On the heels of a rather tumultuous relationship with the territory’s immediate-past governor, Premier Andrew Fahie is forging a new path - pledging his government’s full support to Governor John Rankin, even amid the Commission of Inquiry.
The Premier said he believes he and the Governor were divinely put together to take the BVI to the next level “in a partnership built on mutual respect and a partnership built on trust”.
“I know that is going to happen because that is what John and Andrew did in the Bible. And what was, is; and what is, was; and what was, will be again,” Premier
Fahie prophesied.
He continued: “So you have the utmost support from my government even with the
Commission of Inquiry. We welcome a transparent
Commission of Inquiry because we are one hundred percent certain that when it is completed in the transparent way through the processes, that the British Virgin Islands will be able to move from its teenage years into its adulthood.”
The territory will be watching the relationship between the two leaders closely over the next few years, particularly because of the strained relationship between the
Fahie administration and the previous governor.
Relations between the
Fahie administration and Governor Augustus Jaspert’s office soured in 2020 when
COVID-19 hit the BVI. There were allegations that the two arms of government wrestled for power as they tried to determine who should lead the territory during the health crisis.
On the day, Jaspert demitted office as governor, Premier
Fahie was the only member of the government who attended the farewell ceremony. However, some sections of the public criticized his casual attire at the official event, saying it showed lack of respect for the Governor’s Office.