Turks and Caicos Premier to resign

Turks and Caicos Premier Michael Misick said at his press conference on Friday that although he has made some errors in judgment, those “have been magnified and the Commission is being invited to interpret all of my actions in the worst possible light”.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos, February 16, 2009 – Turks and Caicos Premier Michael Misick has bent to the will of his Progressive National Party (PNP) colleagues, announcing that he will resign as both leader of the of the party and the country.

He told a press conference last Friday that a lack of support for his government has forced him to step down as PNP leader on February 28th, when party members are scheduled to vote for a new leader, and as Premier on March 31st.

“What the country and our party need now more than ever is stability and certainty. I have tried in recent weeks to create this. It now appears to me that the divide within the party is too deep,” he said.

“I have decided that I will not seek the leadership of my party on 28th February, 2009. This is a decision that I have not arrived at lightly,” Misick continued, adding that the February 28th to March 31st period will “allow for an orderly transition”.

The announcement came on the same day that Deputy Premier Floyd Hall announced he was resigning and a day after Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Galmo Williams said he was leaving his Cabinet post. Williams said he would be joining Hall in the battle for leadership of the PNP at the convention at month end.

Former Health Minister, Lillian Boyce, who had been fired last month, has been reappointed to the Cabinet to assume the position held by Williams.

Additionally, a number of other changes have been made to the Cabinet. Misick will assume responsibility for Development and Finance, while the other members of his Cabinet will be Jeffrey Hall as Minister of Works, Transportation, Telecommunication and Aviation; McAllister Hanchell as Minister of Tourism, Planning and Environment; Royal Robinson as Minister of Health and Human Services; Carlton Mills as Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture; and Gregory Lightbourne as Minister of Natural Resources.

Many of Misick’s colleagues had, for the past few months, called on him to step down. Nine of the 13 PNP parliamentarians had even sent a letter to Governor Gordon Wetherall, saying that they no longer had confidence in Misick as leader.

A vote of no-confidence had also been filed by the Opposition People's Democratic Movement (PDM) and was supported by some PNP parliamentarians. However, before it could be heard, Misick prorogued the House of Assembly.

His troubles continued, however, as a Commission of Inquiry which ended hearings last week, extensively questioned him about his financial dealings as Turks and Caicos leader.

In his closing remarks, Commissioner Sir Robin Auld harshly criticised how the finances of the British Overseas Terrority were utilised and managed. He said the government is at "a near standstill", the Cabinet is either divided or unstable, and the country's finances "are in a bad way and poorly controlled".

Counsel for the Commission, Alex Milne, went even further, saying that corruption in the Turks and Caicos Island had become “endemic”, with bribery reaching “monstrous proportions”.

“Money has distorted and corroded the political fabric of this territory,” he said in his final submission. “Corruption has been accepted and encouraged from the highest level and has become endemic in public life.”

But Misick said at his press conference on Friday that although he has made some errors in judgment, those “have been magnified and the Commission is being invited to interpret all of my actions in the worst possible light”.