Outspoken radio host Claude “Skelton” Cline is calling on past and present leaders of the government to put their differences aside and join forces to prevent the territory from being overtaken by the United Kingdom government.
Cline made the plea during his Honestly Speaking radio programme on Tuesday, where he said that it is time for the people of the Virgin Islands to become “woke” in light of the UK’s recent decision to impose a Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the territory.
“I need you and us to get behind what’s going on. I have registered my disappointment with leadership in both parties regarding either the unwillingness or the inability for all of them to come together as leaders. That means existing, former legislators, of all party stripes to come together and agree on this one single thing. Notwithstanding we have our own housekeeping and house cleaning to do but on the matter of the UK taking over this country in any shape or form must be unacceptable,” Cline stated.
“There has been a failure and inability and or an unwillingness for the political elected leadership present and before to get together and send a clear crystal message to the peoples of this Virgin Islands though we don’t agree on everything, on this matter we must agree and we must fight together to push back against any attempt by the United Kingdom in any shape, form or fashion, direct rule or indirect rule, or otherwise in running the affairs of this country,” he further asserted.
Belittling tactics being used by the UK
Cline who is a former government consultant under the Andrew Fahie led administration, also said that he believes some of the tactics being used within the ongoing COI is belittling to the territory.
He said, “I want somebody to authenticate this for me, because I heard that the Commission has even asked the elected officials to write what sounds like to me an essay on good governance. Is this what we have come to?… We have come this far and you mean to tell me now this kind of approach, paternalistic, colonialist, call it whatever it is you may, but don’t you see something that is wrong with this?”
BVI people should be made fully aware
The radio host said he believes that such acts should be made public going forward, to allow residents to become fully aware of some of the questionable practices occurring behind closed doors.
“I want to charge and challenge this government, if there continues to be things happening behind the scenes you need to tell the people. You need to communicate clearly with the people about what’s taking place. What is it that is at stake?” Cline questioned.
Cline has confirmed that he too was one of the individuals summoned before the COI to answer queries regarding his prior contracts with the government.