Howard A. Fergus

“ While the scope and pace of constitutional evolution have to be set by the Falklanders themselves, they have to be educated on the various options and variants of options available and be seized of the comparative advantages and disadvantages. ”

“ The onus is on leaders to educate their people if they want to bridge the gap between their own views and the people’s perceptions. In the process, their constituents should be exposed to comprehensive and authentic information. Dr. Ivanov’s paper is worth including in the educational agenda on any side of the dependant world. ”

“ Ivanov’s Falkland Islands case study amply illustrates the multiple issues that can be encountered in the transition from dependence to sovereignty. Fortunately none of the Caribbean BOTs is saddled with a boundary dispute as obtains with the Falklands, although there are Caribbean examples.
The Falkland study is also valuable for Ivanov’s near exhaustive references to other overseas territories and their multifarious relationships with the sovereign country. The search for models needs not be confined to British experiences. ”

“ He admits of a nexus between constitutional advancement and economic prosperity in a causal sense, but he sees prosperity as only one condition for constitutional advancement. For instance, appropriate infrastructure including human resources is a pre-condition for full sovereignty. One of the negative legacies of colonialism is the prevalence of British officials in the territories and the perpetuation of British tutelage which tends to stifle the spirit of independence. ”

“ American, French, Dutch, Danish and Swedish experiences are all available for study as the Paper demonstrates. Even when a model is selected whether it is Free Association or some form of Integration, several modifications may be necessary and an eclectic approach may be desirable. ”