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Election Watch: Major questions surround Penn’s leadership skills

Opposition Leader Marlon Penn

Political commentator Claude Skelton Cline has argued that tremendous questions are hovering over the ability of Opposition Leader Marlon Penn to become the next Premier of the BVI. 

Skelton Cline noted on his Honestly Speaking radio show yesterday that he found it curious to hear that Penn said he would be ready if a snap election were to be called, particularly because Penn has reportedly not officially been declared Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP). 

The last officially recognised Chairman of the party, Skelton Cline said, was Myron Walwyn, who resigned after the party lost at the last election. 

Skelton Cline said it would also be curious to see if Walwyn returns and whether he returns as a member of the NDP as well. 

Speaking on the NDP’s candidate recruitment process ahead of the next General Election that is constitutionally due in 2023, Skelton Cline said: “I know that they have been trying desperately to try to pull the fragmented pieces of the NDP together.” 

According to Skelton Cline, these efforts have not been going all too well, and therefore Penn has been unable to successfully put together a substantive meeting to be elected as Chairman. 

“There are tremendous questions around whether or not Honourable Penn has the capacity at such a time like this, the shrewdness, the gravitas, the weightiness, the command of his own party and of the people in which to give leadership to a country that is at the crossroads,” Skelton Cline said. 

The talk show host said he found it even more curious that the Opposition Leader indicated that the public will be better aware, in a matter of weeks, what Penn’s team in the next election will look like. 

He added: ”I want to say to Honourable Penn, I hope he can emerge as leader, but he’s going to have his hands full internally, and then if he is to face an Andrew Arturo Fahie and a Virgin Islands Party government, his hands will be even more the fuller. So, leadership matters.” 

Skelton Cline further argued that the holder of the post of Opposition Leader is always seen as the Premier-in-waiting. 

Who is Penn really leading? 

Taking a closer look at Penn‘s current post in the House of Assembly (HOA) as Opposition Leader, Skelton Cline said he was unsure of who Penn was actually leading. 

Skelton Cline said Penn’s fellow NDP member Mark Vanterpool was not expected to run for office again, and NDP member Alvera Maduro-Caines crossed the aisle to sit with the government some three years ago. 

Opposition members Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull of the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement and Julian Fraser of Progressives United are also not members of the NDP, and therefore not under Penn’s direct leadership. 

“So, in so far as leadership of the Opposition, I’m not sure who Honourable Penn is leading other than the fact that he is holding the post of ([leader of] what they refer to as her Majesty’s loyal Opposition,” Skelton Cline said.

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33 Comments

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  1. RIGHT ABOUT NOW says:

    ANYBODY DIFFERENT TO FAHIE WILL DO

    Like 53
    Dislike 10
    • Elsa says:

      That is the sad mistake that was made last ejection. It was anybody bother than the NDp.

      Like 6
      Dislike 10
      • Hmm says:

        We will take that risk to get rid of this government.

        Like 27
        Dislike 4
      • No Elsa says:

        The NDP just like the VIP were doing a lot of good works. However when you feel like you are above the people and start doing your own thing neglecting the voice of the people, we will have to remind you who run things. The only problem is we become petty and fire the entire party and not choose the best person for the job.

    • Lmao says:

      Snap elections? Really? How about the Governor will be governing for at least the next 2-4 years. CSK needs to hightail it back to Detroit and the rest of the crooked Ministers and politicians need to lawyer up. That’s what’s in store for the immediate future. Not snap elections.

      Like 12
      Dislike 3
    • VIP leaving an open goal says:

      with a toadying personality cult in place of substantive leadership. Case in point is this self-serving servility to our naked emperor.

      Like 2
      Dislike 1
    • Careful eyes says:

      Is Claud is playing smart? He well know the reason the VIP won the last election was because the NDP was fragmented. I know this country have a serious problem. We don’t vote indivisuals who can do the job, we vote parties. The question is will we contain this problem and stop voting emotions. Claude is looking out for himself, so if we are so stupid to fall for the NDP1 & NDP2 along with PU and not choose the right candidates for the job we will be playing the same same ping pong.

  2. Why why why? says:

    Why do the newspapers keep reporting on what CSC says? Who cares? I am not necessarily a fan of Marlon Penn, but I really do not care what CSC thinks about anything really. @BVI News, please report newsworthy stories, not CSC’s nonsense.

    Like 53
    Dislike 1
  3. Piggy Wiggy says:

    ALL I HAVE TO SAY TO SMURF PENN IS “WHEN” COME AGAIN!

    Like 8
    Dislike 9
  4. Agree says:

    Any other leader would do right about now as opposed to who is currently in power!

    As a matter of fact he just needs to get 6 like minded and competent persons who have the Virgin Islands at heart and move us forward. They dont need to be a part of any party either other than Love and Do Good by these Virgin Islands.

    Sick of this crap and shame on you Claude for nit picking!

    Like 36
    Dislike 2
  5. Parham says:

    Smurf got the opposition because walwyn fall short. Quite like a lamb but east end will continue infestation with drugs, unsolved murder and guns under he watch.

    Like 7
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    • @Parham - Hon. Penn fan says:

      Stop talking p!$$! So Penn is the Commissioner of police, Premier or sits on the security council? No one has spoken out more on crime in this country more than Hon. Penn. You and the other cronies need to take several seats and keep off of our next Premier.

      Like 10
      Dislike 5
    • @Parham - Hon. Penn fan says:

      Stop talking p!$$! So Penn is the Commissioner of police, Premier or sits on the national security council? No one has spoken out more on crime in this country than Hon. Penn. You and the other cronies need to take several seats and keep off of our next Premier.

      Like 2
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  6. Righty says:

    Like how the COP cleaning up the police force. Try take a look in district 8. Promoting Penn is like promoting a drug lord. They all have high and lows.

    Like 12
    Dislike 6
  7. CSE says:

    I thought there was an arrest warrant for him from the city of Detroit?

    Like 23
    Dislike 1
  8. Major questions surrounding all leadership says:

    This is a time where questions should be put all across the board about leadership in governments,churches,businesses etc.All those questions have surfaced since this plandemic has started.I say plandemic because most of the hidden plans have been revealed and warnings was publicly given years before 2019 but people never really paid attention.Most people tried to follow the protocols before the vaccine roll out and in the BVI we did fine with 1 death. Mandates arrive in some tricky ways where it had to violate peoples human rights to accomplish its mission.The government said its not mandatory but still stood by the wayside and watch it being mandated and to make matters worse is to watch people loose there jobs.Out of all the pastors here it was just about only one that stood up and said it was wrong. Now after people complied and took the jab,people are just fallen sick and some died already without even mashing brakes to figure out what could be wrong. Covid gets blamed for everything but the truth is coming out. If your a leader be honest with yourself and stand for whats right and put good over evil.

    Like 5
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  9. Pablo says:

    When most of them f**kry in parham town solve we can talk…

    Like 6
    Dislike 4
  10. True talk says:

    For the NDP to stand any chance they need to join back with PVIM and have either Ronnie or Myron as the leader. Marlon and Mitch are not ready for leadership based on where this country is at right now. Let us get real. Can you see Marlon taking on Andrew in a campaign?

    Like 15
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    • @truetalk says:

      They both had there chance and they failed. I will take my chances with Hon. Penn and Turnbull of them 2 any day. When will they ever be ready? You people need to stop.

      Like 6
      Dislike 5
      • O o says:

        Wrong response. Knowledgeable persons with integrity needed here this time. Throw in sing independents for consideration. This party alliance thing is a problem in the BVI. Time to mix it up

  11. BvI says:

    Like me, other should pray hard for a group of young visionaries to step forward and form a political party to contest the next election. Both the NDP and VIP failed this country miserably. Out current Deputy Governor will make a good Premier.

    Like 2
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  12. @ Piggy Wiggy says:

    Easy Tiger “Yu dead now”.

    • @@ Piggy Wiggy says:

      Wine and you wiggle and you juk and you turn!

      You dead now! Ah you tek man for? You know seh deh smurf ah no dam loser?

      You dead now! Ah who you tek man for! Original Smurf is opposition leader! Lol ?

  13. The Ong Pong says:

    The Awakening process is a massive dismantling mentally. BVI is in for a rude awakening.

  14. Who Am I says:

    Truth is declared hate speech and is driven from the public square. A corrupt national media, from whom truth has departed pushes a narrative and agenda whereby our civil liberties, constitutional rights and religious freedoms are indefinitely suspended during a state of emergency. The truth must always be said otherwise someone is controlling someone else. People who have to be right rather than seek truth are not after truth at all. A lot of people prefer to stay in Moronland.

  15. Nutmeg says:

    Andrew got a chance he is worst , Myron and Penn as a team will do a lot better than Andrew and his team .

    The problem is some BVIandres prefer to put the country in danger and let the country go down the drain and vote Andrew because Myron parentage is not from here . That is the ONLY criteria they use . What foolish thinking !! That is why we all would suffer

    So the country can go down the drain even though he has the experience and the knowledge . Marlon and Myron makes a great team . They would do better than what is going on now

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  16. redstorm says:

    What’s the point ?Are you trying to put him down, so that you look good. Silly! so the question is leaders born or are they made. I saw first hand a man trying to manage a neighbourhood program and fail miserably. No report, no paper work, no plan of results. In analysis was that leadership? Who were he leading?

    No matter how I feel about the opposition leader I respect him, just as I respect the premier. It is not a position to take lightly and it required lots of guts to be in a party with people of double mind. Leaders are visionary people who stick to stay on their journey.

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