A total of 16 persons were selected to sit on the Constitutional Review Committee by the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands with 14 unanimously chosen.
This was confirmed by the Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley on Friday, July 1, at a media conference.
He said the committee will be led by Mrs. Lisa Penn-Lettsome as the Chairperson while Ms. Janice Stoutt will be the Deputy Chairman.
The other 14 members include Dr. Charles Wheatley, Mr. Ronnie Skelton, Mrs. Bernadine Louis, Rev. Dr. Melvin Turnbull, Dr. Benedicta Samuels, Dr. Steve Lennard, Ms. Maya Barry, Mr. Sendrick Chinnery, Ms. Noni Georges, Mr. Coy Levans, Mr. Rajah Smith, Sir Dennis Byron, Mrs. Tanya Cassie-Parker; and Ms. Susan Demers.
Dr. Wheatley encouraged the committee members to execute their respective roles to the best of their ability.
He said, “I employ each Constitutional Commissioner to carry out their duty with integrity and with a view to what is in the best interest of the people of these Virgin Islands that builds on the constitutional progress we have made as a people since 1950.”
Meanwhile Governor His Excellency John Rankin said he was pleased that an agreement on the membership of the Constitutional Review Committee had been reached.
“This is an important exercise and I welcome the fact that the Committee’s membership will include a broad range of expertise and experience, reflecting the diversity of the people of the Virgin Islands as a whole,” Governor Rankin stated.
The National Unity Government had set out a deadline date of June 30, 2022, to establish a Constitutional Review Committee.
This new Committee will have until July 30, 2022, to draft Terms of Reference for both the premier and governor to sign off.