 

TCI Cabinet named:

Acting on the advice of the Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick OBE JP, pursuant to section 31(1)(C) of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011, I will appoint the following elected representatives as members of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cabinet at a ceremony to be held tomorrow 13 February 2025 at 10 a.m. at St. Monica’s Church Providenciales.

Pursuant to section 31 (1)(C)(7) of the Constitution Amendment Order 2024 and in consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition Hon. Edwin Astwood, I will appoint an additional Minister to the Cabinet.

In line with section 36 (2) of the Constitution Order 2011, on the advice of the Premier, I will assign their respective portfolios as listed below:

  1. Premier, Hon. Charles Washington Misick OBE JP will lead the Office of the Premier and Public Policy and is to be appointed as Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Investment and Trade.
  2. Deputy Premier, Hon. Jamell Rayan Robinson is to be appointed as Minister of Immigration and Border Services.
  3. Hon. Erwin Jay Saunders is to be appointed as Minister of Innovation, Technology and Information.
  4. Hon. Otis Chuck Morris is to be appointed as Minister of Public Safety and Utilities.
  5. Hon. Arlington Alexander Musgrove is to be appointed as Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development.
  6. Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor is to be appointed as Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture.
  7. Hon. Shaun David Malcolm is to be appointed as Minister of Home Affairs, Religious Affairs and Transportation.
  8. Hon. Kyle Robert Knowles is to be appointed as Minister of Health and Human Services.
  9. Hon. Zhavargo Jermaine Jolly is to be appointed as Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment.

Following the ceremony, a meeting of Cabinet will be held at the Office of the Premier. I look forward to working with the Hon. Premier and the Cabinet in service of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Appointments will take effect immediately following their swearing-in.
Instruments of appointment will be published in the Official Gazette.

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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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Government

Turnpike, Traffic Lights and Digital Gov’t feature in PNP Five Year Plan

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Danae Dennie

Staff Writer 

 

 

Turks and Caicos, February 8, 2025 – The Progressive National Party has won the 2025 election and now the clock starts ticking. As they take office, with their manifestos as their guide, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) now await an improved society.

The Progressive National Party (PNP) has shared a plethora of  plans in its Citizen’s Contract 2.0, their manifesto which will be used as a blueprint for their five-year tenure for the TCI.

The question now looms, will they follow through on their promises or will they fall short?

The PNP has a track record of establishing beneficial initiatives within the country; they have instituted free education at the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College for all citizens, introduced a national minimum wage and increased  public service pay.

So, what’s next? According to the PNPs’s Manifesto their vision is to build a society where social and economic progress is guaranteed for all citizens with equity, transparency and integrity as their guiding principles.

In the next five years the PNP shares that they will strive for sustainable economic growth  and development. They plan to create more employment and income opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders and boost the TCI’s potential.

Examples of these plans include supporting youth entrepreneurs through venture capital and equity investments,  and they plan to develop Agro Parks to boost the agricultural industry.

The PNP has also pledged to expand infrastructure.

As the TCI Tourism Industry booms, the infrastructure has to grow as well. The PNP hopes to expand the Howard Hamilton International Airport, South Dock and other ports.

Other developments include redeveloping the Millennium Highway to a four lane dual-carriage in each direction, developing a series of parallel roads to Leeward Highway to ease traffic congestion and facilitate traffic flow in emergencies.

As well as developing  the “Caicos Turnpike” from Providenciales to South Caicos.

They also plan to install a traffic light system in Providenciales to help regulate the flow of traffic, ease congestion and improve safety.

Energy reform is also on the list to be championed.

The PNP shares that it is committed to transforming the energy landscape of the Turks and Caicos Islands to ensure sustainability, affordability, and reliability. With plans to upgrade the power grid to accommodate an expanding renewable energy infrastructure.

A Digital Government is also being pushed for the TCI. They plan to ensure that every citizen and resident of the Turks and Caicos Islands has access to faster, more convenient, and more transparent government services through new technological advancements like AI and smart technology. They also plan to offer high-quality online courses and training to equip the young people of the TCI with the digital skills they need for the jobs of the future.

One of the major topics of discussion in this election was the state of healthcare.

In the PNP Manifesto, they shared that they  plan to build a better healthcare system that is resilient, prioritizes prevention, and embraces innovation. They will do this by establishing a National Health Services Authority (NHSA) and a National Health Information System (NHIS), this would provide Electronic Health Records, and a National Disease Surveillance System for tracking communicable diseases.

The PNP administration  also vows to rid the TCI of unregulated jitneys and provide  reliable, safe and cost-effective public transportation. Other plans include improvement on waste management. For social provision they plan to  establish new benchmarks and make provisions in the TCI budget to ensure that both equity and need are given full weight to improve the quality of life for TC Islanders. This will be done through initiatives like expanding the Children Nutritional Programme and providing high quality education at all levels as well as improving the sporting industry.

The PNP believes that every citizen should have access to adequate, affordable housing in safe fully serviced communities. In their next term, the PNP Administration will set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create economically viable communities of at least 1,000 new homes each. Their goal is to complete three communities with 3,000 homes over the next five years.

Today’s youth are the future of tomorrow. The PNP acknowledges this and has vowed to increase access to tertiary education, skills and vocational training; expand the National Youth Service to offer apprenticeship, mentorship and subsidized training with the private sector as well as  establish accessible mental health facilities and services tailored to young people in every community, including counselling and crisis support hotlines.

The major aim of the PNP government is to meet the goals put in place in their Vision 2040 plan. The PNP shares that they are committed to the rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability, better regulatory quality, and accountability in order to reach these goals.

To build on this foundation, the PNP highlights its track record of keeping promises and its commitment to delivering on new plans that will drive the country forward. The PNP emphasized that the promises made over the past four years were fulfilled. With a vision for a better future for the TCI, delivering on their new plans is essential for the country’s progress. The nation has chosen to keep the boat steady, hoping for smooth waters and steady sailing in the years ahead.

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