‘I want no part of that confusion’: Keith Flax pulls out of political race
“For many reasons, greed being the main one, this country has lost its focus. The leaders have lost their focus … I will not be a part of crookedness” — Flax
By Esther Durand, BVI News Staff
Former Speaker of the House of Assembly Keith Flax, who was previously reported as a potential political candidate, said he is no longer interested in running for office in the 2019 General Election.
Flax told BVI News this week that his reasons stem from the current state of politics in the British Virgin Islands.
He was referring to the series of events that have been happening within the National Democratic Party government and that has led to a number of resignations and sackings.
Flax said before these events, he was considering to contest the upcoming election under Progressives United, an up-and-coming political organisation led by Third District Representative Julian Fraser.
“This isn’t happening over a week or two ago, this has been brewing for quite a while and I saw [it] and I said ‘you know something, I don’t want to be a part of that’. And, this is why I am not running again.”
“I want no part of that confusion,” he continued. “It is a power-grabbing situation. Everybody wants power — that is what this is all about. It is about greed, and that’s what saddens me.”
The former parliamentary Speaker also bemoaned that the territory is headed in what he believes to be the ‘wrong direction’.
“This country could have been much more developed than it is, but for many reasons, greed being the main one, this country has lost its focus. The leaders have lost their focus. It is not going in a direction that we want this country to go and that’s forward … I will not be a part of crookedness,” he insisted.
Fraser focuses on ‘trust’ as campaign strategy
In the meantime, Fraser launched his first campaign video via on social media earlier this week.
The video, which is a little more than three minutes long, was captioned ‘Let’s make a change … and get ‘trust’ back in government’ and has been viewed more than 500 hundred times, so far.
The video highlights Fraser’s involvement in the community over the years.
“If you ready, if you ready for change, then Fraser coming … Fraser roll up your sleeves and show them this time Tola must come back alive for real,” are the words of a song heard in the video’s background.
The video’s background music is a rewrite of Kes the Band’s popular ‘Hello’ single.
Fraser, who recently launched his new party, is still yet to publicly disclose the name of candidates who he will be leading into the next General Election.
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Fr once somebody aint drinking that red koolaid. It’s refreshing that we still have some people left with integrity in the BVI. We need to move forward and sadly as it stands we a nowhere closer than were 5 years ago….what needs to be done can only be achieved by the people of the land taking a hard stand,for honest, frank and all inclusive discussions with the politicians of the day or else we are doomed!
Nobody want to run with Fray Sah.
Well, no one can blame him for changing his mind. “It is a power-grabbing situation” that is indeed sad. He is being wise to stay out of that mess. There will be no real winners here, and the country will be the biggest loser.
I find it interesting that he was even considering joining Mr. Frasier’s party to begin. Reason being, Mr. Frasier’s party is no different in it’s genesis than Mr. Skeleton’s party. They both have been created by former disgruntled party members.
On either side of the political spectrum, you have people, imo, who simply did/do not respect their own internal democratic processes to elect new leaders, and instead bolted.
I would not want to be associated with either of these runaway parties either given the motivation behind their creation, and be forever tied to them politically.
To do so is to create further divide, confusion, and bitterness among the populace. Wise people should not put their reputations on the line to be a part of such divisiveness. Remember, what starts out bad typically ends of badly.
So kudos to Mr. Flax for standing for something here, and staying out that “confusion”.
He just realized that he was with a loosing team and he would have been wept tremendously at the polls. Good decision. Quit while you are ahead.
You will be shocked at the end of it all. Keep betting against Fraser, you will get a wake up call come election day.
School children say Fraser under the guise of his own party with Ronnie, that why Ronnie not running a candidate in the 3rd.
Come election day, say i tell you so.
Set of tricksters. Then they want to talk about trust and integrity, with all the deception going on.
He’s has his days – or should I say years to better the country and his district. He was even a minister of one of MCW and made a mockery of it by those traffic lights debacle. As a 3rd district voter and past Fra Sah voter; our family is moving away from his deceptiveness – he’s on PVIM ticket but under da covers using us to gain power once more. Mrs. Smith-Thompson has shown integrity in her past endeavors and would make a fresh breath of air uniting the divided district. Fresh blood and not recycled dinosaurs that have put-lives their potential and sell-by date. Same a Mr. Flax – past expiration date loooooooooooooooooong time! We need to relegate these posers to the comic strips they’ve escaped from!
shut your ungrateful behind…fraser give you a cheaper/affordable cellphone company option..don’t talk some talk all…he give you cheaper/better quality water to bathe your dirty skin…ungrateful backside yo
Jaigon, wipped not wept. did you go to school?
And you still didn’t get it right grammar police. The word is WHIPPED. Ignorance correcting ignorance. What a ‘ting’!
Since the gentleman is not ‘like that’ then he should not be discouraged he should run with others who are not greedy and power hungry. Voters might see the difference. But saying that when he was in with VIP what was his track record as an at large representative? Did he fight for the people on any particular issue? Scratching head…sir I think you came to the right conclusion.
Smart chap. Watch out for the same thing happening with PVIM. They thought this thing was a cake walk, they will soon see that it is not.
Well one thing I know is you can’t change it from the outside, so if u really care u must get back in the race.
Don’t be a quitter.
Fraser you haven’t started as yet and you losing members. What a thing!
myron in government and he almost lost all..talk that!
Did Flax actually said he was competing? That’s the first thing we need to know. I didn’t hear it from him. I want people to remember that sometimes we miss out on the cornerstone blessing because of what other people tell us of others. We all have weaknesses and should not be placing our feet on others pushing them through the ground, especially those who suppose to have that person back. Put yourself in a position when you thought others had your back. Recall mistakes you’ve make. We are human and not perfect.
Let it not be said that I am noti in support of any political party as I am fully supportive of Progressives United headed by Hon Julian Fraser. However I will not be contesting a seat but that group has my wholehearted support. I have worked with Hon Fraser and I have found him to be an honest andstraightforward individual whom I trust because he has in my opinion demonstrated integrity in his position while serving in Government. I will gods willing exercise my democratic right to vote so it would be incorrect to say that my comments referred to all and sundry. I can proudly say without reservation that I fully support Hon Julian Fraser and the group he is putting together but I WILL NOT be a candidate contesting a seat.
When all is said and done Fraser will be the one to form the government.
Well Mr. Flax, with all due respect, something is amidst here. You have just given both Mr. Frasier and his new party a full throttle endorsement that should make anyone want to be a part of, yet you are not contesting a seat with that party which is under Mr. Frasier’s leadership?
Something is going on here that does not pass the smell test. Just exactly what is your reason for not contesting a seat with this party? Come on; come clean.
You have come this far to memorialize your sentiments on a blog post, you should just finish it.
What you just wrote is akin to telling us how good a fish dinner smelled, but yet you would not eat any of it and walked away. Really? Are you on a political diet?
You are leaving me head scratching with your decision, and I hate doing that. Please tell us the truth, and nothing but the truth.
The truth is, he is lying
All Flax is saying is he doesn’t want the war…
While I understand where you’re coming from I believe if you can make a difference in this upcoming election then be apart of that change for the betterment of our lovely BVI. However, the choice is still yours to make.
As it stands now, we need people in the next Government who are not driven by GREED and POWER but who will look out for the advancement of the BVI and its people. Bless!
He did the best thing due to the fact that he was not going to get any votes. The bragging brothers and Minnie Mouse need to do the same.
Flax is one of the people I would have gladly given one of my votes to. He’s genuine. He cares. He’s not power hungry.
It is former speaker and legislator Keith Flax right to run or not run for elected office. But declaring the system corrupt and lacking the courage to fight is not a solution to fixing the problem. The problem will not be fixed by hope; it will take committed action, courage and fight.
One cannot take flight when the going gets tough. Frederick Douglass says: “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.” C’mon Keith be VG strong.
Dem man playing in the surf and you garn out in the deep ocean mehson. Keith, if you see a problem, be a nationalist/patriot and jump in the ring to help to fix it. Your reason for bowing out is puzzling. Man up and do the right thing. One cannot wait for calm waters to put out to the political sea; one may have to face the political ground sea. The current political situation is in a ground sea. If you want to run show some b….s.
Fraser Party is built on b——-ness. All I see him doing is trying to discredit the VIP & NDP especially the VIP because he h— Andrew.
Fraser needs to exit stage left. He’s a e— di—–r that when in power he listens to no one. He has not and will not change.
I can never support Fraser because he is about self and not country.
the rest of us in the 3rd will support him
Speak for yourself. No one wants someone representing them who cannot work with anyone else other than themselves and also must be the head.
It’s amazing how the good guys get the bad rap all the time. I am not friend or aquintance of Fraser but I like this man. Since he was elected I find he conducted himself well, in office and in HOA. I feel this man has guts and is very serious with the country’s welfare. Yes, he probably faulteted with the lights (they say))but who doesn’t err cast the first stone. Atleast, he didn’t enriched himself with the millions our current leaders are under fire for. So stop tainting a man who wants nothing but see his country on the right track. For a wile he crossed my mind as the right person to rule this country with checks and balances. Mr Fraser, you do not know me but I appeal to you please don’t give up, we need you.
Did you look at the minister in the 1st and question who were being given most or all the jobs while he was in power and why? I will answer Its called KickBack, rewards for his pockets, is that about someone who is country first and not self?
It seems like you all figure history will be obliterated, and everyone will forget ha?
Please do not use h——— & Fraser in the same sentence.
What, is this guy for real isn’t he the one that was leading a coup to throw out one of his own party members out of the house of assembly. That night Alvin had to intervene and keep the whole thing from mashing up. Wa wrong wid these people mehson.
He self
the rest of us in the 3rd will support him
What is this man really saying? If Fraser is such a good trustworthy leader as he is saying then why distance yourself from him at least. SMDH.
No offense to you Mr. Flax, but I think that “winter came and has long since gone”!
The country is about selecting a few, NEW, good men and women who can lead us out of the abyss that we now find ourselves in!
No longer can we look about affiliations and friendships and historical ties to help us. We have done that continously and we are right where we are now, because of that.
I hope you can mentor a few, young, up and coming, YOUNGER aspirants with the care and dedication that you gave while in office, to be the leaders that this country desires, for the BVI of tomorrow.
I applaud Mr. Flax for his decision. Greed is why the BVi and Tortola in particular is the way it is. Look at all the things that happens on Tortola itself compared to the VG, Anegada and Jost. To much bad things going on in Tortola that’s why. It will continue to happen. Politicians to corrupt, Pastors robbing the poor etc.. to much nastiness going on
We are not voting for non of the ministers that boycott their party, they have the same crooked intentions. Bvi people please wize up!
Mr Flax…I could shake your hand. You tell it like it is. If you don’t want to run I would hope the powers that be consider you for the next Speaker of the House.
I listen with interest to the talk about not voting for those who abandon their parties,Do you stop to think that that had good reason to do so.All the deceit and underhanded scheming that went on in these internal elections would cause anyone to run away. I will choose carefully who I support in the elections God willing.I will lie down and sleep with a clear conscience.Not married to any one party.