HOA rejects proposal of ‘direct vote’ for Premier, Deputy Premier

The House of Assembly has rejected a proposal from the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) to alter how the Premier and Deputy Premier are selected, opting instead to retain the current system.

The decision is contained in the House’s report on the CRC’s 2022–2023 recommendations, which was tabled last week as part of the ongoing constitutional review process.

The CRC had recommended changes to the leadership model, including selecting the Premier and Deputy Premier from among At-Large elected members, alongside broader electoral reforms. However, lawmakers declined to adopt that approach.

The report states that the recommendation on direct or quasi-direct election of the Premier was “not accepted.”

Instead, the House agreed to keep the existing system, where the Premier and Deputy Premier are appointed from among elected members based on parliamentary support. “The Committee recommends retaining the current parliamentary appointment process for the Premier and Deputy Premier,” the report noted.

Lawmakers argued that the CRC’s proposal could create competing mandates within the House of Assembly. “Members considered that an At-Large leadership model could generate competing mandates within the elected House and weaken collective Cabinet accountability under a parliamentary system,” the report stated.

The House also expressed concern that the recommendation would shift the Virgin Islands toward a hybrid governance model. “Members also considered that the CRC proposal would move the Virgin Islands toward a hybrid model inconsistent with established parliamentary conventions,” the report added.

While rejecting the leadership reform, lawmakers acknowledged concerns raised about the At-Large system and agreed to address them through other measures. These include increasing representation by adding additional At-Large seats rather than changing how the Premier is selected.

The report reflects months of deliberations by members sitting as a committee comprising all elected representatives to review all 57 recommendations made by the CRC.

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, who tabled the report, described the exercise as a major step in shaping the territory’s constitutional future. “This report represents the collective position of the democratically elected members of the House of Assembly, after having in-depth deliberations on the Constitutional Review Commission’s Report,” he stated.

He added that the process was aimed at producing reforms that are “progressive, forward-looking, and transformative,” while committing to “transparent dialogue and meaningful reforms that uphold our shared values and aspirations as a people.”

The report will now inform the next phase of constitutional discussions and potential negotiations on amendments to the Virgin Islands Constitution.