In a confidential letter dated September 24th, 2020 received by our newsroom speaker of the Virgin Islands House of Assembly Hon. Julian Willock issued an unyielding plea to outgoing Governor of the Virgin Islands August JU Jaspert stating “I wish to respectfully ask you to also reflect on the tone of your correspondence to me, bearing in mind we are equals-both of us are heads of two branches of government; Executive and Legislative”.
The letter by the speaker to the Governor was in regards to Bills not assented to by the Governor. Speaker Willock said “My role as speaker was to seek an update on Bills sent from my office to yours.”
Speaker Willock further stated “You may also wish to take note that how one conducts themselves in any office is not only reflected in the tone of a letter, but other behaviors and public statements that can be described as not adequately reflecting the position of Governor.”
In a previous letter dated September 15th, 2020 from the Speaker of the House of Assembly to the Governor of the Virgin Islands regarding Acts not assented to by the Governor. Speaker Willock said he was of the opinion that the Governor of the Virgin Islands may be in violation of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007.
Speaker Willock said “I was encouraged at the end of your correspondence, when you assured me, ‘I will, of course, continue to fulfil my constitutional responsibilities’, however in my humble view, your suggestions may be in violation to the Constitutional Order 2007. The Constitution of 2007 gives the Legislative Branch, in sec 71, the power to make laws. After the laws are made and passed, they go to your good office to be assented to, notwithstanding Sec 79, of the Constitution.”
He continued “It does not require the Speaker of the House of Assembly to go chasing down the Premier or Ministers and Ministries as to the status of a Bill once it originated from my office via Clerk and is in your possession. Your suggestion that Ministries, Ministers or the Premier must update the HOA on your constitutional role as set out on Sec 79, can be interpreted as a blatant violation of the process and the constitution, possibly making your letter disingenuous.”
The two Bills in question not yet assented to by the Governor are the Cannabis Licensing Act and the Drug (Prevention of Misuse) (Amendment) Act 2020 and the Advance Passenger Information Act 2020, which were duly passed in the House of Assembly.
The letters between the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Governor of the Virgin Islands comes on the heels of Governor Jasperts expected departure some eight (8) months earlier than previously announced from his role as Governor of the Virgin Islands.
More to come as the story develops.