(BVI News) Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley opted for the proverbial rose-tinted glasses as he assessed yesterday’s sitting of the House of Assembly (HOA), calling the abnormal legislative gathering a historic event.
The unprecedented recall of the House, mere days before the general elections, summoned lawmakers to validate the immigration status of some 688 Belongers whose legitimacy, according to Governor John Rankin, may likely have been called into question; raising doubts over the validity of the results of next week’s polls.
But even as the occasion was met with some derision by other lawmakers — several of whom pounced on the opportunity to score political points against the Premier’s incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) — Dr. Wheatley chose to celebrate the moment.
“This was of course history,” Premier Wheatley said. “I don’t think there’s anything for the people of the Virgin Islands to be ashamed about.”
