Fraser dismisses vote-buying accusations
Third District Representative Julian Fraser has categorically dismissed the notion that he was ever involved in vote-buying, insisting that this has played no role in his re-election over the years.
In a recent interview, the veteran legislator pointed to the transfer of assistance grants from legislators to the Social Development Department and commented that residents may still be feeling the proverbial pinch.
Fraser argued that the nearly $2 million in funding previously disbursed by lawmakers, was going directly to seniors and the less fortunate and also suggested that lawmakers have a better understanding of residents who are in need of such grants.
“No matter you hear the talk out there about giving money for votes and all that kind of stuff. Well, okay. So, we didn’t have the money for the votes,” Fraser said. “Take a guy like myself for instance. You want to claim that I was using it all these years for votes? Okay, so I didn’t have it this time. And what happened?”
He added: “You can see it’s a farce. It’s a farce. These people relied on this kind of money for as small as it was. It was still a big thing for them.”
Days ahead of the just-concluded elections, former Territorial At-Large Representative Shereen Flax-Charles contended that persons were soliciting votes from seniors and differently-abled residents in Virgin Gorda by offering monetary incentives.
“I am very disappointed that we’re literally trying to hoodwink our elderly and differently-abled by offering them $40 or $50 to come to the polls and vote for certain candidates. Let’s be real. We have to stop that behaviour,” Flax-Charles stated at the time.
Petty contracts
Meanwhile, Fraser also pointed to the now-tightened restrictions over the issuance of petty contracts, a development which came in the wake of last year’s Commission of Inquiry report.
According to Fraser, “We were pumping over $2.5 million dollars in petty contracts on the district level alone. My district vote for projects and everybody else’s district vote for projects was in the neighbourhood of $2.5 million.”
He added: “Petty contracts … that’s exhausted, evaporated. These are monies that went into the communities. You take that away. So what do you expect?”
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Yeah yeah, Nothing new, all have been buying votes for 60 years
These guys have shown they cannot speak truth & cannot be trusted. They all spoke about VIP contacting them but never admitted they also called people in VIP to join them because they couldn’t get the government formed with their seven members due to egos, pride, greed, and lust for power. Everyone in the BVI knows they also called the VIP looking position even if they did it through their friends, family, and/or close supporters so they could have stayed in the back & make it look as if their hands were clean with their “so-called” integrity gimmick. They need to stop taking we the public for fools. The most vote buying, plane tickets purchased and other questionable conduct to influence votes was in Districts 2,3,6 and 8.
Why ayo keep using whatever fraser say or do for headlines???? Ayo just like drama and like traffic on ayo website!!!!
UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION JOE FRASER
Please get a trim
Ok Mr. Honorable Frazer. Tell us about the 10K per seedbumb you authorized just before two elections ago. The BVI is the only place in the world that the a speed bump have potholes. And you want your easy cash back . Seriously
Nice to know Fraser. Have a nice week and try to do better.
It doesn’t matter which side Frazer is on.It was never going to be smooth sailing in the house of assembly….
White envelopes – promises of jobs and contracts – how else does Fraser keep getting elected?
You’ve got 4 more years of fraser…DEAL WITH IT! GO BACK IN YOUR SHELL!
Fraser why do have to resort to l**ng. On Election day, 24th April at least one of your key persons who was working for you. was at the back of the building where the polling was being held, allegedly paying people in cash as they exited the polling station. This is not the first time that this has been done by the persons who you get to work for you on Election Day. What is so sad is that everyone seems to turn a blind eye to it. I call that desperation and downright low!
No guarantees there. After the COI have finished with him he may be governing from jail – like his old friend Head Coach!