By-Elections? Fifth district told to register, party’s recruit candidates
Supervisor of Elections Juliette Penn.
By Davion Smith, BVI News Staff
Residents of the Fifth Electoral District, seemingly, will not be without a representative for much longer as plans are being put in place for a possible by-election.
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections gave an indication of a possible by-election when they issued a statement encouraging all eligible residents of the Fifth District to register to vote by Friday, November 16.
The office issued the statement on Monday, nearly a month after the untimely death of Delores Christopher who was that district’s sitting representative at the time of her passing.
Excerpt from the elections office’s statement encouraging Fifth District residents to register by Friday.
Meanwhile, local political party leaders have told BVI News that they are also gearing up for the by-election.
When asked whether the newly-established Progressives United political organisation will be putting forward a candidate to contest the by-election, party leader Julian Fraser said: “It’s our intent.”
He, however, declined to disclose the name of the party’s candidate but said an announcement will be made “sometime very soon”.
The NDP candidate
Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Myron Walwyn has also opted not to divulge the name of the NDP’s candidate when BVI News contacted him last evening.
“We will announce this (the name of our candidate) soon,” he said.
While the NDP Chairman is prolonging the suspense a while longer, highly-placed sources told BVI News that well-known Rotarian, Elvis ‘Juggy’ Harrigan is that party’s candidate of choice.
And though our news centre did not receive any official statement from Virgin Islands Party (VIP) leader Andrew Fahie in relation to the by-election, he had announced months ago that the head of the Department of Motor Vehicles, Kye Rhymer, was the VIP’s pick to contest the Fifth District at the next General Election, which is constitutionally due by the summer of next year.
Reported Skelton-led party to also throw hat in ring?
Things might not be so clear-cut for another up-and-coming political organisation that, reportedly, will be led by Ronnie Skelton, who is the current Minister of Health under the Premier Dr D Orlando Smith administration.
Unconfirmed reports to BVI News are that the party — which is called the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) — has recruited a high-ranking member of one of the BVI’s law enforcement agencies to contest the Fifth District seat.
This by-election may pose a complication for PVIM and its reported leader, Skelton since he — a sitting minister for the governing NDP administration — has made no official announcements of his intention to lead the political organisation.
In the meantime, the Premier of the Virgin Islands is typically the person to declare any election, BVI News understands.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Governor keep an eye on this office.
Them? I remember what they did in the 8th to oust dancia
D—- needed not much assistance in removing her from her seat – she practically did it herself. Every ministry has a budget and she had hers. She even had her district allocation funds yet the district voters and those outside said district saw the handwriting on the wall. Pretty much of her own acccord imo. that she ousted herself. Politics is a dirty game; ask the current players how dirty their hands are.
ronnie, mitch, archie, kedric, andrew and fraser over on the opposition side. the government has already fall. it is six six. CALL THE GENERAL ELECTIONS ONE TIME
Kedrick will sit with Orlando until the House dissolves. LOYALTY!!
We once were boys, then young boys, then young men.
We came into being on old main street. We ate and grew up on Mr. Josh’s bread and Ms.Adeline maurby and B,ball on cement streets.
We fished around the shorelines long before the idea came about to turn vibrant sea beds into a concrete, asphalt cement highway.
We were always eager for change, though we did not know what kind, because we knew change would come.
We once were young boys who have all grown and have changed now.
We had a local political party made up primarily of those boys, and we loved them and still do.
They are us. They represent a collective from the womb of authentic locals never be seen or assembled as a political party again.
Though most things, events, people and phenomena do change and come to an end, it is a hope and dream that the authentic local and political party will never die nor lose sight of a philosophy and world sensibility from which the BVI and its people will be led into unity, prosperity, nationhood and family togetherness.
Good luck to the new party and may the NDP continue to strive, even with a broken philosophy and platform.
Ok Ms. P.
Filling the D-5 vacancy by a by-election seems to be a fait accompli; it is a done deal. The question is what is the value of holding a by-election so close to a constitutionally due general election that is due no later than June 2019? The NDP, the current government, now has a 10-2 advantage in the HOA. Therefore, the D-5 vacancy is not going to affect the NDP (what is left of it) ability to effectively govern nor give the opposition any advantage. Thus, why expend scarce resources at this time? Why can’t the money that will be spent on this by-election be used to improve and strengthen the electoral process?
They have until August 2019 to hold elections, not June. Further, the other parties are silent on the matter because they are not ready for a general election.
I am so sorry Dr Smith,you are failing the BVI repeatedly.
Time to have a new election officer in that. Office. Train some young people to take over. Do not wait for the present officer to say I am tired. I am going home. Let someone understudy the present officer.