CM Issues Second Round of Public Consultations

Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, who told protesters last week that the Physical Planning Bill and the Labour Code Bill, will not be taken to the House of Assembly until the people of Anguilla are satisfied with their provisions, has announced a further series of public consultations on the draft legislation.

The Bills have been the subject of much discussion and controversy over the past four weeks in public meetings started by the government and continued by concerned persons in various parts of the island.

The meetings by the concerned persons climaxed in a demonstration on Tuesday, October 4, when protestors marched from the Ronald Webster Park to the Secretariat, where they presented a letter and petition to the Chief Minister demanding, among other things, the withdrawal of the draft legislation. The letter alsocalled for meetings between delegates representing the protesters and Elected Members of the House of Assembly “to iron out the undertakings” they requested in the letter.

On Tuesday this week, October 11, the following press release was issued by the Government:

“Chief Minister, the Honourable Osbourne B. Fleming, has today announced that in keeping with the spirit of his words in the House of Assembly on August 23rd, 2005, his actions in the scheduled Town-Hall Meetings and his press release of October 5th, the Government of Anguilla will further its programme of public consultations on the Physical Planning Bill 2005 and the Labour Code Bill 2005.

“Mr. Fleming said the strategy of going forward will be more focused enabling a wider cross-section of individuals to participate in the process. The format of the forums will be such that participatory democracy will be heightened. Mr. Fleming said that a team of technicians will meet with various civic groups, organizations and church groups. The feedback from these meetings will then be passed on to an independent group for summation and final submission so as to allow for and necessary modifications to the Bills before they are returned to the House of Assembly.

“Chief Minister Fleming emphasized that ‘the policy of public consultations will continue with his administration. In this new round of consultations, I expect that decency and order will prevail when discussions are being held with the various civic groups, organizations and church groups. I expect that most Anguillians through this new approach will have the opportunity to participate and that the rights, views and concerns of the members of these groups will be respected.’”

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