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The downside to being a British dependency
DIANE ABBOTT
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The island paradise of Turks and Caicos is getting mutinous after only a few months under direct British rule.
London imposed direct rule after a corruption scandal involving former Prime Minister Michael Misick. In response the British swept away any semblance of local democracy. Now British Governor Gordon Wetherell runs the island as a one-man dictatorship.
It was complaints from islanders that alerted the British to the corruption problems in Turks and Caicos in the first place. Initially, most people were quite pleased to see the British take back the reins, but now islanders are beginning to resent the reimposition of colonial rule.
The unhappiness of black residents has most recently been articulated by the newly elected leader of the opposition PDM party, 36-year-old Doug Parnell. He said last week, "There is a lack of transparency in the decision-making process, and to disregard the wishes and will of the people is irresponsible. That is what is happening now.
"People have a deep hunger to return to normalcy. They want their own people to run their affairs." He further stated, "We currently have petitions going on about concerns of new taxes that are coming on stream. I think we'll see a greater agitation on part of the people. My view is that if he [Governor Gordon Wetherell] doesn't correct course very shortly, you'll see that people will become ungovernable. The Gordon Wetherell administration is the only other administration besides Castro's Cuba that has the type of power that exists in the Turks and Caicos. One man can decide the fate of an entire country."
His views were echoed by local journalists. The editor of the island's oldest newspaper, The Turks and Caicos Weekly News, Blyth Duncanson, initially supported British direct rule. But now he is opposed to it. Duncanson has now said, "Many times we are just shunted aside. And we're not really getting solid information. The interim administration, which is supposed to be run by the governor with the aid of an advisory council and a consultative forum, is operating like a closed shop. It's more like a military junta."
The governor has rejected this criticism. He has made it clear that he sees his job as clearing up after incompetent locals. He told the BBC, "The mountain of unpaid bills was somewhere around $70 million and if you add a loan portfolio of about $60 million, you come to total indebtedness of $130 million, which for a country of this size is actually a lot of money."
For years dependent territories in the Caribbean and Atlantic region have appeared to "have their cake and eat it". They had all the benefits and economic security of being under the British wing. But they were largely left to run their own affairs. Now this enviable state of affairs has ended.
With Britain trying to force the Cayman Islands to impose taxes and snatching democracy from Turks and Caicos completely, residents of these territories are beginning to see that an essentially colonial relationship with Britain has its downside.
DIANE ABBOTT
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The island paradise of Turks and Caicos is getting mutinous after only a few months under direct British rule.
London imposed direct rule after a corruption scandal involving former Prime Minister Michael Misick. In response the British swept away any semblance of local democracy. Now British Governor Gordon Wetherell runs the island as a one-man dictatorship.
It was complaints from islanders that alerted the British to the corruption problems in Turks and Caicos in the first place. Initially, most people were quite pleased to see the British take back the reins, but now islanders are beginning to resent the reimposition of colonial rule.
The unhappiness of black residents has most recently been articulated by the newly elected leader of the opposition PDM party, 36-year-old Doug Parnell. He said last week, "There is a lack of transparency in the decision-making process, and to disregard the wishes and will of the people is irresponsible. That is what is happening now.
"People have a deep hunger to return to normalcy. They want their own people to run their affairs." He further stated, "We currently have petitions going on about concerns of new taxes that are coming on stream. I think we'll see a greater agitation on part of the people. My view is that if he [Governor Gordon Wetherell] doesn't correct course very shortly, you'll see that people will become ungovernable. The Gordon Wetherell administration is the only other administration besides Castro's Cuba that has the type of power that exists in the Turks and Caicos. One man can decide the fate of an entire country."
His views were echoed by local journalists. The editor of the island's oldest newspaper, The Turks and Caicos Weekly News, Blyth Duncanson, initially supported British direct rule. But now he is opposed to it. Duncanson has now said, "Many times we are just shunted aside. And we're not really getting solid information. The interim administration, which is supposed to be run by the governor with the aid of an advisory council and a consultative forum, is operating like a closed shop. It's more like a military junta."
The governor has rejected this criticism. He has made it clear that he sees his job as clearing up after incompetent locals. He told the BBC, "The mountain of unpaid bills was somewhere around $70 million and if you add a loan portfolio of about $60 million, you come to total indebtedness of $130 million, which for a country of this size is actually a lot of money."
For years dependent territories in the Caribbean and Atlantic region have appeared to "have their cake and eat it". They had all the benefits and economic security of being under the British wing. But they were largely left to run their own affairs. Now this enviable state of affairs has ended.
With Britain trying to force the Cayman Islands to impose taxes and snatching democracy from Turks and Caicos completely, residents of these territories are beginning to see that an essentially colonial relationship with Britain has its downside.
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