Turks and Caicos premier fires health minister
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| Published on Friday, January 9, 2009 |
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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands: At 11 pm on Wednesday night, Premier Michael Misick announced on TCI New Media, the government sponsored television station, that after “careful thought and consideration”, he had asked Governor Gordon Wetherell to revoke the appointment of Minister Lillian Boyce under Section 30 (2) b of the Constitution.
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Former Minister of Health and Human Services,
Lillian Boyce |
Boyce was the Minister for Health and Human Services. Previously, she was also Minister for Education until Carlton Mills was appointed to Parliament and took over that portfolio approximately two years ago.
Boyce was reportedly informed of her termination by means of a telephone call from Deputy Premier Floyd Hall at 11:40 p.m. on Wednesday night. She confirmed that she subsequently became aware that Misick sent her a text message after 9 p.m. in which he said he was trying to reach her urgently.
Misick’s action came after a pre-Cabinet meeting at the Premier’s office earlier Wednesday morning when Boyce criticised Misick for misleading the public in his address to the country late Tuesday night by giving the impression that all of his Cabinet ministers had reconciled their differences with respect to calling for his resignation.
“The Premier told a blatant lie and was being absolutely dishonest by giving that false impression to the country that all was well within the Cabinet and in the Government, when he in fact has written evidence that he no longer enjoys the confidence, respect or support of the majority of Progressive National Party (PNP) Members of Parliament,” Boyce said.
“That kind of deceitful and hypocritical behaviour is precisely what has eroded the confidence of a rapidly increasing number of citizens and residents of the Turks and Caicos Islanders who, in one voice, are calling for the Premier to go,” she added.
Boyce has been instrumental in efforts to have Misick removed as leader.
She said she had no regrets about Misick’s decision to fire her, adding that she knew that it was always a consequence of the action which she was taking in the interest of the party and the country.
“Since December 15 (2008) when we signed and delivered the letter of no-confidence to the Governor, I made it unequivocally clear to the Premier that he was free to fire me at any time, because I was serving at his pleasure and he could therefore appoint and disappoint whoever and whenever he saw it fit,” she added. “It was my intention to resign from Cabinet and I told him that on Monday, but I was advised not to do so yet, in order to avoid a constitutional crisis. But I will continue to serve my constituents and my people to the best of my ability.”
She said, “Like a vast majority of the people in the Turks and Caicos Islands, I became tired of a Premier who despite several pleas from his ministers, the party and the people to change and improve his leadership style, continued to squander a wealth of goodwill, overspend hard-earned political capital, inflict embarrassing scars on the image and reputation of the Turks and Caicos Islands, assault and abuse the democratic process, and who was relentless in demonstrating blatant disrespect for the people of this country. What bothered me most is that the Premier totally lost caring and regard for the people of this country. It was as if he was the only person who mattered and if it was all and only about him. There is only so much and no more that one can take.”
Boyce said that members of parliament from Misick’s Progressive National Party (PNP) intend to file a motion of no confidence in the Premier whenever the House of Assembly resumes.
A similar motion of no confidence brought in parliament by the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) opposition last month was not debated as scheduled as a result of a dispute over parliamentary procedure. The House of Assembly was subsequently prorogued sine die by Governor Gordon Wetherell at Misick’s request.
Boyce also appeared on WIV TV early Wednesday evening complaining that the Misick-led government has done virtually nothing for the people of her constituency of Five Cays (Providenciales) since the hurricanes of early September last year.
Five Cays was extensively flooded from Tropical Storm Hanna, which reformed as a category one hurricane over the TCI. The Five Cays area of Provo suffered flooded homes and submerged vehicles. Hurricane Ike, which arrived only a few days later, caused additional damage.
Storm Hanna, which lingered over the TCI for days, brought massive amounts of rain and was responsible for extensive damage to the new roads and dissolution of the causeway between Middle and North Caicos.
In related news, sources in Provo have informed Caribbean Net News that Deputy Premier Floyd Hall, who is also the Minister of Finance, has authored his own speech disputing much of the Premier’s national address of Tuesday night, which aired only on the government television station, four hours late.
During that speech, Misick had announced that he had patched up differences between himself and the other ministers and members of Parliament, and the government was going forward intact.
These sources reported that Hall was attempting to find a media outlet to broadcast his speech.
The serious discontent within the Misick-led government has prompted two local newspapers, the TCI Sun and the TCI Free Press, to conduct surveys among residents on the perceived state of Misick’s leadership. Both surveys indicate that 80 percent of those polled felt that Misick needed to resign. | | | | Reads : 3142 | | | |
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