Dr. Brown says that Bermuda will become independent, either through a conscious decision or by the UK wanting rid of us. “It will come in time. Either we will work our way out of the house, or they will throw us out.” A cynic might speculate that he aims to be such a pain that [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Independence'
Premier Says the R Word
October 27th, 2008 · Comments Off · Independence
I believe this is the first time that the Premier has publicly supported the use of a Referendum to decide whether Bermuda should pursue independence. “Independence is still on the table,” Dr. Brown told nearly 150 Bermudian students who travelled from universities across the UK for the opportunity to question the Island’s Leader on a [...]
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UN Committee on Decolonisation
October 7th, 2008 · Comments Off · Independence
The UN decolonisation committee is warming up again. I am critical of the UN’s current efforts as many of the countries on its list for liberation are not colonies of the invaded or oppressed; they are small countries who decide it is in their best interest to retain an affiliation with a larger power. The [...]
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Elections vs Referenda
August 29th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Independence
Patrick Manning, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, has set 2011 as the target for economic integration in his proposed Caribbean federation. Why would he chose a date a mere three years from now, which seems ridiculous if not irresponsible? The answer is, because he thinks like an ambitious politician. As pointed out, none of the [...]
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Small Country Blues
August 28th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Independence
The PLP’s marketing of independence avoids the plain facts that minuscule countries have a hard time going it alone. Local enthusiasts wishfully say that Caricom solidarity or some new island federation might overcome that size disadvantage. The local media has not covered the radical moves that some island states in the Caribbean are currently proposing [...]
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UK Foreign Affairs Committee on Bermuda
July 5th, 2008 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics, Independence, Reform, Transparency
The Select Committee on Foreign Affairs of the UK House of Commons has published their Seventh Report on the Overseas Territories. It includes a wide variety of “housekeeping” suggestions regarding ways to improve governance in the Overseas Territories as well as to improve the UK’s relationship with them. It includes a whirlwind tour of Bermuda’s [...]
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Rafferandum III
June 30th, 2008 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Independence
As noted here previously, the Government of the Cayman Islands is in the midst of a massive public consultation regarding modernisation of their Constitution. The proposed draft was to have been put before Caymanians this summer, before taking it for a constitutional negotiation with the UK. That plan is now changed, revealing some of the [...]
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Rafferandum II
June 30th, 2008 · Comments Off · Independence
More from the UK FCO on referenda last month: As the 1999 White Paper pointed out, the United Kingdom’s policy towards the Overseas Territories rests on the basis that it is the people of each Territory who determine whether they wish to stay linked to the United Kingdom or not. The United Kingdom has no [...]
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Rafferandum
June 28th, 2008 · Comments Off · Independence
The Governor made his usual mystifying clarification this week on the means to adjudge public support for independence in an overseas territory: While he offered a referendum as one option of gauging if Bermudians want to cut ties with the UK, he said that it was not the only one, though he did not clarify [...]
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Cayman Reform
May 23rd, 2008 · Comments Off · Accountability, Bermuda Politics, Independence, Transparency
For the last year, our friendly competition in the Cayman Islands have been engaged in a public discourse to update their Constitution. They have now released the draft proposals, which will go before a public referendum later this year. They clearly have their eye – both in emulation and in correction – on Bermuda. The [...]
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