Following the suggestion from the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee that, inter alia, British residents should be allowed to vote in Bermuda, Opposition Leader Craig Cannonier has agreed with the comments by Premier Burt and vowed that his party will support efforts to resist any such imposition.
The British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee conducted an inquiry late last year into that country’s relationship with its overseas territories and has now released its findings. One of the more contentious suggestions was that the UK order all overseas territories to legalise same-sex marriage. It was also recommended that all “resident UK and British Overseas Territory citizens” should be allowed to vote and hold elected office which would be a substantial change as currently only persons with Bermudian “status” can vote.
The findings state “we do not accept that there is any justification to deny legally-resident British Overseas Territory and UK citizens the right to vote and to hold elected office,” adding that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should set a deadline for phasing out discriminatory elements of belongership.
These recommendations do not immediately hold the weight of law but are indicative of the mood on the UK. One recommendation made by the Committee is already being pushed through via legislation as the UK is in the process of enforcing by law an order that the overseas territories to make their registers public.
The Committee’s report can be read in full here.
