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{{Short description|General election held in the British Virgin Islands}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox election
{{Infobox election
| election_name = British Virgin Islands general election, 1967
| election_name = 1967 British Virgin Islands general election
| country = British Virgin Islands
| country = British Virgin Islands
| type = parliamentary
| type = parliamentary
| party_colour = no
| party_colour = no
| party_name = no
| party_name = no
| previous_election = British Virgin Islands general election, 1963
| previous_election = 1963 British Virgin Islands general election
| previous_year = 1963
| previous_year = 1963
| previous_mps =
| previous_mps =
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1967|04|14}}
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1967|04|14}}
| elected_mps =
| elected_mps =
| next_election = British Virgin Islands general election, 1971
| next_election = 1971 British Virgin Islands general election
| next_year = 1971
| next_year = 1971
| next_mps =
| next_mps =
Line 20: Line 21:
| turnout = 73.2%
| turnout = 73.2%
<!-- NDP -->
<!-- NDP -->
| image1 = <!-- Commented out: [[Image:Hamilton Lavity Stoutt.jpg|140x140px]] -->
| image1 =
| colour1 =
| colour1 =
| leader1 = [[Conrad Maduro|C.A. Maduro]]
| leader1 = {{nowrap|[[Conrad Maduro|C.A. Maduro]]}}
| party1 = [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|BVI United Party]]
| party1 = [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]]
| leader_since1 = 1967
| leader_since1 = 1967
| leaders_seat1 = 1st District
| leaders_seat1 = 1st District
Line 36: Line 37:
| image2 =
| image2 =
| colour2 =
| colour2 =
| leader2 = [[Qwominer William Osborne|Q.W. Osborne]]
| leader2 = {{nowrap|[[Qwominer William Osborne|Q.W. Osborne]]}}
| party2 = [[VI Democratic Party]]
| party2 = [[VI Democratic Party|VIDP]]
| leader_since2 = 1967
| leader_since2 = 1967
| leaders_seat2 = 4th District
| leaders_seat2 = 4th District
Line 50: Line 51:
| image3 =
| image3 =
| colour3 =
| colour3 =
| leader3 = [[Isaac Glanville Fonseca|I.G. Fonseca]]
| leader3 = {{nowrap|[[Isaac Glanville Fonseca|I.G. Fonseca]]}}
| party3 = People's Own Party
| party3 = [[People's Own Party|POP]]
| leader_since3 = 1967
| leader_since3 = 1967
| leaders_seat3 = 5th District
| leaders_seat3 = 5th District
Line 70: Line 71:
| before_party =
| before_party =
| after_election = [[Lavity Stoutt]]
| after_election = [[Lavity Stoutt]]
| after_party = [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|BVI United Party]]
| after_party = [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]]
}}
}}


The '''British Virgin Islands general election, 1967''' was held in the [[British Virgin Islands]] on 14 April 1967.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=7 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The election was the first general election after the passing of the new [[Constitution of the British Virgin Islands|Constitution]]<ref>Virgin Islands (Constitution) Order, 1967 (SI No 471 of 1967).</ref> earlier in the same year, which introduced [[Prime ministerial government|Ministerial Government]] into the British Virgin Islands for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=8 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Elections under the prior Constitution introduced in 1950<ref>Constitution (Virgin Islands) Act, 1950.</ref> to restore the Legislative Council had merely elected legislators. It is probably fair to say that 1967 marked the introduction of true direct [[democracy|democratic rule]] in the British Virgin Islands. But, notwithstanding the introduction of Ministerial Government, the resulting Legislative Council is still referred to as the 6th Legislative Council in deference to the five prior Councils elected under the 1950 Constitution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=36 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
'''General elections''' were held in the [[British Virgin Islands]] on 14 April 1967.<ref name=DGO>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=7 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The election was the first general election after the passing of the new [[Constitution of the British Virgin Islands|Constitution]]<ref>Virgin Islands (Constitution) Order, 1967 (SI No 471 of 1967).</ref> earlier in the same year, which introduced [[Prime ministerial government|Ministerial Government]] into the British Virgin Islands for the first time.<ref name=DGO/> Elections under the prior Constitution introduced in 1950<ref>Constitution (Virgin Islands) Act, 1950.</ref> to restore the Legislative Council had merely elected legislators. It is probably fair to say that 1967 marked the introduction of true direct [[democracy|democratic rule]] in the British Virgin Islands. But, notwithstanding the introduction of Ministerial Government, the resulting Legislative Council is still referred to as the 6th Legislative Council in deference to the five prior Councils elected under the 1950 Constitution.<ref name=DGO/>


==Results==
==Results==


Prior to 1967 there had been no political parties in the British Virgin Islands.<ref name=DGO/> The election was therefore contested by three, newly created, political parties:<ref name=DGO/>
Prior to 1967 there had been no political parties in the British Virgin Islands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=8 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The election was therefore contested by three, newly created, political parties:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=71 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
# The [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|BVI United Party]], led by [[Conrad Maduro]]
# The [[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|BVI United Party]], led by [[Conrad Maduro]]
# The [[VI Democratic Party]], led by [[Qwominer William Osborne]]
# The [[VI Democratic Party]], led by [[Qwominer William Osborne]]
Line 83: Line 84:
The BVI United Party contested all seven available seats. The other two parties only contested five seats each. Lavity Stoutt had been elected each year since 1957. Dr Osborne had been elected during the previous election in 1963. Isaac Fonseca was the political veteran having been elected in every single election held in the Territory, commencing with the first in 1950.
The BVI United Party contested all seven available seats. The other two parties only contested five seats each. Lavity Stoutt had been elected each year since 1957. Dr Osborne had been elected during the previous election in 1963. Isaac Fonseca was the political veteran having been elected in every single election held in the Territory, commencing with the first in 1950.


The result was a victory for the BVI United Party which won an overall majority of four seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=74 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> However, the party President, Conrad Maduro, did not win a seat and so was unable to become Chief Minister despite leading the party with the highest number of seats. Accordingly, [[Lavity Stoutt]] was appointed as the first Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=212 (para 1.53) |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The VI Democratic Party won two seats, with the People's Own Party winning the remaining seat. The most closely contested seat between the two parties with a plurality of seats<ref>Leopold Smith won the Third District (Sea Cow's Bay) by an even narrower margin for the VI Democratic Party – just 8 votes – but if the second placed candidate (Zagoul Butler) had won those extra votes that would not have affected the BVI United Party's majority of seats.</ref> was the Seventh District ([[Anegada]] and [[Virgin Gorda]]), which Robinson O'Neal won for the BVI United Party by a mere 13 votes over Reeial George for VI Democratic Party.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=74 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> If just seven voters in that district had voted the other way, the VI Democratic Party would have won, and Q.W. Osborne would have been the first Chief Minister. As the results turned out, he had to settle for being the first [[Leader of the Opposition (British Virgin Islands)|leader of the opposition]]. Similarly, if Conrad Maduro had secured a few more votes then ''he'' might have been the first Chief Minister. However, as it happened the 1967 election effectively launched a long and successful career for Lavity Stoutt, who would end up being elected Chief Minister five times.
The result was a victory for the BVI United Party which won an overall majority of four seats.<ref name=DGO/> However, the party President, Conrad Maduro, did not win a seat and so was unable to become Chief Minister despite leading the party with the highest number of seats. Accordingly, [[Lavity Stoutt]] was appointed as the first Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands.<ref name=DGO/> The VI Democratic Party won two seats, with the People's Own Party winning the remaining seat. The most closely contested seat between the two parties with a plurality of seats<ref>Leopold Smith won the Third District (Sea Cow's Bay) by an even narrower margin for the VI Democratic Party – just 8 votes – but if the second placed candidate (Zagoul Butler) had won those extra votes that would not have affected the BVI United Party's majority of seats.</ref> was the Seventh District ([[Anegada]] and [[Virgin Gorda]]), which Robinson O'Neal won for the BVI United Party by a mere 13 votes over Reeial George for VI Democratic Party.<ref name=DGO/> If just seven voters in that district had voted the other way, the VI Democratic Party would have won, and Q.W. Osborne would have been the first Chief Minister. As the results turned out, he had to settle for being the first [[Leader of the Opposition (British Virgin Islands)|leader of the opposition]]. Similarly, if Conrad Maduro had secured a few more votes then ''he'' might have been the first Chief Minister. However, as it happened the 1967 election effectively launched a long and successful career for Lavity Stoutt, who would end up being elected Chief Minister five times.


The turnout was a relatively high 72.3% with only 5 spoiled ballots in the entire country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=71 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The Supervisor of Elections was initially D.K.H. McIntyre, but he had to retire on grounds of ill-health and was replaced by Lionel W. Barker on 27 February 1967.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=7 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
Voter turnout was a relatively high 72.3% with only 5 spoiled ballots in the entire country.<ref name=DGO/> The Supervisor of Elections was initially D.K.H. McIntyre, but he had to retire on grounds of ill-health and was replaced by Lionel W. Barker on 27 February 1967.<ref name=DGO/>


{{Election results
===Individual territorial seats===
|party1=[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]]|votes1=1094|seats1=4
Results for the individual electoral districts were as follow:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=74 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
|party2=[[VI Democratic Party]]|votes2=800|seats2=2
|party3=[[People's Own Party]]|votes3=663|seats3=1
|invalid=5
|electorate=3500
|source=BVI Deputy Governor's Office<ref name=DGO/>
}}


===By constituency===
'''First Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
! width="200"|Candidate
! Constituency !! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! %
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=2|1st District || align=left|'''[[Hamilton Lavity Stoutt]]''' || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 221 || 56.96
|'''[[Hamilton Lavity Stoutt|H. Lavity Stoutt]]'''
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 221
| align="center"| 57.0%
|-
|-
| align=left|Austin Cameron || align=left|[[VI Democratic Party]] || 167 || 43.04
|Austin Cameron
| VI Democratic Party
| align="center"| 167
| align="center"| 43.0%
|}

'''Second Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
! width="200"|Candidate
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=3|2nd District || align=left|'''[[Ivan Dawson]]''' || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 171 || 49.42
|'''[[Ivan Dawson]]'''
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 171
| align="center"| 49.4%
|-
|-
|George A. Christopher
| align=left|George A. Christopher || align=left|[[VI Democratic Party]] || 139 || 40.17
| VI Democratic Party
| align="center"| 139
| align="center"| 40.2%
|-
|-
|Arthur P. Roberts
| align=left|Arthur P. Roberts || align=left|People's Own Party || 36 || 10.40
| People's Own Party
| align="center"| 36
| align="center"| 10.4%
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=3|3rd District || align=left|'''Leopold Smith''' || align=left|[[VI Democratic Party]] || 125 || 37.65
|}

'''Third Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
! width="200"|Candidate
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|-
| align=left|Zagoul H. M. Butler || align=left|People's Own Party || 117 || 35.24
|'''Leopold Smith'''
| VI Democratic Party
| align="center"| 125
| align="center"| 37.7%
|-
|-
| align=left|Stanford Connor || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 90 || 27.11
|Zagoul H. M. Butler
| People's Own Party
| align="center"| 117
| align="center"| 35.2%
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=3|4th District || align=left|'''[[Qwominer William Osborne]]''' || align=left|[[VI Democratic Party]] || 216 || 50.35
|Stanford Connor
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 90
| align="center"| 27.1%
|}

'''Fourth Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
! width="200"|Candidate
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|-
| align=left|Arnando Scatliffe || align=left|People's Own Party || 147 || 34.27
|'''[[Qwominer William Osborne|Q.W. Osborne]]'''
| VI Democratic Party
| align="center"| 216
| align="center"| 50.3%
|-
|-
| align=left|Howard R. Penn || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 66 || 15.38
|Arnando Scatliffe
| People's Own Party
| align="center"| 147
| align="center"| 34.3%
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=2|5th District || align=left|'''[[Isaac Glanville Fonseca]]''' || align=left|People's Own Party || 195 || 56.36
|Howard R. Penn
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 66
| align="center"| 15.4%
|}

'''Fifth Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
! width="200"|Candidate
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|-
| align=left|[[Conrad Maduro]] || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 151 || 43.64
|'''[[Isaac Glanville Fonseca|Isaac G. Fonseca]]'''
| People's Own Party
| align="center"| 195
| align="center"| 56.4%
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=2|6th District || align=left|'''[[Terrance B. Lettsome]]''' || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 229 || 57.68
|[[Conrad Maduro]]
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 151
| align="center"| 43.6%
|}

'''Sixth Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
! width="200"|Candidate
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|-
| align=left|Bernard Penn || align=left|People's Own Party || 168 || 42.32
|'''[[Terrance B. Lettsome]]'''
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 229
| align="center"| 57.7%
|-
|-
| align=left rowspan=2|7th District || align=left|'''Robinson O'Neal''' || align=left|[[United Party (British Virgin Islands)|United Party]] || 166 || 52.04
|Bernard Penn
| People's Own Party
| align="center"| 168
| align="center"| 42.3%
|}

'''Seventh Electoral District'''
{| class="wikitable"
! width="200"|Candidate
! width="150"|Party
! width="75"|Votes
! width="75"|Percentage
|-
|'''Robinson O'Neal'''
| BVI United Party
| align="center"| 166
| align="center"| 52.0%
|-
|-
| align=left|Reeial George || align=left|[[VI Democratic Party]] || 153 || 47.96
|Reeial George
| VI Democratic Party
| align="center"| 153
| align="center"| 48.0%
|}
|}


==Ministerial appointments==
==Ministerial appointments==
Lavity Stoutt was appointed as first Chief Minister and first Minister for Education. Q.W. Osborne was appointed as the First Leader of the Opposition. Ivan Dawson, despite not being a member of the BVI United Party, was appointed first Minister for National Resources and Public Health.<ref name=DGO/>


Future Chief Minister, [[Cyril Romney]], was also appointed as the first Native BVIslander to act as Financial Secretary after the election.<ref name=DGO/>
Lavity Stoutt was appointed as first Chief Minister and first Minister for Education. Q.W. Osborne was appointed as the First Leader of the Opposition. Ivan Dawson, despite not being a member of the BVI United Party, was appointed first Minister for National Resources and Public Health.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=45 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Future Chief Minister, [[Cyril Romney]], was also appointed as the first Native BVIslander to act as Financial Secretary after the election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |title=BVI election and information results 1950–2011 |publisher=BVI Deputy Governor's Office |page=45 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063531/http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Footnotes==


==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{British Virgin Islands elections}}
{{British Virgin Islands elections}}


[[Category:Elections in the British Virgin Islands|1967]]
[[Category:Elections in the British Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:1967 elections in the Caribbean|British Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:1967 elections in the Caribbean|British Virgin Islands]]
[[Category:1967 in the British Virgin Islands|General election]]
[[Category:1967 in the British Virgin Islands|General election]]
[[Category:April 1967 events]]
[[Category:April 1967 events in North America]]
[[Category:1967 elections in the British Empire]]
[[Category:1967 elections in the British Empire|British Virgin]]

Latest revision as of 22:31, 30 April 2024

1967 British Virgin Islands general election
← 1963 14 April 1967 (1967-04-14) 1971 →
All seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
4 seats needed for a majority
Turnout73.2%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader C.A. Maduro Q.W. Osborne I.G. Fonseca
Party United Party VIDP POP
Leader since 1967 1967 1967
Leader's seat 1st District 4th District 5th District
Seats won 4 2 1
Popular vote 1,094 800 663
Percentage 42.8% 31.3% 25.9%
Chief Minister before election

New Office

 Elected Chief Minister

Lavity Stoutt
United Party

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 14 April 1967.[1] The election was the first general election after the passing of the new Constitution[2] earlier in the same year, which introduced Ministerial Government into the British Virgin Islands for the first time.[1] Elections under the prior Constitution introduced in 1950[3] to restore the Legislative Council had merely elected legislators. It is probably fair to say that 1967 marked the introduction of true direct democratic rule in the British Virgin Islands. But, notwithstanding the introduction of Ministerial Government, the resulting Legislative Council is still referred to as the 6th Legislative Council in deference to the five prior Councils elected under the 1950 Constitution.[1]

Results

[edit]

Prior to 1967 there had been no political parties in the British Virgin Islands.[1] The election was therefore contested by three, newly created, political parties:[1]

  1. The BVI United Party, led by Conrad Maduro
  2. The VI Democratic Party, led by Qwominer William Osborne
  3. The People's Own Party, led by Isaac Fonseca

The BVI United Party contested all seven available seats. The other two parties only contested five seats each. Lavity Stoutt had been elected each year since 1957. Dr Osborne had been elected during the previous election in 1963. Isaac Fonseca was the political veteran having been elected in every single election held in the Territory, commencing with the first in 1950.

The result was a victory for the BVI United Party which won an overall majority of four seats.[1] However, the party President, Conrad Maduro, did not win a seat and so was unable to become Chief Minister despite leading the party with the highest number of seats. Accordingly, Lavity Stoutt was appointed as the first Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands.[1] The VI Democratic Party won two seats, with the People's Own Party winning the remaining seat. The most closely contested seat between the two parties with a plurality of seats[4] was the Seventh District (Anegada and Virgin Gorda), which Robinson O'Neal won for the BVI United Party by a mere 13 votes over Reeial George for VI Democratic Party.[1] If just seven voters in that district had voted the other way, the VI Democratic Party would have won, and Q.W. Osborne would have been the first Chief Minister. As the results turned out, he had to settle for being the first leader of the opposition. Similarly, if Conrad Maduro had secured a few more votes then he might have been the first Chief Minister. However, as it happened the 1967 election effectively launched a long and successful career for Lavity Stoutt, who would end up being elected Chief Minister five times.

Voter turnout was a relatively high 72.3% with only 5 spoiled ballots in the entire country.[1] The Supervisor of Elections was initially D.K.H. McIntyre, but he had to retire on grounds of ill-health and was replaced by Lionel W. Barker on 27 February 1967.[1]

PartyVotes%Seats
United Party1,09442.784
VI Democratic Party80031.292
People's Own Party66325.931
Total2,557100.007
Valid votes2,55799.80
Invalid/blank votes50.20
Total votes2,562100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,50073.20
Source: BVI Deputy Governor's Office[1]

By constituency

[edit]
Constituency Candidate Party Votes %
1st District Hamilton Lavity Stoutt United Party 221 56.96
Austin Cameron VI Democratic Party 167 43.04
2nd District Ivan Dawson United Party 171 49.42
George A. Christopher VI Democratic Party 139 40.17
Arthur P. Roberts People's Own Party 36 10.40
3rd District Leopold Smith VI Democratic Party 125 37.65
Zagoul H. M. Butler People's Own Party 117 35.24
Stanford Connor United Party 90 27.11
4th District Qwominer William Osborne VI Democratic Party 216 50.35
Arnando Scatliffe People's Own Party 147 34.27
Howard R. Penn United Party 66 15.38
5th District Isaac Glanville Fonseca People's Own Party 195 56.36
Conrad Maduro United Party 151 43.64
6th District Terrance B. Lettsome United Party 229 57.68
Bernard Penn People's Own Party 168 42.32
7th District Robinson O'Neal United Party 166 52.04
Reeial George VI Democratic Party 153 47.96

Ministerial appointments

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Lavity Stoutt was appointed as first Chief Minister and first Minister for Education. Q.W. Osborne was appointed as the First Leader of the Opposition. Ivan Dawson, despite not being a member of the BVI United Party, was appointed first Minister for National Resources and Public Health.[1]

Future Chief Minister, Cyril Romney, was also appointed as the first Native BVIslander to act as Financial Secretary after the election.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  2. ^ Virgin Islands (Constitution) Order, 1967 (SI No 471 of 1967).
  3. ^ Constitution (Virgin Islands) Act, 1950.
  4. ^ Leopold Smith won the Third District (Sea Cow's Bay) by an even narrower margin for the VI Democratic Party – just 8 votes – but if the second placed candidate (Zagoul Butler) had won those extra votes that would not have affected the BVI United Party's majority of seats.
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