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Premier, Other VIP Law Makers' Spouses, Significant Other Qualified For Belonger Status - Rymer

by pltm
Apr 17, 2023
23

(PLTM) - The spouses and significant other of Virgin Islands Party (VIP) members of the House of Assembly (HoA) were duly qualified to received Belonger status, according to Deputy Premier and Minister for Communication & Works, Hon. Kye Rymer.

Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. Natalio Wheatley; Hon. Sharie De Castro, Minister of Education and At-Large Representative, Hon. Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith have all recused themselves from today’s HoA which has been historically recalled to correct and legalise the granting of Belonger status to some 688 persons under the VIP’s Fast Track Programme.

In refuting what he called false rumours, the Deputy Premier said persons have gone as far as to falsely claim that the spouses of certain honourable members who applied to the fast-track programme did not qualify for Belonger status, but that this was still granted to them.

“Madam Speaker, this is absolutely not so,” Hon. Rymer stated.

He added, “Let me be perfectly clear. Honourable Neville Smith’s wife was married to him for five years and qualified based on section 16 (6) of the law. Hon. Sharie De Castro’s significant other satisfied the requirement for years required under Section 16 (4) and the Premier’s wife by far satisfied the requirement of years required under the same section.”

The Deputy Premier also pointed out that when Cabinet approved applications, the Premier recused himself and did not vote. Furthermore, he stated that Hon. De Castro and Hon. Smith were not a part of Cabinet at that time, but yet those who are spreading the misinformation they conveniently left that out to sway public opinion.

“Clearly, when the information was recently brought to light the facts were deliberately left out. While I understand it is a campaign season, it is with great disservice to the public to spread such information just to seek to discredit persons running for office. It seems some would spear no doubt in doing so even if it means hurting the innocent loved ones of persons even in this honourable house,” Hon. Rymer stated.

With a week to go before the polls, the HoA being recalled after being dissolved has never happened before in the history of the Virgin Islands.

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Reader Opinion

Please note that the opinions posted are the opinions of its author and does not in any way reflect the views of the management, staff, parent company or sponsors of Virgin Islands Platinum News.

Aunty Susan

Publish the names and the dates or sit down.\n\nWe know you cheated.\n\nWe are not as dumb as you would like us to be.

Rubber Duck

There is only one outstanding candidate\n\nLorna Smith\n\nLets get Lorna in our Corner

@ D WIGGED ONE

boi U blogging day and night on your site and on \n the other 2 with your broken record criticism of them / the UK / JASPERT / BORIS / CINDY / EXPATS and now you are on our own BVILANDERS it worked in the last election but your propaganda rethoric is not so you can keep on blogging on all 3 news sites using different names to fool people with numbers / it is not going to work , bye blondie , keep fooling yourself

I SAID IT

A lot has been done and said to try to permanently eliminate Andrew Fahie. He is not perfect but although I am not a VIP supporter, I say thank you to Andrew Fahie & VIP for having the guts to get this fast rack initiative done to help 1500 persons like myself to finally get our status in the BVI. It would not have happened otherwise as history has proven such.

Island bird

The damaged already done . Leave the people them with their status and just disqualify them from voting . Revoked swande people them his inlaws get status all of them revoked them a** .

Blame the weak Gov..

So many mistakes, the biggest mistake of all to date is the Gov and Britain refused to suspend..Thats why we in all of this mess. The Giv and Britain is responsible...humans will make mistakes. Breaking the laws when you know the laws is not a mistake, its a criminal act...My heart hurts for those who\'s being waiting for years and still waiting. Who did it the right way and are ignored..

Sixer

Everyone had the opportunity to receive the status. Some people simply did not have the $1500.00 fee to get theirs at that time, so don\'t blame the Government for that.

Sixer

Everyone had the opportunity to receive the status. Some people simply did not have the $1500.00 fee to get theirs at that time, so don\'t blame the Government for that.

Hmm Governor

The Governor thought he was being quite clever with this one. STOP making the people collateral damage! This entire plot has made me sick to my stomach that the governor would go to such lengths to turn us against each other. You all better wake up!

Jim

Extremely clever. Our leaders didn’t want new voters to upset the elections. New belongers means new voters. So the governor wisely stepped in to even the balance and promote balance. And to get more citizens full rights, not like the archaic caste system we use.

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

Is saying )> ( slo ) this ain\'t no joke , it\'s disrespectful / ( De ) I don\'t believe this is really happening / ( SHee ) ya\'ll 4 get who I is , am ah player smile ? ?

Youth man who wasn\'t VIP

My parents got status through this VIP fast track process and did so by filling out the application and then paying $1500 each as our family do not support VIP. They did not ask for any favors and they received their status. Now we were told they are two of the 688 that were given status by mistake. How can the government be blamed for this \"so called blunder\". Is it really a blunder or a political stunt? Since only VIP cared enough to try to do something to get the back log dealt with and they are being ridiculed for doing it then all 1500 who got status under VIP Fast Track should vote for the VIP and send the Governor, Attorney General, Auditor General, and all the naysayers a real message. My parents were split between PVIM & NDP, but they are so annoyed by this nonsense that they have decided they both will now vote VIP. You know what, I will now do the same.

Voter

Many think this indeed a stunt to try to get the VIP out!\nAll persons who got the opportunity to Vote due to fast track- VOTE VIP \nNdp / PVIM Would not have done it . !\n\n

last election

In 2019 the NDP through the other half of the then Premier and other NDP officials give 70 rich whi... friends status and no one else and most of them did not qualify for neither residence nor belonger but the then Governor said not a word and some of them were allowed to vote in 2019 and now in 2023. Some lived in the BVI only two years prior. All these mistakes are being covered up by the Governor & auditor General out of hatred for the VIP helping many of us from the Caribbean islands who lived here for years. God does not like ugly.

Hmmmm

As usual the real cro... the Governor is being given a free pass while they planned another bloodless war to assist in their takeover where they come out spotless in the eyes of the people. Something does not add up with this issue, but time will tell,

Bloodless takeover

The Governor and his British counterparts have yet again organized another bloodless takeover. The only audit on any Fast track programme was done on the one did by the VIP in 2019 where fifteen hundred persons benefited, and most were Caribbean people who were here for years, and their application was being ignored. This sparked the Governors\' interest, so they included it in the COI and for the auditor general to do a report. Simply put, this annoyed him and the last Governor as they are not pleased so many black Caribbean people got status. On the contrary, not a word or not a report or not an audit was done on the 70 rich upper class white friends especially those in the \"prestige\" financial services industry who got status right before the 2019 General Elections by the NDP and the current Attorney General who was the Permanant Secretary in the Premier\'s Office at the time. The slavery mill is grinding slow but grinding still and with some of our local helping the slave master hoping they will give them power.

Tell me

They love their down island lovers despite all the talk talk about us.

Don’t get it twisted

A blind dumb donkey know that your ex boss have hands in the election/pulling strings from M….

These 3 stooges

Geh rid ah um

Keep hope alive.

Kye. Pls Stop. You all conveniently use you all Power to bend the law to you all benefit, thats corruption.. How about those that have resident status for years with their belonger application in for yrs, who\'s being here for over 40yrs and still waiting, Why those didn\'t given priority..? U all just corrupt and wicked..I gave up on VIP. I hope the new Govt address the real back log..With real people..

Ham and chesse

My nephew has been married for 7 years, and now immigration denies status to his wife because she doesn\'t work, when they themselves tell you, your wife can\'t work, they apply the law to whoever they want, under no heading of the marriage law You say that the wife, or husband, you have to be working, the law says, of course, five years of marriage and I am not speaking lies, it is pure reality of those who do Emigration with whom they want

Responsibility on former AG

So it is true that it was the former AG who made the mistake! Go figure. We must not always be so quick to rush to judgement on our politicians. Hon. Rymer is right. It is disgusting that Cindy working with Mitch and Marlon are spreading false rumors about Ministers cspouses. Is this what politics in the BVI has come down to? And why was the Governor silent on what the former AG did? The Queen\'s colonial representatives has his motives. UK political interference and blue and red power hungry politicians that will say anything to get into power. Instead of us coming together as a people.

lol

The AG decided to do this? Cabinet made the decision and he told them it was ok

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