U.K. TAKES TURKS AND CAICOS GOV'T BACK

C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 000520

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2019
TAGS: ECON POL PGOV BF
SUBJECT: U.K. TAKES TURKS AND CAICOS GOV'T BACK

REF: A. NASSAU 169

B. NASSAU 191

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Zuniga-Brown for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) The Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands
(TCI) was suspended for two years on August 14th following a
decision by the Court of Appeal in London. The House of
Assembly was dissolved and governance of the island nation
transferred to Governor Gordon Wetherell. Senior civil
servant Martin Stanley was appointed Chief Executive to run
the TCI Public Service. Wetherell will also appoint an
Advisory Council and Consultative Forum.


2. (U) The suspension was a result of an investigation into
government corruption begun in 2007. A Commission of Inquiry
was established and a redacted version of the commission
report was made public in July. The report concluded that
there was "a high probability of systemic corruption and/or
other serious dishonesty involving past and present elected
Members of the House of Assembly and other in recent years."


3. (U) Wetherell announced that the temporary government
would make a clean break with the past and establish "a
durable path towards good governance, sound financial
management and sustainable development." Elections are
scheduled to be held by July 2011.


4. (U) TCI Premier Galmo Williams issued a press statement
characterizing the suspension as a "coup" by the government
of the United Kingdom (UK). He charged the UK with wanting
to "invade" and "re-colonize." He accused the UK of
dissolving a democratically elected government and replacing
it with a dictatorship.


5. (U) The Progressive Liberal Party (opposition) in The
Bahamas issued a strongly worded statement claiming IT WAS
"deeply disturbed" by the suspension of the TCI Constitution.
MP Fred Mitchell remarked that the UK government should have
found another way to deal with the corruption issues.


6. (C) Embassy sources inside the Turks and Caicos report
that conditions on the ground are calm and there has been
little effect to the continuity of operations and services.
Current opposition member, Douglas Parnell, reported to
PolChief that he was asked to lead the opposition party when
the party meets in November to choose a leader. Parnell
indicated that the opposition party is pleased with the
timing of the elections, noting that it will allow the party
time to build a constituency to challenge for power.

ZUNIGA-BROWN