Governmentof BVI re-shuffle
Courtesy the BVI IslandSun
"At 1 o'clock today, I received a letterfrom the Honourable Chief Minister asking me to revoke the appointmentof the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Communications andWorks, J. Alvin Christopher," was the announcement made justafter 6 o'clock Tuesday evening by His Excellency Governor FrankSavage.
He said he was also advised by the ChiefMinister that he would like Hon. Julian Fraser to be appointedDeputy Chief Minister and accordingly as the Minister of Communicationsand Works. In this capacity, he would be responsible for subjectsincluding administration, building standards, civil aviation,electricity, roads, fire and rescue services, hazardous materials,marine transport, meteorology, ports and pilots, public works,telecommunications including broadcast and the media and waterand sewerage.
In addition, the Governor announced thatHon. Reeial George was to be appointed Minister with responsibilitiesfor the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, also with effectfrom 21st May 2002. He was subsequently sworn in as a Minister.
His responsibilities include the administrationof departments, crown lands including the seabed (except Wickham'sCay), agriculture, coastal zone management cooperatives, fisheries,forestry, geology, housing, labour, land policy, land registration,minerals and mining, national parks, marine parks, nature conservationand survey.
In accepting the appointment, Hon. Fraser,previously Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, said itwas only three years ago that he went through this process ofbeing sworn in as a Minister. "I never thought that todayI'd be back before another general election swearing in to theoffice of Minister.
He said this is a call to duty, an occasionto which he must rise. He thanked his colleagues for reposingconfidence in him to serve in this capacity.
"I had a relationship for three yearswith the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, one which I'venurtured and I had no intentions of leaving that Ministry exceptin the case in which I've found myself that my colleagues literallyinsisted that I move over to the other Ministry and serve,"the new Minister of Communications and Works said.
He congratulated Minister George on hisnew appointment and pledged his support as he attempts to continuethe many programmes in place and the initiatives taken.
"What I would like to emphasize isthe future more so than the past," the Deputy Chief Ministercontinued.
"The future of the Virgin Islands Party,the future of this country, depends on what we as Ministers dofrom now until the next general elections."
He acknowledged that there have been difficulttimes, but encouraged the team to work together to overcome. Hecraved the support of his colleagues and pledged to continue thisjourney he started and expected to last four years.
For his part, the new Minister of NaturalResources and Labour Hon. Reeial George said he first had to resignas Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Council in anticipation ofhis new appointment.
He thanked the Chief Minister for the confidenceplaced in him to "take on this tremendous responsibility".
He said he accepts the challenge with agreat sense of humility and pledged to do whatever he can to workas hard as he can in this administration on behalf of all thepeople of these islands.
"The road ahead is difficult and itis made more complex by current problems, but there's no bettertime than now for us to work together, both opposition and governmentand indeed all the people of these islands for the common goodand the advancement of our country," Hon. George, a TerritorialRepresentative, appealed.
He said this is his mission and duty tohis country. "When the time comes that I'm no longer in thiscapacity, I want to make sure that I would have left these islandsa better placewhatever our problems may be, let us work hardbecauseour country is bigger than us, now is the time to move forwardforwardever, backward never!"
It is unclear at this stage whether Hon.A. J Christopher will remain a Member of the government side orwhether he will cross the floor to the opposition.
If he crosses the floor, this will givethe government of the BVI a slimmer majority in the LegislativeCouncil of 7 to 6.
General elections in the BVI are constitutionallydue in just over a year's time, by August 2003.