Overseas Territories Urged To Collaborate On Constitutional Talks

As the conversation continues at a high rate on constitutional reform, the leader of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and Opposition in the Turks and Caicos Islands, is calling for a harmonization of the document across Montserrat and all the other British Overseas Territories.

Honourable Edwin Astwood states that all of the Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom should at least have a Constitution similar to that of the Cayman Islands.

These sentiments were expressed in a recent follow-up statement to meetings held last week at Waterloo, Grand Turk¸ where Constitutional talks were underway with Senior British Officials from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office and a bipartisan local team.

The PDM’s team comprised the Opposition’s Appointed Member, Hon Alvin Garland, former Premier Hon Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, King’s Counsel Allen Wood and party leader, Hon Astwood.

In a press statement, Astwood outlined categorically that in his view, all the UK Overseas Territories, including Montserrat, should at least have a constitution similar to that of the Cayman Islands…….emphasizing that full internal self-government should be the norm and not the exception.

He adds that being granted full internal self-government will make the transition to independence much easier, if so desired.

For example, Astwood says this will give the next government of the TCI - one he believes will be led by the PDM - the opportunity to get as many Islanders as financially independent as possible.

According to Astwood, this will also allow "as many of their people trained and educated to be leaders in all sectors in the country, allow the PDM to get crime and illegal immigration under control, healthcare in a better place, true and attainable diversification of their economy, to name a few important milestones”.

The opposition leader said the Proposals for the Reform of the Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands contain a list of proposals for reforms to the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011, the previous 2006 TCI Constitution, recent constitutional developments in other British Overseas Territories (especially those of the Cayman Islands – which indicate an acceptance of autonomous capacity in domestic affairs), and the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) which was presented in 2019 after an extensive consultation exercise in the Islands.

Astwood said these proposals were previously submitted to the UK Government and had the benefit of a considered response from Mr. Adam Pile, Head of the Caribbean Department in the UK FCDO’s Overseas Territories Directorate (‘the Pile Letter”).