Bankotsu
16th August 2009, 06:54
Ousted PM of Turks and Caicos slams Britain
Sat Aug 15
LONDON (AFP) – The ousted prime minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands hit out Saturday at Britain for ordering the suspension of the local government in its Caribbean territory after a dragging row on corruption.
The British government made the move Friday, five months after the premier of the eight-island tax haven resigned to make way for a unified government following a probe which found systemic corruption among the ruling elite.
Galmo Williams, who took over in March, described the suspension as a "sad day" for the Caribbean territory, saying Britain had removed democracy from the hands of its people.
"It's a very sad day for us in Turks and Caicos to see in the 21st century and in the year 2009 that democracy has been taken away from the citizens," Williams told BBC radio.
Britain imposed the suspension following legislation allowing London to strip the territory's cabinet and elected assembly of their powers under a 2006 constitution and to put the British-appointed governor in control.
Williams said the governor as well as the local government must share the blame for any systemic problems and stressed that London and local authorities could have worked together to resolve such problems.
"We have a British governor who is responsible for good governance; who is responsible for civil servants, who is the president of the cabinet," he said.
"It cannot be one-sided," he added.
Williams said the territory had not been given the same opportunities as British politicians to make amends when they were accused of wrongdoing -- referring to a scandal in London over lawmakers' expenses claims.
"Even in the British parliament in the last month, they (politicians) have had clear signs of incorrect practices but their parliament hasn't been dissolved, their parliament hasn't been taken away," he said.
A probe was launched in July 2008 into allegations of corruption in land sales, distribution of government contracts and development deals, the granting of voting rights and misuse of public funds.
In March, Turks and Caicos prime minister Michael Misick resigned after an investigation pointed to a "high probability of systemic corruption or other serious dishonesty" among the ruling elite.
The islands -- which locals claim were visited by Christopher Columbus in 1492 -- have been at one point part of the Bahamas and of Jamaica but were granted their own governor in 1973.
About 32,000 people live in the territory, according to the Foreign Office, many of them British citizens and it derives most of its income from tourism and as a tax haven.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090815/wl_uk_afp/britaincaicospoliticscorruption
Sat Aug 15
LONDON (AFP) – The ousted prime minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands hit out Saturday at Britain for ordering the suspension of the local government in its Caribbean territory after a dragging row on corruption.
The British government made the move Friday, five months after the premier of the eight-island tax haven resigned to make way for a unified government following a probe which found systemic corruption among the ruling elite.
Galmo Williams, who took over in March, described the suspension as a "sad day" for the Caribbean territory, saying Britain had removed democracy from the hands of its people.
"It's a very sad day for us in Turks and Caicos to see in the 21st century and in the year 2009 that democracy has been taken away from the citizens," Williams told BBC radio.
Britain imposed the suspension following legislation allowing London to strip the territory's cabinet and elected assembly of their powers under a 2006 constitution and to put the British-appointed governor in control.
Williams said the governor as well as the local government must share the blame for any systemic problems and stressed that London and local authorities could have worked together to resolve such problems.
"We have a British governor who is responsible for good governance; who is responsible for civil servants, who is the president of the cabinet," he said.
"It cannot be one-sided," he added.
Williams said the territory had not been given the same opportunities as British politicians to make amends when they were accused of wrongdoing -- referring to a scandal in London over lawmakers' expenses claims.
"Even in the British parliament in the last month, they (politicians) have had clear signs of incorrect practices but their parliament hasn't been dissolved, their parliament hasn't been taken away," he said.
A probe was launched in July 2008 into allegations of corruption in land sales, distribution of government contracts and development deals, the granting of voting rights and misuse of public funds.
In March, Turks and Caicos prime minister Michael Misick resigned after an investigation pointed to a "high probability of systemic corruption or other serious dishonesty" among the ruling elite.
The islands -- which locals claim were visited by Christopher Columbus in 1492 -- have been at one point part of the Bahamas and of Jamaica but were granted their own governor in 1973.
About 32,000 people live in the territory, according to the Foreign Office, many of them British citizens and it derives most of its income from tourism and as a tax haven.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090815/wl_uk_afp/britaincaicospoliticscorruption