By McAllister Hanchell

The vision of building a modern Turks and Caicos Islands is one that the People of our Country subscribed to and was demonstrated through democratically held elections in 2003 and 2007 respectively as part of a PNP Manifesto.
Our Country was regarded as the envy of the Caribbean for inward investments and tourism related development.  Consistent, we invested in our people, providing educational, social and empowerment opportunities for all.  However, these advancements were thought to be too good by some persons that came to live amongst us and even some of our own.
Today we are witnessing the dismantling of every institution built by the PNP administration by the British, Gordon Wetherell, Mark Capes assisted by an advisory council and forum and others living in our communities.
They have cut civil servants pay, fire Turks and Caicos Islanders, hired over 50 British persons, discontinued assisting our elderly, censored the media, closed TCI Bank, taken back land given to belongers, closed the tourism board, increased taxes, significantly reduced scholarships and now today in broad daylight allowed Richard Savory to serve notice to confiscate $15M dollars worth of public infrastructure, our “National Stadium” before honoring the commitment for ownership of the Land.
I would like to take this opportunity to outline the facts surrounding the Land and our National Stadium which comprises block 60718. 
Our commitment to Sports and recreational Development living a health lifestyle took shape in Providenciales with the commencement of Construction of the Gustavos Lightbourne Sports complex, the Grand Turk parade Ground, the South Caicos and Providenciales community centers and the National Stadium that hosted the Carifta Games in 2007.
The original plan was to build the National Stadium downtown Providenciales on Land operated as Butterfield Concrete through a land swap agreement for land at South Dock and Northwest Point, Providenciales.  In preparation for the Carifta Games obtaining this land and relocating the present occupiers was not achievable in the required time frame. 
The second option gave consideration to the stadium’s present location of which TCI Education Foundation/British Collegiate had an option to Purchase through/from Provident Limited/Bent Soderquist.
Richard Savory of the foundation, Bengt Soderquist of Provident and the Government agreed that Government will outright Purchase the Land that formed a part of block 60718 and assist the foundation in obtaining adjacent Land on parcel 60718/38 for future collegiate expansion and granting the collegiate reasonable access equivalent to the public schools.  Following this, permission was granted to Government allowing the National stadium to be built, pending finalization of the compensation package.
Sometime after the completion of the facility and the carifta games, Richard Savory believed to be acting on behalf of the foundation, sought to manage and operate the facility. This was outright denied by Government. (Richard’s attitude towards the stadium change from that very day).
Government was in the process of obtaining private real estate 60718/38 for transfer to the Foundation that would have enabled relinquishing its option rights allowing the purchase to take place for around $150,000.00 per acre.
At the time when the stadium was built, the option was still with the foundation and Government acted in good faith on behalf of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands for ownership of the Land.
Unfortunately, the Foundation/Richard Savory did not and today’s actions bring into question their confidence that they could own or demand a management agreement from Government. This act needs to be condemned by all peoples in the Turks and Caicos Islanders.
The actions of today could be remedied by the Interim Government through compulsory acquisition, the same process that is currently being utilized for the Providenciales Airport expansion project.
I call on all Turks and Caicos Islanders, young people in particular, to speak out against what is happening to their country in general and our National Stadium in particular, and demand our country is returned to democracy or we all will witness losing everything that is rightfully ours day after day.
Posted July 23 2010