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  by pltm
• May 04, 2022
• 7

(PLTM) - Hoping to stave off a temporary take over by the United Kingdom (UK), the Government and Opposition parties have reached an agreement to share ministerial power.

Acting Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley detailed the plan for a ‘national unity government’ today, May 4, following an agreement between the Governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP), National Democratic Party (NDP), and the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM).

Each party would be represented in Cabinet under the plan which will likely need the blessing of Governor John Rankin under the prevailing circumstances of the CoI report. As part of the proposal, Dr. Wheatley will remain Acting Premier and Minister of Finance, but his VIP party will give up two Cabinet seats.

It is proposed that Opposition Leader, Hon. Marlon Penn, will become Minister of Health and Social Development, replacing Hon. Carvin Malone who will remain At-Large Representative with focus on the First District in the absence of Premier Andrew Fahie who is detained in Miami on drug trafficking and money-laundering charges. PVIM’s Hon. Mitch Turnbull, is proposed Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, replacing Hon. Vincent Wheatley who will continue to as representative for the Ninth District.

The plan is to have Hon. Sharie de Castro appointed Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, and Sports, portfolios currently assigned to Dr. Wheatley. The proposal sees Hon. Kye Ryhmer remain Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities.

The NDP’s Hon. Mark Vanterpool will continue to serve as Fourth District Representative under the new ‘unity government’. These proposed cross-partisan initiatives are an attempt to resolve some of the governmental issues, while simultaneously retaining self-governance.

The proposal follows two-days of discussions between the Rt. Hon. Amanda Milling, Minister for Overseas Territories and elected officials. Those talks came about following the release of a scathing Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report that pointed to corruption, abuse of public financing and lack of accountability in Government.