BVI Premier, Orlando Smith
In the just concluded General Elections in the British Virgin Islands, the National Democratic Party led by Dr. Daniel Orlando Smith has captured seven of the nine district seats, sweeping along with that majority control the four At Large seats.
They then have total control of the BVI Legislative Assembly winning eleven of the thirteen.
NDP swept all four at-large seats in increased their district seats by two to include the Premier and two other sitting Ministers. Orlando Smith wins his fifth consecutive seat as an at-large candidate (extending his own record). Health Minister Ronnie Skelton wins (at-large) his fourth term in office after overcoming health concerns; he has only lost once at a general election (in 2003). Education Minister Myron Walwyn (at-large) is re-elected after winning his only prior general election contest, and Archie Christian seeks also at-large, is returned to the house previously winning a general election for the first time as an at-large candidate after failing twice previously in attempts to be elected as a district representative.
The District winners for NDP are Melvin Turnbull Jr., newcomer, and Hubert O’Neal after four tries, Mark Vanterpool, Delores Christopher, Alvera Maduro-Caines, Kedrick Pickering and Marlon Penn,
Ruling party wins general election
Ruling party supporters celebrate
ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Jun 9, CMC – The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) won 11 of the 13 seats at stake in Monday’s general election with Premier D. Orlando Smith indicating that the composition of his new cabinet would be known soon.
“We want to be meeting later today or tomorrow to discuss that,” said Smith, as the NDP became the first party since 1999 to win back to back general elections.
Smith, who received the second highest number of votes in the elections, has also pledged to continue projects including expanding the island’s airport and building an upscale luxury and business resort
The polls were a disaster for the Virgin Islands People (VIP) that lost two of the four seats it held in the last parliament with its leader Julian Fraser, winning District 3 by a margin of 596 to 561 over the NDP’s Kevin Smith.
Fraser led the party into an election for the first time having taken over from 81-year-old Ralph T O’Neal, who opted not to seek-re-election. The other VIP success came through incumbent Andrew A. Fahie, who held on to District One, defeating two other candidates.
Fahie polled 652 votes as compared to 277 for the NDP’s Shaina Mary Ann Smith and 69 for the independent Preston Stoute.
VIP president Carvin Malone congratulated the NDP “for fighting a valiant fight – a fight which they presented their case to the people of the Virgin Islands, and it was overwhelming accepted.
“We have to wish them the best in moving this country forward. [There are] lots of issues we face in the country [and], for the next few years, it’s going to be the input of everyone to make sure that the best results are actually reached,” Malone told reporters.
“The opposition will continue to hold down its feet to the fire in terms of making sure that the programmes put forward are done in a way that is beyond reproach and in a way that is in agreement with the opposition and with moving it forward but the programme is theirs to move forward, to develop, and conducted in a way that they see fit,” he said.
The other political parties –People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) and the People’s Progressive Coalition (PPC) – failed to win any seat in the election that was monitored by a team from the Commonwealth.
A total of 42 candidates contested the elections for the 13 member House of Assembly..
