Governor Gozney 'disappointed' there was no consultation
By Mikaela Ian Pearman[
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Governor Sir Richard Gozney at a Press Conference recently.
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Photo by Mark Tatem
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Bermuda's relationship with Britain will not deteriorate because of the decision to let four Guantánamo Bay detainees seek asylum on the Island.
The Governor Sir Richard Gozney spoke to this newspaper yesterday afternoon and assured the public that the UK is not reviewing the legal basis of relations with Bermuda or the constitution.
He did say he was "disappointed"that Premier Ewart Brown did not consult him before the decision was made to allow the Uighurs resettle here.
Sir Richard said he was told the men were coming to Bermuda around 11 p.m. Wednesday night, moments after the plane left from Cuba.
But he did say the embassy in Washington DC were notified.
"We're quite clear that we should have been notified and we should have considered that we should have looked at this together.
"We think that this move covers areas of foreign policy and security issues for which the UK has responsibility in.
"If the Bermuda Government disagrees with that then should have at least asked us whether they were right to regard this as a domestic matter. But they didn't even discuss which was not right. We will try and work with the issues together."
A senior US official told the BBC that Washington decided not to tell London ahead of time about a deal to resettle four Guantánamo detainees in Bermuda for fear that it would collapse.
The official said they expected London to be upset but added he felt the deal was made on solid ground, in direct talks with the Bermuda Government, who accepted the men as part of guest worker programme.
Sir Richard said he was unable to say how long the process on whether or not the men would be accepted would take because of the details. He believes there are two main issues when dealing with the situation the four men and foreign policy.
"I think there are two sets of decisions. The first is about the four individuals now that we have been given some data about them.
"So we believe that on British Territory, it is right for Bermuda and Britain to make a security assessment about these people and not to rely on a third party assessment."
He continued: "Now we can do that and then we'll come back and talk to the Bermuda Government and in that process the Bermuda Police may have contributions to make."
"The security is about the other implications to having the four arriving here at least for the time being. You don't have to be secretary general of the UN to see these other implications."
Sir Richard explained the UK would not be suspending the 1968 General Entrustment agreement as reported in The Guardian yesterday but will have an informal review.
"Naturally we are going to have to look at lessons and one of the things which was voiced in London today was that we'll look again at the operation which is to look at the General Entrustment Agreement.
"As long as Bermuda keeps us in the picture we are happy with Bermuda to negotiate. We don't need to stay over Bermuda's shoulder. We need to know what's going on and then we're happy."
The Governor said the other entrustments on the Island would not be affected at all.
Asked if he thought this was an attempt by Dr. Brown to provoke a row with Britain to further the cause of independence, he said: "I don't presume to speak on his political strategy."
Sir Richard said everything the Premier has told him has been made public.
"He says to me what he said publicly that he regards it as an immigration matter and I made it clear that we can't possibly accept that."
Asked whether the men would get UK travel documents if they are allowed to stay, Sir Richard said: "I think we need to take this step by step. The first step is to get an assessment on these four.
"I don't know what the plans are for putting together travel documents for them in due course but I do know that status is a very long process and it's always involved in this building.
"I think that's a long way down the track."
