| Constitution OK expected soon, Bellingham to visit | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Thursday, 07 July 2011 12:55 | |||
 Revisions to the 2006 Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution are on track to be addressed by the U.K. Privy Council during the week of July 11, His Excellency the Gov. Gordon Wetherell says. That means the changes could take effect in the next few weeks, satisfying a major requirement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) before local government is returned to elected officials, perhaps with elections in 2012. Foreign Minister Henry Bellingham, who made the final decisions on revisions up for approval, will visit the TCI for a few days during the week of July 11, the governor’s office has announced. Details of his visit have not been announced. The U.K. suspended the Constitution and local government in August 2009 after a Commission of Inquiry made allegations of government corruption and recommended a number of changes to ensure good governance. After more than a year of public consultations, the final revisions were hammered out in June at a meeting in London between FCO officials and seven representatives from the TCI. The governor’s powers over the elected officials will be increased to satisfy concerns of U.K. ministers, but most will require review by the U.K. Secretary of State. Election of the House of Assembly will be altered from 15 members elected in single-member districts to 10 from single-member districts and five at-large nationwide. A term limit of two consecutive four-year terms will be imposed on the office of premier. A provision will be added to allow for the creation of local councils, especially on the smaller islands, to deal with local issues instead of having those heard by the House of Assembly. And the Constitution will require that government create a Freedom of Information Act — which the TCI has never had — to ensure transparency in government.
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