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2023 British Virgin Islands general election

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2023 British Virgin Islands general election
← 2019 24 April 2023
All 13 elected seats in the House of Assembly
7 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Natalio Wheatley Ronnie Skelton
Party VIP PVIM
Last election 8 seats 1 seat
Seats won 6 seats 3 seats
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 2
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Marlon Penn Julian Fraser
Party NDP PU
Last election 3 seats 1 seat
Seats won 3 seats 1 seat
Seat change Steady Steady
Premier before election

Natalio Wheatley
Virgin Islands Party

Premier after election

Natalio Wheatley
Virgin Islands Party

Politics of the British Virgin Islands
Constitution
Monarchy
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Citizenship
Foreign relations

The 2023 British Virgin Islands general election were held on 24 April 2023.[1] The governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) remained the largest party in the House of Assembly but lost its majority resulting in a hung parliament.[2][3]

The VIP won six seats, with the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) each winning three seats, and Progressives United (PU) winning a single seat. There followed a period of intense discussions between the party to either prise away members or to try and form a coalition between parties.[4] In the end former first lady Lorna Smith agreed that she would join the VIP as a single person in coalition to give them a working majority and keep them in power.[5][6]

Background

The House of Assembly normally sits in four-year terms. The Governor must dissolve the House within four years of the date when the House first meets after a general election unless it has been dissolved sooner.[7] Once the House is dissolved a general election must be held after at least 21 days, but not more than two months after the dissolution of the House.

The elections are the first since the 2021 Commission of Inquiry which recommended the suspension of the Territory's constitution after finding that "[a]lmost everywhere, the principles of good governance, such as openness, transparency and even the rule of law, are ignored".[8] Ultimately the UK government did not act upon that recommendation.[9] In response to the report the Territory formed a "unity government" including members of the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) and Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) in the Cabinet.[10]

The elections also follow the arrest of the country's Premier Andrew Fahie, in Miami on charges relating to drug smuggling.[11][12] Fahie was removed as Premier, representative of the First District, and leader of his political party. Natalio Wheatley succeeded him as Premier and party leader.[13][14]

Electoral system

The House of Assembly has a total of 15 members, 13 of whom are members elected by the public to serve a four-year term, plus two ex-officio non-voting members: the Attorney General and the Speaker of the House. Of the 13 elected members, nine are elected via first-past-the-post voting to represent territorial district seats, and four are elected on a territory-wide "at-large" basis via plurality block voting.

Although there was a delay in announcing the date of the elections, campaigning began some weeks before the it was announced.[15] After the House of Assembly was dissolved for the election on 10 March 2023 there was then a short delay before the election date was confirmed.[16][17]

Parties and candidates

Virgin Islands Party

The incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) was led by Fahie in the previous general election, but following his arrest on charges of drug smuggling offences,[11][12] leadership of the party passed to Wheatley. The party was the only political party to contest every single seat.[18][19][20]

National Democratic Party

The NDP is led by Marlon Penn (D8). They fielded nine candidates.[21]

Progressive Virgin Islands Movement

The leader of the PVIM, Ronnie Skelton, failed to win a seat in the 2019 election, and so Mitch Turnbull (D2) assumed leadership of the party in the House. However, for the 2023 campaign Skelton resumed leadership of the party. The party's ranks were also bolstered when representative Shereen Flax-Charles (at-large) crossed the floor to join the PVIM.[22]

Progressives United

Julian Fraser, the current Leader of the Opposition by default being the only member of the House of Assembly not in the "unity government", is the leader and only sitting member of the Progressives United (PU). On 1 April 2023 the PU announced a 'soft alliance' with the PVIM. No PU candidates were announced other than Fraser.[23]

Candidates stepping down

Mark Vanterpool (NDP) confirmed that he would not be defending his District 4 seat and was retiring from politics.[24]

Candidates crossing the floor

As often happens in British Virgin Islands politics, a number of candidates were contesting the elections for new parties having "crossed the floor" after being originally elected representing a different party. Flax-Charles left the ruling VIP to join the PVIM,[25] and former NDP representative, Alvera Maduro-Caines, left her party to join the VIP.[26]

Developments

Merger talks

The NDP and PVIM conducted exploratory merger talks, but ultimately those talks were not successful.[27] The PVIM had originally been formed when a number of members of the NDP split away and formed a competing party before the 2019 election. Despite the absence of any formal alliance, it is noteworthy that in only two of the nine districts are candidates from the two parties contesting against each other.[citation needed]

On 1 April 2023 the PVIM subsequently announced a 'soft alliance' with the PU. No PU party candidates were announced other than Fraser in District 3.[23]

Platforms and election conduct

Polling

No public polling was published.

Policies and platforms

None of the political parties published a political manifesto, but a number of issues arose in press commentary and at party rallies.

The opposition parties tried to make capital out of the arrest of Fahie and the allegations of corruption in the Commission on Inquiry report in relation to the VIP government, treating the election as "a referendum on the corrupt VIP and the corrupt Premier".[28][29] Former VIP leader, Fraser, said the party has no place in government.[30]

Another sensitive issue which was discussed is the controversial Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021 (referred to on social media as the "Greedy Bill") which gave extremely generous payments over a number of years to retiring members of the House of Assembly. The NDP pledged to repeal the Act, calling "political wickedness and greed".[31] The VIP hit back, accusing NDP politicians of profiting equally from the act despite criticising it.[32][33]

The PVIM indicated that it would make reform of the NHI scheme a priority commitment in government.[34] Party leader, Skelton, spent eight years as Minister for Health in an NDP-led government.

Bribery allegations

Allegations of political candidates or their paying persons to vote for them were reported in local news.[35][36] The allegation was made by Flax-Charles, a PVIM candidate, during a radio broadcast. She did not name any politicians or agents, but did say that it related to residents in Virgin Gorda. She also did not clarify whether she had reported her concerns to the Electoral Commissioner.

Results

PartyDistrictAt-largeTotal
seats		+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Virgin Islands Party3,63239.60511,57631.9016–2
Progressive Virgin Islands Movement1,43915.69112,40534.1823+2
National Democratic Party2,66829.0929,46426.08130
Progressives United4595.00110
Independents97310.6102,8447.84000
Speaker and Attorney General20
Total9,171100.00936,289100.004150
Valid votes9,17198.8836,28997.81
Invalid/blank votes1041.128112.19
Total votes9,275100.0037,100100.00
Registered voters/turnout16,13057.50
Source: [37][38]

District seats

Previously incumbent candidates are marked in bold where applicable.[39]

2023 general election results - 1st District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Karl Dawson VIP 452 52.3%
Sylvia Moses PVIM 260 30.1%
Chad George Independent 153 17.7%

Karl Dawson won the seat formerly held by Fahie. Outside of by-elections, he becomes only the third person after Fahie and Lavity Stoutt to win District One in its history.

2023 general election results - 2nd District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Melvin Turnbull Jr. PVIM 560 57.2%
Troy Christopher Independent 303 30.9%
Marieta Flax-Headley VIP 116 11.8%

Incumbent Melvin Turnbull won the Second District for the third time in a row.

2023 general election results - 3rd District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Julian Fraser PU 459 41.0%
Aaron Parillon NDP 347 33.6%
Kevin "OJ" Smith VIP 186 25.4%

Incumbent Fraser won District Three for the seventh time in a row. His seven general election wins are fourth most in BVI history.

2023 general election results - 4th District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Luce Hodge-Smith VIP 322 42.1%
Sandy Harrigan-Underhill NDP 285 37.3%
Ian Smith PVIM 145 19.0%
Rosita Scatliffe-Thompson Independent 12 1.6%

Luce Hodge-Smith (VIP) won the 4th District at her second attempt.

2023 general election results - 5th District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Kye Rymer VIP 840 71.1%
Marvin Blyden PVIM 342 28.9%

Incumbent Kye Rymer easily defended his seat.

2023 general election results - 6th District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Myron Walwyn NDP 736 63.7%
Alvera Maduro-Caines VIP 419 36.3%

Former NDP party leader, Myron Walwyn, won a surprisingly easy victory over incumbent, Maduro-Caines.

2023 general election results - 7th District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Natalio Wheatley VIP 487 57.0%
Perline Scatliffe-Leonard Independent 367 43.0%

Incumbent Wheatley fended off his lone challenger in District Seven.

2023 general election results - 8th District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Marlon Penn NDP 885 73.5%
Allen Wheatley VIP 319 26.5%

Marlon Penn won his fourth consecutive contest in District Eight, continuing the Penn family domination of that seat.

2023 general election results - 9th District
Candidate Party Votes %age
Vincent Wheatley VIP 491 41.8%
Coy Levens NDP 415 35.3%
Shereen Flax-Charles PVIM 239 20.3%
Vernon Vanterpool Independent 31 2.6%

Vincent Wheatley held on to his seat amid a crowded field as Coy Levens and Flax-Charles split the anti-government vote.

At-large seats

2023 general election candidates - at large
Candidate Party Votes %age
Stacy "Buddha" Mather PVIM 3617 9.97%
Lorna Smith NDP 3578 9.86%
Sharie de Castro VIP 3471 9.56%
Ronnie Skelton PVIM 3332 9.18%
Neville Smith VIP 2978 8.21%
Kedrick Pickering NDP 2860 7.88%
Shaina Smith-Archer PVIM 2781 7.66%
Zoe Walcott VIP 2697 7.43%
Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe PVIM 2675 7.37%
Carvin Malone VIP 2430 6.70%
Renard Estridge NDP 1630 4.49%
Daniel Fligelston-Davies Independent 1490 4.11%
Allen O'Neal NDP 1396 3.85%
Lesmore Smith Independent 851 2.35%
Karen Vanterpool Independent 244 0.67%
Mitsy Ellis-Simpson Independent 164 0.45%
Ishmael Brathwaite Independent 95 0.26%

Unusually the four at-large seats were split amongst three different parties. Incumbent Sharie de Castro was returned, but other VIP incumbents Neville Smith and Carvin Malone were ousted. Skelton returns to the house after losing his seat in 2019, and is joined by new member Stacy "Buddha" Mather. Former first lady Lorna Smith also won for the first time in her first contest for the NDP"FINAL ELECTION RESULTS: No clear winner! Coalition likely". BVI News. 24 April 2023..

Subsequent events

Coalition discussions

Because of the division of seats, no party had won overall control of the House of Assembly.[2] There followed a period of intense discussions between the parties to either pry away members or to try and form a coalition between parties.[4] Within 24 hours Lorna Smith, who campaigned as a member of the NDP (and whose husband had led three NDP governments), agreed that she would join the VIP as a single person in coalition to give them a working majority and keep them in power.[5][6] Almost immediately there followed an announcement that she would be the Deputy Premier in the new government.[40]

Cabinet

Main article: Cabinet of the British Virgin Islands

Unusually, the new government and ministers were sworn in but without confirming ministerial portfolios. Party leader, Natalio Wheatley, was sworn in as Premier, and Lorna Smith was sworn in as Deputy Premier. Kye Rymer, Vincent Wheatley and Sharie de Castro were also sworn in as Ministers but without specifying their portfolios, and Karl Dawson and Luce Hodge-Smith were sworn in as Junior Ministers.[41] This effectively brought an end to the cross-party "unity government" which was put in place following the 2021 Commission of Inquiry.

Cabinet of the British Virgin Islands[41]
Office Members Notes
Premier Natalio Wheatley Minister of Finance
Governor John Rankin
Ministers Lorna Smith Deputy Premier
Minister for Financial Services, Labour and Trade
Kye Rhymer Minister for Communications and Works
Sharie de Castro Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports
Vincent Wheatley Minister for Health and Welfare
Junior Ministers Karl Dawson Junior Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries
Luce Hodge-Smith Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism
Attorney General Dawn Smith Ex-officio, non-voting
Cabinet Secretary Sandra Ward

Ronnie Skelton was confirmed as the Leader of the Opposition.[42]

Other

The Premier, Natalio Wheatley, called upon all parties to put the election behind them and move forward together.[43]

Predictably, a great deal of the local commentary on the election focussed upon the shock move when Lorna Smith switched from a lifetime supporting the NDP to join the VIP - a party she had repeatedly and loudly attacked throughout her campaign.[44][45] Shortly after the election the NDP announced that she was being expelled from the party.[46]

Separately, the Supervisor for Elections called for a wholesale reform of the Election Act ahead of the next general election.[47]

References

  1. ^ "It's decided! April 24 is Election Day". BVI News. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "FINAL ELECTION RESULTS: No clear winner! Coalition likely". BVI News. 24 April 2023.
  3. ^ "No Majority Winner! Negotiations Underway To Form New BVI Government". BVI Platinum. 24 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Elected parties locked in talks about coalition". BVI News. 25 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Cornerstone! Lorna Smith joins VIP to help form new gov't". BVI News. 25 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b "BREAKING NEWS: NDP's Lorna Smith Joins VIP To Form Gov't". BVI Platinum. 25 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007, article 84(3)" (PDF). Government of the Virgin Islands. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  8. ^ Hickinbottom, Gary (2022). "British Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry: Report of the Commissioner, the Rt Hon Sir Gary Hickinbottom" (PDF). Government of the British Virgin Islands. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  9. ^ "UK decides not to partially suspend BVI constitution". BVI News. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  10. ^ Janeka Simon (5 May 2022). "BVI Proposes Unity Government to Discourage UK Takeover; House Speaker Vacates Position; Premier Fahie Remains in Federal Jail for Now". The Virgin Islands Consortium. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  11. ^ a b Durbin, Adam. "British Virgin Islands: Premier Andrew Fahie arrested in US drug sting". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  12. ^ a b "British Virgin Islands premier arrested on US drug charges". Miami Herald. 28 April 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  13. ^ "UPDATE: HoA unanimously passes Resolution to remove Hon Fahie as VI Premier". Virgin Islands News Online. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Dr Wheatley sworn in as Premier! New cross-party gov't also installed". BVINews. 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Elections approach, campaigns crank up". BVI Beacon. 10 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  16. ^ "HoA Dissolved; Premier To Announce Elections Date". VI Platinum News. 11 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Premier says election day to be announced soon; explains delay". BVI News. 14 March 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  18. ^ "OJ Smith In The Third As VIP Presents Full Slate". VI Platinum News. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  19. ^ "VIP SELECTS 10 TO RUN IN THE UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTION – 3 POSITIONS REMAIN OPEN". 284 Media. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  20. ^ "VIP has 10 candidates for upcoming general elections so far". BVI News. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  21. ^ "NDP Presents Nine Candidates". VI Platinum News. 18 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Flax-Charles leaves VIP". BVI Beacon. 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Local 'Progressive' parties unite". BVI News. 1 April 2023. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  24. ^ Genevieve Glatsky (7 March 2019). "Vanterpool retires from politics". BVI Beacon. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Shereen Flax-Charles goes blue! Lawmaker joins PVIM". BVI News. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  26. ^ "UPDATE: Alvera Maduro-Caines joins the VIP! Fahie is a productive leader". BVI News. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  27. ^ "JUST IN: NDP, PVIM explore merger but talks seemingly break down". BVI News. 22 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Elephant In The Room! This Election Is A Referendum On Corrupt VIP". VI Platinum. 20 March 2023. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Ethically challenged! Skelton slams VIP's record". BVI News. 20 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  30. ^ "No place in gov't! So-called 'liberator' slams VIP's poor record". BVI News. 3 April 2023. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Political Wickedness & Greed! NDP To Repeal Portion Of Retirement Package For Legislators". VI Platinum News. 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Premier blasts Walwyn over HOA retirement package hypocrisy". BVI News. 24 March 2023. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  33. ^ "What repeal? Malone says NDP helped pass 'greedy bill', collected benefits". BVI News. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  34. ^ Dana Kampa (27 March 2023). "Campaign season in full swing". BVI Beacon. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Reports surface that politicians 'buying votes' from the vulnerable". BVI News. 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  36. ^ "Parties Accused Of Bribing Elderly, Differently-abled Voters". BVI Platinum. 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  37. ^ https://bvi.gov.vg/sites/default/files/resources/electoral_district_statistics.pdf
  38. ^ https://bvi.gov.vg/sites/default/files/resources/polling_division_statistics.pdf
  39. ^ "Total 42 candidates contesting general election". BVI News. 14 April 2023. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  40. ^ "Lorna Smith sworn in as Deputy Premier". BVI News. 25 April 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Ministerial Portfolios Assigned; Premier Justifies Creating New Ministry For Lorna Smith". BVI Platinum. 29 April 2023.
  42. ^ "Update: Skelton Sworn In As Opposition Leader". BVI Platinum. 27 April 2023.
  43. ^ "Let's move on, says Premier in post-election address". BVI News. 26 April 2023.
  44. ^ "Stunned Skelton Cline scorches Lorna Smith over VIP move". BVI News. 26 April 2023.
  45. ^ "No regrets! Lorna Smith denies making 'power play'". BVI News. 26 April 2023.
  46. ^ "Lorna Smith to be axed from NDP's corner". BVI News. 27 April 2023.
  47. ^ "Elections Act needs comprehensive review — Elections Supervisor". BVI News. 26 April 2023.
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