DEPOSING OF A LITIGITIMATELY ELECTED GOVERNMENT IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

Atlas the spotlight is beginning to shine on what can only be describe as a modern day coup by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in conjunction with a group of Belongers (under the influence of very influential foreign expatriates living and working in the Turks and Caicos islands) in their over throw of the legitimately elected government of Michael Misick in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The way this coup was carried out can only be describe as genius under the guise of corrupt politicians. In an effort to decipher the master minding of this coup we discovered that this all started with a handful of unsatisfied and disgruntle expatriates mainly of British origin. They were unhappy with the Progressive National Party (PNP) aggressive policy to empower the Belonger population by making them part and parcel of any transaction involving the award of crown land for development in the TCI.

This group including, Hartshorne, Stanbrook, Berke and others is now not so fondly referred to by Belongers as the "Grace Bay Boys" (reminiscence of the political and financial power of the Bay Street Boys in the Bahamas prior to Independence from the UK) team up with Belongers Shaun Malcolm, Floyd Seymour, Albrey Butterfield Junior, Carl Simmons, Oswald Skippings, Drexler Seymour, Carlos Simmons, Blythe Duncanson; Wendall Swann to stage a situation by utilizing media network such as TCWeekly News, TCnetnews, TCI Journal, Caribbean Net News and Ipinion by Anthony Hall to get their message of disinformation about the ruling PNP party out to the world but in particular to those British politicials at the FCO willing to listen to and work with them for the over throw of the PNP administration.

Using the media outlets mentioned above these individuals by themselves or with the use of others acting on their behalf flooded the FCO office in London with complaints of corruption in the government couple with a climate of fear which prevented people from speaking out against the governing PNP administration. We now know that the climate of fear argument was just that; because Gemma Handy a female English journalist who is rumored to be having a romantic relationship with Art Robinson an elected member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) has over the past two years printed some of the most disgusting and salacious articles critical of the ruling PNP administration; ironically Gemma Handy lives and work in the TCI on a work permit approved and granted by the same PNP administration that she writes so callously about and for which the British FCO said was akin to communist China. Although she has never as far as I am aware write a positive script about the PNP administration, I am not aware and no one that I have talked with is aware that she was ever denied a work permit or targeted, intimidated in any way by the PNP administration. One would expect given her out spoken and hard hitting articles against the PNP administration if anyone was to be targeted she would have been first in line.

It is common knowledge in the TCI that the bulk of the complaints about corruption in government which prompted the visit of British politicians to come to the TCI on a fact finding mission was submitted by Shaun Malcolm, Net D'arcuile (personally and by the use of his family connection with the Punch tabloid newspaper), Floyd Seymour, Anthony Hall among others all I suspect using hundreds of pseudonyms and aliases.

After months of continuous complaints by this group and the FCO initially determined that there was no credible evidence of rampant corruption by the PNP or Michael Misick. The organizers of the coup with the complicity of certain officials from the FCO decided they have to ramp up their attack and do whatever it takes to bring down Michael Misick. The thinking as I understand it to be in various circles, if Michael Misick was brought down the entire PNP administration would collapse. Realizing that their plan could not succeed while Mike was so popular among the Belongers population of the TCI; they devise a plan in cahoots with Lisa Raye to set Mike up in such a way that his status in the community and in the eyes of the Belonger population would greatly diminished; Mike provided them with the perfect opportunity and that was when I am told the rape allegations was fabricated; with the rape allegation in the cards the British politicians finally had what they needed to push their agenda of removing a duly elected government from power by instituting a commission of inquiry.

This all came to a head with a commission of inquiry being held and at the conclusion thereof the single retired Judge from the UK, Robin Auld recommended the suspension of the TCI constitution, suspension of representative government in exchange for an appointed administration with the British appointed governor having all the powers of the former elected government, suspension of the right to jury trial and the reversal of the burden of proof for public officials; with the British take over well in place, in early August the constitution was suspended and interim government name. Surprisingly or not so surprisingly (this is a topic for another story). Stanbrook, Simmons, Seymour and others who supported the coup was given a place in the interim administration others were given government contracts. How ironic is this?

This is not the whole story and the plot thickens, now that Misick is gone the organizers using much of the same tactic started targeting Floyd Seymour, the Leader of the Opposition PDM, Seymour not quite the leader the PDM expected and himself not having the leadership qualities of Michael Misick, decided to not contest the leadership position during the upcoming PDM convention set for the end of October 2009. This is where it gets interesting; Oswald Skipping by all accounts will end up being leader of the PDM. Remember Skippings is one of the original organizers of the media disinformation campaign which led to the overthrow of Mike Misick’s government and he with the supported by Hartshorne, Shaun and others is hoping the PDM will get the support of the TCI population and form the Government of the TCI after the British reinstate the TCI constitution as they say they would in 2011.