Anguilla's Team

Constitutional Discussions 1: Anguilla’s Team. No, I do not know who the members of Anguilla’s team (for the upcoming negotiations with the British) are. No doubt, they are not yet finalized. We shall all learn who they are in due course. What I did was to respond to my invitation. I confirmed to Mr Foster Rogers, the Chief Minister’s Permanent Secretary, that I would be honoured to serve as invited. I met with him. Mr Rogers confirmed to me that the Chief Minister was preparing for the British.

First, he has asked the Attorney-General to prepare a report for him on the likely reaction of the British to the recommendations of the Commission. He wants to know which of our recommendations will be only a formality, and which ones we will have to fight for. That is a good start. It is not a difficult job. It only means going through the constitutions of TCI and BVI to see what amendments the British have recently agreed to. Anything that was good enough for them is good enough for us. Not that we intend to play catch-up. But, it is always good to know what has gone on before.

Second, he intends to hold a number of planning sessions before the British arrive. He is well aware of the need to have the whole team quoting from the same textbook. That makes me feel much better.

Starting with the next post, I intend to do something the members of the House of Assembly should have done. Since they have been too reticent and modest to do it for themselves, I will presume to speak for them. They held a number of caucuses, as I believe our US cousins call them. They met several times at Limestone Bay Café and went through the Report of the Constitutional and Electoral Commission. They came up with some new suggestions for constitutional reform for themselves. They are not secret. The members have spoken about them previously at meetings they held to discuss the Report. They just have not come out formally and expressed themselves on the forum that belongs to them and where the public expect to hear them: The House of Assembly. So, I will itemize the new ideas they came up with. We shall look at them one by one. I will tell you what I think of them.

I am sure the members of the House would like to hear from you as well. After all, they are speaking on your behalf, aren’t they?

This exercise will have the additional benefit of letting them, and the British, know unambiguously and in advance the sort of role that I am going to play in these discussions.