Political parties penniless! Long campaigns unlikely — Skelton Cline
The BVI’s two major political parties — the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) — have been characterised as cash-strapped ahead of the upcoming general elections which are due around mid-May of next year.
For this and other reasons, political commentator and clergyman Claude Skelton Cline forecasts that the general elections will be held months ahead of that time and over a short period.
“This election here, I expect it to be a sprint to the finish line. It’s not a marathon, it’s not protracted, it’s not going to be long. It’s going to be a sprint and it’s going to be a sprint because neither of the two major parties have any money,” Skelton Cline said on the Honestly Speaking show.
The outspoken clergyman, who predicts March 2023 as the likely month for general elections, argued that it takes money to run long elections and to win elections in general.
Skelton Cline also suggested that those major parties are incapable of raising the much-needed campaign funds because of a lack of confidence in their current leadership structure.
“Ain’t nobody with money that’s prepared to give them their money because they don’t believe in the leadership of these parties as they are currently constructed,” said Skelton Cline who has actively served as a member of both the NDP and the VIP
Skelton Cline argued that the current economic climate further exacerbates his belief about why the elections will be held around the month of March and why he expects it to be a sprint to the end.
In the meantime, Skelton Cline proposed that there is a golden opportunity for Shaina Smith to win the now-vacant First District seat, after an unsuccessful attempt at an At-Large post at the last elections.
This is despite reports of a Virgin Islands Party member already being put forward as a likely candidate to replace the recently resigned former Premier Andrew Fahie.
Fahie, who was also the previous VIP chairman, held the First District seat consecutively for more than 20 years until his shocking arrest earlier this year on charges of drug smuggling and money laundering. This led to his resignation and retirement weeks ago.
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if anybody should know it’s you smile ? more power to you
You talk of no confidence in the existing two parties yet throw out names that have recycled through both.
What is for sure is you’re scheming something up that best benefits you.
The other reason you conveniently forget is that this current unity government signed a road map agreement with the UK. So it doesn’t matter who’s elected because they won’t be able to do much (other than Govern transparently), and if they fail to meet that agreement they’ll lose their jobs anyway.
So it ain’t of much interest to those that are smart and looking to get elected, or those that are voting.
We all waiting for the next election after this one.
He broke both of the parties
This pretender, crook,false propthet don’t support none of the parties because he is not getting no more contracts and free money don’t know why they are publiching anything that Wolfe in sheep clothin have to say
CSC are you ñot going to give up now your days are done
He said March 2023 is the next election and that Shaina has a golden opportunity to run in District 1? Is she switching again from running at-large to running in the District?
We need someone different as she seems to have loyalty only to herself. it’s the constant moving across parties and then moving between District and At-Large.
My family and I going with the Romney lady.