STATEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ISSUED BY THE THIRTIETH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY, 2-5 JULY 2009, GEORGETOWN, GUYANA

The Member States of the Caribbean Community reiterate their view that respect for the rule of law, representative democracy and integrity in public life are fundamental elements of good governance to which they all strongly adhere. Accordingly, they were deeply disturbed by the adverse findings of Turks and Caicos Commission of Inquiry into possible corruption or other dishonesty in relation to past and present elected members of the Legislature.

The Caribbean Community continues to hold fast to the view it expressed in its statement on the situation in the TCI on 24 March 2009 that suspending the Constitution of TCI and its democratic institutions and resorting to direct rule by the colonial power are not the most effective tools to bolster good governance and effective administration in the territory.

The Community therefore regrets that the intervening period was not used more profitably to find solutions that would avert the threatened constitutional and democratic dislocation. In this regard, the rejection by the governor of the proposal of the new Premier to allow the people of TCI to elect a new government which could have adopted and implemented the measures required to improve the administration of the territory and strengthen integrity in public life was, regrettably, a lost opportunity. The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands and their ability to govern themselves in the long run will benefit far more from strengthening their administrative and good governance processes through their own efforts than by the administrations through the governor under direct rule.