Turks and Caicos to go to polls in November
(CNS): The UK’s Foreign Secretary has confirmed that the Turks and Caicos Islands will have a democratic general election in November. After three years of direct British rule, imposed as a result of a corruption scandal relating to the Misick administration, the UK government says sufficient progress has been made on the milestones it set as a path back to democracy to warrant setting an election date. William Hague revealed in the UK’s House of Commons Tuesday that the election will be on 9 November this year. He also said Britain was committed to ensuring the corruption in TCI never happened again, there or anywhere else in its territories.
Hague pointed out some of the provisions now in place to “safeguard good governance and sound financial management”, including a revised elections ordinance for clear and robust voting procedures.
“The Conduct of Political Parties Ordinance regulates funding of political parties and campaigns, campaign methods and accounting practices,” Hague told the British parliament. “The Integrity Commission Ordinance increases the number of those required to give personal and financial data about their interests.”
He said changes to the Public Financial Management system, an independent audit office and a chief finance officer would enable the UK government to retain sufficient control over public finances and protect the interests of the UK as loan guarantor.
Listing various other changes still to come, the foreign secretary also pointed to the progress made in the corruption investigation.
“Thirteen people, including four former Ministers, have been charged with corruption and money laundering offences. An international arrest warrant has been issued for former Premier Michael Misick. It is now for the courts to decide whether thepersons charged are guilty. The investigations and prosecutions will proceed independently of a future elected government,” he added.
Hague also pointed to changes regarding the management of crown land as this had been at the heart of the corrupt practices described in Sir Robin Auld’s 2009 Commission of Inquiry report.
“The new Crown Land Ordinance which came into effect in March sets out clear criteria for the allocation of Crown Land. To ensure the new arrangements for Crown Land are implemented successfully, the management of Crown Land has moved to the Attorney General’s Chambers.
The UK government believes seven of the eight milestones have been clearly met, and although the final fiscal milestone has not yet been achieved, Hague said the FCO was confident that the budgeted surplus would soon be reached.
“Over the next few months, in the run up to elections, the interim government will continue with the implementation and consolidation of reforms, in particular to strengthen the public sector and public finances, develop the economy, modernise legislation and make practical preparations to enable the electionsto take place,” he said.
“The UK believes that democracy, whether in an independent country or in an Overseas Territory, provides a solid foundation on which to build an accountable and responsive state,” the FCO boss added.
He spoke of the need to support TCI to develop its democracy in line with the UK’s responsibility for security and good governance. “I want to make clear this government’s determination to ensure that there is no repeat of the maladministration that led to the suspension of democratic government in TCI, either there or in any other British overseas territory,” Hague warned.
See Hague’s full statement to the UK parliament below.
Category: World News
For goodness sake, Mac, don't head up north anytime soon, ya hear?
Eye of the tiger.
Can someone call William Hague and ask him if we can have elections in November as well?
"William Hague revealed in the UK’s House of Commons Tuesday that the election will be on 9 November this year. He also said Britain was committed to ensuring the corruption in TCI never happened again, there or anywhere else in its territories.
Hague pointed out some of the provisions now in place to “safeguard good governance and sound financial management”, including a revised elections ordinance for clear and robust voting procedures.
“The Conduct of Political Parties Ordinance regulates funding of political parties and campaigns, campaign methods and accounting practices,” Hague told the British parliament. “The Integrity Commission Ordinance increases the number of those required to give personal and financial data about their interests.”
Minister Hague comming here next unless we rise up and stop the MACTRAIN!
The days of secret cover up coming to an end MACBOYS.
The DOTS are being connected then KABOOM GOTCHA1
Come MInister Hague, Come to Cayman please
Oh dear … I do believe I have stepped upon a toe or two.
🙂
Folks, ignoring the reality and choosing instead to attack me with insults and ad hominens is a futile exercise.
I simply highlighted issues that were directly relevant to the statement of the UK's Foreign Secretary on this matter.
However, I guess others should respect the opinion of a government that has lost, wasted, and corrupted $58,997,050,147.49 (at a minimum) in the last year alone, correct?
Instead of wasting so much time and energy researching the faults of others, why don't you spend the same time and energy coming up with SOLUTIONS that can help lead this country out of this mess? Signed, Ad Hominens.
You remind me of the old saying "Empty barrels make the most noise". Never anything good to say, only negative things. Something tells me it is because you have no solutions to offer yourself, so like an empty barrel, you keep making more and more noise each time. Hush will you, you are giving us a headache.
You should bow to the Queen, kiss Charles feet, and pay your allegiance to the Foriegn Office! Why you infidel… just give me a hug and I'll let you go !
Yes, you are right – whatever was I thinking?
"God save our gracious …"
As if!
The year is 2012 – as I understand it, the free world is in the business of assassinating the legacies of terrorism. Interestingly, in certain quarters we celebrate them instead.
I wonder why?
🙂
You are pure unadulterated scum and an embarrassment to the Caymanian people.
At least the rest of the free world have got the guts to fight for freedom and to rid the world of murdering cowards. You just sit on your corrupt little rock like the reptile you are and criticise from a comfortable distance.
Because unlike you, you whinging parasite, our boys and girls are dying protecting the freedoms you take for granted. You should count yourself damn lucky that you have the union flag and the protection it offers flying over this island.
The Falkland Islands people would love to be as safe and secure as you, instead they live with the threat of a bullying neighbour who could attack at any time. Your problem is that you've had it too good for too long and now it's coming to an end, like a petulant child you, don't know what to lash out with next.
My goodness – those are some strong words there, buddy.
Mind you blow a gasket.
Ok, let us assume that the current "wars" in which the UK is currently engaged are for noble reasons and not actually illegal invasions by internationally accepted standards based upon "dodgy dossiers" all in the name of oil and money … everything that is being done could be done under the umbrella of a democratic nation absent of "royalty".
I did not speak ill of the British armed forces – but in your rage you seemed to have missed that crucial point.
Are you truly unable to separate the notions of a national military and "on her royal majesty's service"?
* By the way – your boys and girls (and my heart goes out to them for most are none the wiser) are dying primarily in the name of oil, money and internationally corrupt and biased global / regional politics and foreign policies – not for "freedom" as you clearly believe.
E.g. What exactly did Iraq do to the UK?
On the contrary, your boys and girls work for "mudering cowards", but you fail to see that.
Question: Where did ex-PM Tony Blair disappear to after his stint in office? What is his current job description?
Turn off BBC and Sky "News" and take your head out of your ass, buddy.
* Lastly, you really need to get in touch with the majority of your people (assuming you are British) as you will find that many of them do not share your perspective of the wider world.
Really, is there no end to the amount of garbage that comes out of your over sized mouth?
For your information 'BUDDY' we are no longer engaged in a war in Iraq, that came to end a couple of years ago. And yes, you are quite right, Blair and Bush should both be tried for taking us into an illegal war and deceiving the world. You definately won't get any argument from me there or many other Brits for that matter.
None the less our troops fightfor QUEEN and country, not just for the flag or their political masters. They take a solemn oath to defend the UK, her territories and interests anywhere in the world, that also includes you, unfortunately. They are also fully aware of their role, the dangers and the political reasons and ramifications of their actions. So please don't patronise OUR forces with meaningless platitudes or deny them the intelligence to understand what they do on our behalf.
Her Majesty's Armed Forces are exactly that, there is no separation, the crown and state are at one and they always act 'On Her Majesty's Service'. But as you don't have a national military or are unlikely to have ever served in one, what would you know?
OHMS isn't just something they print on civil service or government envelopes, moron.
You are obviously completely unaware here on your rock, that Afghanistan doesn't have significant oil production, if it did, don't you think Pakistan or Iran wouldn't have invaded first? This war isn't about oil stupid, it's about a failed state allowing terrorists to train and operate with impunity. It was from there that BinLaden directed the 9/11 attacks, or are you saying that over 3000 innocent people from several different country's should die without recourse to the international community? This is a UN and NATO sanctioned war, it is perfectly legal and well within international law. And by the way, the UK doesn't fight under the 'Freedom' banner, that is the US and I don't suppose many of those brave guys would agree with your crap either.
If our troops are dying for money, tell me, where is the money coming from, Afghanistan doesn't have a bean, it's one of the poorest country's in the world, dummy? Corruption is endemic out there, as it is here, (with a similar archaic feudal system) but without pressure from the UN and NATO, that corruption would lead to further violence and not just in Afghanistan. For a start, where do you think the worlds supply of heroin come from, a street corner in West Bay?
Tony Blair is laughably the UN MIddle East Peace Envoy, although I'm not sure what that has to do with anything
Once again you are losing the argument, so you resort to unproven, unrelated and petulant attacks on the UK. Its just a shame you don't make sense or know what the hell your talking about. Your little attempt at being a worldly wise sage has back fired again.
Trust me, you obviously know nothing of what our nation believes or stands for. Our people may not like the war, but they absolutely support our troops one hundred percent. In regard to support for the Queen, well I think the jubilee celebrations speak for themselves. Over 1 million people on the banks of the Thames and hundreds of thousands of street parties and celebrations around the country. Who do you think you're talking to, some know nothing crack head in your local bar?
Also, please enlighten us as to how you know so much about what the perspective of the UK population is, you couldn't possibly know anything of the sort sitting in your cave reading trash newspapers and foriegn online blogs. Get on a plane and go shout your bile in the centre of London, I can guarantee that your education will be a rocky one, without iguanas for company.
Perhaps you should try listening to the BBC and SKY news, instead of the Huffington Post and online versions of the SUN newspaper. Then perhaps you might learn something.
Let us just agree to disagree, ok?
Clearly, you are thoroughly convinced of your position and perspective.
Whatever floats your boat, jack.
Unfortunately for you, personal convictions pale in comparison to reality.
"I wonder why?" The reason is probably that the vast majority of the world does not see the world in the way you do.
What you have to understand, Whodatis, is that your views on history are opinions they are not cast iron facts. Other people do not share your opinions. What can be ascertained from the responses on this site to your opinions is that approximately 90% or more of the people on this site do not agree with you. Some thumbs down you, some laugh at you (don't think that the Smiley icon votes are from people who love your junior college angry young man rhetoric). Just because Whodatis says something does not make it true.
You are to political discourse what people who deny the moon landings are to space research. And that is probably most charitably described as an eccentric outlier.
Maybe one day the world will see past the limits of cultural and historical conspiracy of education which fogs our minds and fails to see the world as clearly as you do. Until that day try to find a DVD of Citizen Smith as there you will find a kindred spirit.
To put it a bit more bluntly, the vast majority of us think you are bit crazy, full of crap and enjoy the pastime of flaming.
@ the respondents immediately below;
Do us a favour, guys.
Count the number of times the word "you" was used by yourselves in your responses to my post.
Conclusion: I submit a simple 3 – 4 line post, like the one above, highlighting actual facts, but end up on the receiving end of rather hateful and pathetic personal attacks.
The reason you guys are so angry is because the things I say are true – otherwise, I would be completed ignored on this forum.
Sad.
Whodatis. That is $1,179.54 per person. If it was Cayman, or TCI, the equivalent would be $5,977,000.00. I wish that were all we lost, wasted, and corrupted. If your arguments are not put in perspective, they seem, well tainted. Can you not see this? The more you go down that road, the less respect you will get. Indeed, people will just read the name and move on. Then what have you acheived?
What would the Chagossians do?
Chagossians?
Please do get with the times my friend – they are no more.
Haven't you heard? Unfortunately, their racist "mother country" and supposed government / protectors decided that they were not worthy of British citizenship or even their native B.O.T. land as they were mere non-White "tarzans and Man Fridays".
Matter of fact – the case is still ongoing to this very day. Last I heard the UK was acting a right coward and playing a despicable game of ping-pong as they wait for the last survivors to finally die off.
Classy, huh?
Anyway, I suggest you do a bit of research into the subject – be sure to come back and share what you learned with the rest of us, okay?
You don't get sarcasm do you? I pray I never haver to sit next to someone as dull as you on a long flight. If I did I might jump.
"You don't get sarcasm do you?"
Loopy Lou, you need to ask yourself that question.
(Don't worry … you'll get it in due time.)
🙂
Whodatis you are the perfect representative of the Caymanian culture and why it is what it is. Thankyou for personaly answering the question "Why is Cayman so #%%^&*&up?
Oh dear, still can't balance the budget eh? FCO not falling for the same old fudged accounts? Not going to able to pay your national debt? Creditors knocking at the door?
What are you going do now?
I know, here's an idea, let's blame the UK for practicing due diligence and financial responsibility on behalf of the Caymanian people. They must be trying to destroy Cayman by insisting on proper projections and budgetry controls in order to deflect attention away from their own corrupt and failing economy.
OR, back in the real world.
The $1100.00 figure in the UK compared to nearly $6,000,000 per capita here isn't looking so bad now is it Whodatis?
Put another way, £4,704,869.58 per annum (£392,072.46 per month) OR £862.56 per annum (£7.63 per month).
So,to put into CONTEXT, that's like buying a large glass of wine in a bar, compared with buying a standard 4 bedroom house EVERY MONTH in the UK.
Still think the UK is comparible? Probably yes, because you can't teach stupid !!
I am afraid you have lost me with your figures. "The $1100.00 figure in the UK compared to nearly $6,000,000 per capita here". What it is that you think is $6,000,000 per capita here? The National Debt? If so that would make the Cayman National Debt $330 billion. Is that what you think it is? LOL.
According to CNBC the UK Gross external debt is about $10.157 trillion or $161,110 per capita ranking it as the 2nd highest debtor nation in the world behind Ireland. I am not sure where you got $1100 from or why you think the UK is in a good position financially either compared to Cayman or at all.
Lol!
Agreed, poster.
Our designated 'mathemagician' lost me as well with his 'trickanomics'.
Typical shifting of the goalpost from individuals such as himself though – it doesn't even phase me at this point … used to it.
Pathetic.
So the FCO got tired of paying the bills in TCI? … Just Too Funny.
During that 3 year debacle the revenue in TCI dropped from over $200M to around $120M last year –clearly not all the recession by any means. TCI also saw increases in new taxes at the same time as well as a huge jump in debt burden-up to $40M deficit just this year alone ( originally projected by FCO to be $8M!!). As soon as they leave you will see these numbers reverse. BTW- they blame the last elected government for the deficit!!! Just too funny and familiar. 🙂
For all of you who wish this type of FCO/British rule here, think again. Even the UKs own report on the FCO concluded they were not managing the Overseas Territories well- we know that here as well being $10M short of pocket.
Mac gave your 10 million to his church and you bad manage the rest. How's that anyone elses fault? At least the TCI are now in the black and coming out of deficit, where are you?
Just too funny, you know, you trying to be clever. You are right about one thing, the UK should take a more hardline view of corrupt territory governments and manage them more closely. But you are all so clever and so honest, so why the heavy hand? Well, you're not and the FCO messed up, however money is short and so is UK patience. It will come, are you laughing now?
Is there anything, anything at all, that the UK government could ever do or say that would result in a positive comment from you, Whodatis? You would rather cast a rock at the UK government than comment on the practical and important implications of the announcement for both T&C and ourselves?
You undermine the credibility of your own arguments when you do so – its too easy to put you in an "anti colonialist" box and ascribe all your arguments to that mindset rather than examine what you have to say – not that you had anything to say on this other than to accuse them of hyporcrisy. I would suggest that a party funding issue within the Conservative party in the UK, which so far has no evidence of going beyond an individual, is out of all proportion to an announcement that the UK is restoring the franchise to the T&C islanders, with a clear inference that they will not hestiate to repeate the process elsewhere in the BOT, yet all you can do is point at Cruddas. Disappointing, but not unexpected. Only surprised you didnt work in the Chagos islanders whilst you were about it.
"The petition to the US government demanding justice for the Chagossians…" ~ (www.chagossupport.org.uk April 12, 2012).
“FCO transparency is a carefully cultivated myth”. Section 31(3) of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 makes it clear that it’s all about the “interests of the United Kingdom.”
And thank god for that.
SO Whodatis didnt fall into the Chagos elephant trap, but you did!. I thought you were a little more sophisticated than that. Sigh. Read the post, for heavens sake. The issue is NOT Chagos or even whether the UK is an evil empitre – the issue is why do we deal with critcisim of what is going on here by saying its worse in the UK or that the UK is a brutal colonial power. How about confronting OUR problems instead of finding a convenient scapegoat!
Yawn!
"He also said Britain was committed to ensuring the corruption in TCI never happened again, there or anywhere else in its territories."
Yeah right!
Like sweep your own house before you judge and decide to sweep others.
I'd have more respect for your view if you knew what the hell you were talking about and backed it up with actual facts in the form of proven accounts and breakdowns. A school child could judge the incompetance shown by successive CI governments and its civil service, let alone being judged by the worlds leading financial centre.
Try actually sweeping your house for a change, then you may be taken more seriously.
Whodatis, if you have a problem with the UK then please take it up with your MP, or if you prefer you can run for public office and once elected you can fix them yourself.
Now I don't want to get off on a rant here but to make your life in the UK and always complain about them is akin to biting the hand that feeds you. Everytime someone points out the crookedness of a local politician you insists on finding something in the UK that is worse. You could probably find things worse in Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe and a few other countries. It is all irrelevant, and we want our problems dealt with. We do not need to hear you continuously harping on how bad things are in the UK. Quite frankly we don't give a damn about what's happening in the UK, but as long as the FCO is responsible for us then we want them to live up to their responsibilities and deal with OUR problems and not have them (or you) tell us that the problems in the UK are much bigger and we shouldn't worry about it. Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
Ummm … couple a' tings, poster;
“Now I don’t want to get off on a rant here but to make your life in the UK and always complain about them is akin to biting the hand that feeds you”.
Mmm. Shouldn’t that advice also be given to the expats on here?
Oh, nice one, poster!
Interesting how Cayman and Caymanians are subjectto all degrees of daily criticism and ridicule on this very website, but the minute one highlights the simple reality of another country everyone gets their "knickers" all in a bunch.
Give me a break.
Thankfully as Cayman's answer to Don Quixote you have single handedly undertaken the role of heaping ridicule on the UK to balance out the posts of several hundred contributors.
Well, you probably haven't realised yet because you don't take your medication regularly enough. But the subject matter is about BOT's and the mess that your people have managed to get themselves in by either ignoring the problem, excusing the problem or actually being the problem. Its definately not about anyone else or are you now trying to deny there's a problem and its all a figment of the UK's imagination?
The fact is, regardless of the UK's views or policies on BOT's, (Bring Out Treasury Subsidies) Cayman has a serious problem for which neither you or your government have an answer.
So what ya gonna do and who ya gonna call?
Yes, the truth hurts doesn't it. If you don't want to hear it then don't provoke a response by spouting the same old crap. What do you think we should do, tell you that you have the perfect society, an honest government and that the people are the victims of UK oppression? If we did it would be a lie, you are the problem, deal with it.
You feed expats? Where on earth do you think you are? The vast majority of expats fill a need in your broken society and work damn hard just trying to get by. Look around you, you're not exactly the master race yet you honestly believe you are superior to the actual people that keep this country and economy running, look after your children and maintain your property etc, etc……
Most of those expats that you refer to are some of the poorest members of your society and live in some of the worst housing available on this island. If you think that's acceptable and a mark of 'the hand that feeds them', then you are totally to blame and you should be deeply ashamed of yourselves, not gloating at your fake 'Caymanian welcome'.
By parity of reasoning if "making your life in the UK and always complaining about them is akin to biting the hand that feeds you" so must making your life in Cayman and always complaining about them as well, but the logic of that has seemingly eluded you. In the same way as expats fill a need here they also fill a need in Britain, or did you think they were merely parasitesthere or persons who don't work hard just trying to get by? Come on now.
I don't know of any Caymanians who feel themselves superior to expats (although we would like to be treated as well as expats) but there are clearly many expats on here that feel themselves superior to Caymanians. That comes across clearly in your contemptuous response and the thumbs up it received.
There are some expats who choose to live in substandard housing or to time share their accommodation because it maximises the amount they can send back to their homeland. No one compelled them to live there. There is no reason to believe that if they got say a 25% uplift in income that that would change. I fail to see how we are to blame or why we should be ashamed of their choice. Are we also to 'blame' for those who live in the BEST housing on the Island, or does this only work one way?
If you would calm down and leave the emotion out of it you would begin to think clearly.
Whoops, almost missed this particular gem;
"Hague pointed out some of the provisions now in place to “safeguard good governance and sound financial management”"
The TCI thanks you Hague, but again, please do not neglect your own country in your endeavours.
Don't get mad at me folks, I didn't make up any of this – I simply point it out.
As it regards the UK, the general rule Cayman is, "do as they say, not as they do".
Context is everything.
I guess running an country with 48,000 people is the same thing as running one with 50,000,000 people. Same milage of roads, same number of public schools, same number of hospitals, same taxes to collect, etc.
We'relucky to have you Whodatis. Whenever there's a murder in Cayman -you're there to show us murders in the UK. Corruption in Cayman – you show us UK corruption. Gangs. poor education, inadequate healthcare, you can show us it all in te UK. It's helpful because instead of thinking about (or even dealing with) these problems you are there to show us how really, really bad the nasty UK is. And if someone falls down some stairs in Cayman you can show us someone in England who fell off a cliff.
That's why Whodatis, I have no incentive on reaching the top. Too much crap goes on there. Give me food, shelter, clothing, and a wife who is happy and content, and that is all I need. These politicians make the fascist Mussolini look like an angel of light.
You miss a lot of things, mostly the facts and truth. Try not to miss the boat when direct rule comes to Cayman. After all, that would be your worst nightmare, hopefully!!!
Thank you!
"“I want to make clear this government’s determination to ensure that there is no repeat of the maladministration that led to the suspension of democratic government in TCI, either there or in any other British overseas territory,” Hague warned."
But what about the mainland British territory, Willie?
E.g. What ever happened with Dave's personal salesman, Cruddas? Haven't heard a peep since.
🙂
This is way too much hypocrisy so early in the morning … where is my coffee?
This is way too much anti-UK bile so early in the day. But entirely predictable. Sure the UK has its own house to clean but corruption in Cayman is at silly levels infecting every part of government. Only the UKsintervention would produce a quick fix, but every Caymanian would see a relative charged with a criminal offence.
Your coffe is behind the trees you can't see because of the forest.
Even without adjusting for size there was nothing in the UK that has come close to the massive corruption in the TCI or in Cayman. Stop pointing fingers at other countries to deflect the huge problems in your home territory.
lol… Pit Bull you of all person defending the Queen!
What?
You mean Cruddas, the Conservative's party treasurer that had to step down the other day.
Woo Hoo!
Can you please come down here and sort out the widespread corruption before it gets any worse?
TCI status (belonger) rules:
Won't happen – what they want and international rights obligations are two different things.