There’s no denying that the vast majority of people in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) cheered with national relief when the British intervened this week to oust our hopelessly dysfunctional and terminally corrupt government.
Not surprisingly, our ousted premier jeered with selfish grief:
The British still think that there are none among us who are worthy and/or capable of running the affairs of our country. They still view us all as a corrupt people, unfit to govern ourselves.
(Michael Misick)
Frankly, in light of the undisputed findings in an Interim Report by a Commission of Inquiry into possible corruption and other serious dishonesty in the TCI, the British can be forgiven if they regard us as Misick asserts.
Of course no one is more responsible for us being held in such low regard than the evidently unworthy, incapable and corrupt Misick himself. But his hackneyed and delusional rantings about the “imperial British” are yesterday’s news….
On the other hand, the British should try to reason with local political leaders who heralded this intervention but have expressed concerns about a provision in the TCI Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009 (“the Order”), under which we will be governed for the next two years.
These leaders object to the provision for an Advisory Council, which is drafted, in relevant part, as follows:
There shall be an Advisory Council for the Turks and Caicos Islands, which shall consist of… up to seven other persons, who shall be known as “the nominated members”, appointed by the Governor, of whom at least five shall be Belongers.
Specifically, they argue that this Council should not include anyone who is not a Belonger. And, alas, their concerns will resonate … especially since political leaders of both parties have championed (as our national birthright) the jingoistic sense of entitlement that gave rise to them.
Never mind that these leaders are probably motivated more by concerns about losing their jobs and political influence than by any concern about protecting our presumed birthright.
After all, amongst those of us who pleaded for the British to intervene were some who reportedly fantasized about being automatically installed in power– perhaps the way the military installed the opposition party after ousting the ruling party in Madagascar earlier this week. No doubt this accounts for their complaints about the Order dissolving Parliament and vesting all executive and legislative power in the Governor for this interim period.
But no matter our sense of entitlement, it smacks of ignorance and arrogance for us to call on the British to save us from ourselves, and then insist that they should rely only on us for advice on how to clean up the mess we created. Indeed, this is akin to employees of a bankrupt bank insisting that they have a right to determine who the court should appoint to rescue them from bankruptcy.
However, this is not the appropriate forum in which to expose all of the reasons why concerns about the composition of the Advisory Council are simply unsustainable. Although, it is instructive that the Order also includes a provision for a Consultative Forum in which all TCIslanders will undoubtedly be invited to express concerns and share ideas….
Therefore, I beg our political leaders to take a little time to reflect on what appears to be their unfounded concerns (and confusion) about the nature, purpose and tenure of this intervention.
In fact, nothing demonstrates their confusion quite like the way they are conflating concerns about the Advisory Council with concerns about a recommendation in the Commission’s interim report for the “Enlargement of the Franchise.” And what binds their confusion appears to be an abiding fear that expatriates will “dilute” the political power they covet.
But it behooves them to appreciate that the Council is only an advisory body with no executive or legislative authority. Moreover, its members will serve only for the two years it takes the British to repair the fiscal and political damage the Misick administration did to our country over the past five years.
Likewise, the enlargement of the franchise is only a recommendation; not some constitutional provision being imposed upon us. Yet I hope we adopt it because I have championed this cause for many years not only as a civil right for long-settled expatriates but also as a political and economic necessity for the sustainable development of our country.
Therefore, notwithstanding their visceral opposition, I maintain that it is in our enlightened national interest to implement:
Reform, with clearly defined criteria, to widen the Franchise to long-term residents of the Territory and thereby reduce the scope of political patronage, bribery and electoral abuse.
Frankly, it is immature, unfair and ultimately self-defeating for us to continue relying on these expatriates to contribute to our economic development whilst treating them like undocumented aliens when it comes to our political development.
Finally, I feel constrained to remind these quixotic nationalists that we are still a dependent UK territory. And nothing reinforces this reality quite like the fact that we were reduced to pleading with the British to launch this intervention.
But as I lamented in a related commentary, being forced to intervene in this manner must be as frustrating for the British as it is humiliating for us. More to the point, it behooves us to respect and appreciate their declaration – made repeatedly in official statements and codified in the Order – that this intervention is not intended to reassert colonial rule or to deny us the ability to manage our own affairs.
All TCIslanders should understand that the Order is designed for the British to get things straight so that we can resume governing ourselves on fiscally sound and democratic foundations as soon as possible.
Accordingly, I urge our political leaders to stop raising petty and misguided concerns about how the British will guide us through this process. Instead, they would do well to concentrate on making themselves more capable and trustworthy to lead us into the future – once the British return the reins of government back to us when the Order expires two years from now.
Related commentaries:
Britain suspends TCI Constitution … again
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