MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: New Governor hopes to help things happen

Gov. Nigel Haywood: “The Economic Development Strategy is key”

The recently arrived new Governor in the Falkland Islands, Mr Nigel Haywood, took time recently to talk about his role in the Islands’ weekly newspaper, the Penguin News.

Having recorded his pleasure at the landscape in which he finds himself and his delight at the view of Stanley harbour from his office window, which, he says influences his outlook in a positive direction, Governor Haywood, who is a career diplomat with recent experience in some of the world’s trouble spots, said that he wants to take whatever steps he can to demystify his job and what goes on in Government House.

Recalling that an article in the Times written in 1976 described one of his predecessors as “a lonely man, rarely seen outside Government House” Mr Haywood stated that it was his intention to meet as many people as possible. While it would be perfectly easy to confine himself to the necessary formal meetings, his ambition was to form easy working relations with a wide range of people in order to achieve an overview of what goes on in the Islands.

“I see the Governor has having an enabling role” wrote Mr Haywood, “He can spot problems, make connections and get advice from HMG, the diplomatic network, and UK and international institutions. Of course he has to ensure the Constitution is complied with, but the focus of the job should be helping the elected representatives achieve their vision for the future of the Islands rather than telling them what they can’t do.”

The next three years: the length of his appointment, and also the term of the present Legislative Assembly, will be critical says the Governor. By then it should be known whether an oil industry is commercially viable and if it is there will be important decisions to be made about how it should be integrated into Island life both economically and socially.

“The Economic Development Strategy is key,” wrote the Governor, “and it will be important to translate political will into a concrete, properly-funded implementation strategy.

“This country has a great future, but we must work together to make it happen.”