The United Kingdom’s Foreign Affairs Committee is seeking answers as to just how much power British Overseas Territories’ governors have and whether those territories should be allowed more of a role in selecting them.
Governor Stuart Jack |
The issue, which is central to constitutional reform discussions now occurring in the Cayman Islands, was discussed by committee members with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) at a committee meeting last month in London.
‘There is a discussion with the particular Overseas Territory ahead of the appointment of the governor as to what kind of particular characteristics, experience they think is important,’ said Meg Munn, FCO under-secretary of state. Ms Munn said these discussions occur before advertisements are put out for a governor’s position.
The ruling People’s Progressive Movement government’s complaint in the past has been that locally elected leaders in the Cayman Islands were not allowed a voice in the selection process when a new governor is chosen.
Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts spoke to the Foreign Affairs Committee about the matter in December.
‘Because we have to live with (the governor) every day while he’s there, we believe it’s only fair that…we could have wind of who’s being consulted and some type of biography so that we could have a look and maybe pass on our opinion,’ he said at the time.
Tension between Cayman Islands Governor Stuart Jack and elected Cabinet members has been evident since Mr. Jack’s decision last year to convene a commission of enquiry to look into the actions of Tourism Minister Charles Clifford following Mr. Clifford’s resignation as permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism in 2004.
Other British Overseas Territories such as Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands have struggled with the governor-local government relationship in recent years.
Members of the UK Foreign Affairs Committee asked whether such difficulties might be alleviated by the appointment of a locally-based Deputy Governor, which the PPM has proposed in its constitutional reform plan.
‘Not necessarily,’ Ms Munn said, ‘sometimes it can be the other way around in the sense that we are talking about relatively small communities.’
‘There can sometimes be friction in relation to long personal or political histories with people appointed as deputy governor. In other cases, it can be somebody who’s perfectly acceptable to a wide range of people and has the respect of a great range of people.’
Overseas Territories Director for the FCO, Leigh Tucker, told the committee that the appointment of local deputy governors has been a trend of late in the overseas territories. Mr. Tucker said the appointments were a good idea in principle. In practice, he said it depended on the particular case.
The PPM has suggested that the deputy governor’s office should be created by the new constitution and that the position should be held by a Caymanian. The government have said this person should replace the chief secretary, but should only be allowed to attend meetings of the Cabinet when the governor is absent.
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