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UK imposes Turks and Caicos rule
The UK has imposed direct rule on the Turks and Caicos Islands after an inquiry found evidence of government corruption and incompetence.
The administration of the UK territory in the Caribbean has been suspended for up to two years and power transferred to the UK-appointed governor.
Politicians are accused of selling crown land for personal gain.
Former premier Galmo Williams said he believed he could have worked with the UK government to resolve the problems.
The UK government has been threatening action for several months after an inquiry commissioned by the Foreign Office returned a damning verdict.
It examined the actions of the Turks' Cabinet and Assembly and found "information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systematic corruption or serious dishonesty".
It also concluded there were "clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of a general administrative incompetence".
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8202339.stm
The UK has imposed direct rule on the Turks and Caicos Islands after an inquiry found evidence of government corruption and incompetence.
The administration of the UK territory in the Caribbean has been suspended for up to two years and power transferred to the UK-appointed governor.
Politicians are accused of selling crown land for personal gain.
Former premier Galmo Williams said he believed he could have worked with the UK government to resolve the problems.
The UK government has been threatening action for several months after an inquiry commissioned by the Foreign Office returned a damning verdict.
It examined the actions of the Turks' Cabinet and Assembly and found "information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systematic corruption or serious dishonesty".
It also concluded there were "clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of a general administrative incompetence".
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8202339.stm
But Britain's real problem is much closer to home. It stems from a culture of greed and entitlement that has beset its own government. It stems from the onshore decisions to extend cheap credit without any collateral, and to allow hedge funds to run amok with the money supply. It smacks of hypocrisy trying to make a small Caribbean island nation the scapegoat for a system that is rotten to the core.
It is one crime to steal money and cover it up. But it is a far greater crime to steal money, kill an innocent bystander, and then blame the dead for your deeds. Britain should be ashamed of itself for having colonies this late in the game in the first place. After all, this violates their obligations under both the United Nations charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - both of which state unequivocally that the right to self-determination is a fundamental human right. But to have the gall to actually exercise coercive political power over these countries in order to cover its own misdeeds exceeds even the normal limits of villainy.
The people of the Turks and Caicos should be free to elect their own government. It should not be within the arbitrary discretion of the British whether or not they have a constitution. And it is finally time to hang up the cleats on colonialism once and for all. That's so 19th century
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...t=home_columns
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