VIP Congress wanted united body, says Premier after leadership race
An eleventh-hour sleight of hand intended as a clever bit of political manoeuvring proved instead to be a cruel charade, as Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley romped to victory for the post of Chairman of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) at its convention late yesterday.
Premier Wheatley upset his lone challenger, Territorial At-Large Representative Carvin Malone — a past-President and longtime VIP stalwart — by a whopping margin of 60-12 congressional votes at Malone’s Pockwood Pond stronghold.
According to Dr Wheatley, the party made a very clear and decisive vote in returning him to the post of Chairman of the party.
The Premier graciously described Malone’s showing in the contest as a ‘very formidable challenge’ but signalled that the party wanted to demonstrate a show of unity as it approached what may be the Virgin Islands’ most highly anticipated elections contest yet.
“I have a great deal of respect for [Malone], for the work that he put in, but in the end, of course, I believe Congress wanted to ensure that we go into the general elections as a united body,” Premier Wheatley offered.
He said this message was clear from the congress and shared that Malone was also on board with the new mantra.
Malone had just days ago flip-flopped to his old seat as a backbencher on the government’s side of the aisle in the House of Assembly (HOA), offering the justification that his mission on the Opposition benches had been accomplished.
And although Malone’s crushing defeat may signal a change of the guard for some, Dr Wheatley — who is himself a relative newcomer to the VIP’s ranks — quickly adopted a congenial tone and wasted little time in attempting to snuff out any seeds of discord as he moved to set things in perspective.
“We are very happy to have his support and we’re going forward as a united team,” he told reporters last evening.
In the meantime, as the party heads to what it described as a ‘special convention’ to determine additional candidates, Premier Wheatley promised that a date for the general elections will be shared with the public very shortly.
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The Emperor’s invisible robe is back
He badtalked Carvin by telling lies saying that UK wont allow him to hold a seat
A few old ppl pushing a young face shouldn’t be allowed to run the territory from the back. Down with party politics…
We in trouble Buddy. None of these candidates from either party or who has declared seems to have a clue
Privileged Carvin needs to do the honorable thing and step down. His move was nothing short of backstabbing. Go run independent with you one agenda problems.
The VIP is a clear disgrace to these islands. It’s bad enough that before they appointed a man who was convicted and sentenced to be a chairman for the very organization he was charged for. Now they have a man that was convicted for the betrayal of public trust and financial crimes.
His ego is so big that he knows it is in the best interest of the country’s image for him to lend his knowledge from behind the scene but instead he wants to run and behave like he is the only hope the country has. Claiming the street man needs to have a say.
The country has suffered enough internationally and the VIPs just keep pouring it out. Also, you have a man who is charged with betraying Government trust and is hell-bent on running in the next election for another team.
Politics and leadership are no joke. Especially when going up in the big league to compete for financial services and tourism. But instead, it seems that we here have not learned or lesson.
What happened with Fahie is doomed to happen to this country again with this pack of wolves leading the people. The only thing worst in my opinion than the VIP team is the congress who condones the nonsense.
At this point, we are tired of these blind politicians. Just give us someone who LOVES this territory AND it’s residents. Someone who can and WILL be fair and not someone who wants to full his pockets and also his croonies. There has to be men & women who are pure in heart and will fight crime & who can run our territory. Sorry,but Carvin does not have what it takes…he is too petty and acts like a spoiled child on Facebook, grow up Mr.Popcorn!
Where is NDP? Why are they so quiet?
The Premier is right Carvin and others are high on Britain corruption list and they have the evidence, no wonder he kept pushing this self determination talk..
@please That’s the thing with you small minded people Allen is a brilliant educated man that have ideas that can move this country forward some of your all still stuck in the past and always be on the side line trying to knock someone down .
nobody had to bad talk carvin because he did it him self
“So why hasn’t he, or any other, faced indictment? The British are cognizant that mere implication can often wreak sufficient harm. Honorable Malone will astound many come election time with his win at the polls. This is a very strategic move by the Premier, as it serves to dissipate the perception of disloyalty the surfaced during the formation of the Unity Party and presents him as more of a statesmanlike figure.”
https://bvinews.com/vip-meeting-in-coming-days-to-elect-new-party-chairman/
“As it relates to the post of chairman, persons can be nominated from the floor during the time of meeting. Observers wishing to attend must send a notice to the Secretary to be included on a list. This would then need to be approved by the VIP’s executive.”
I would have been ashamed to be a member of the VIP when the former leader disgraced us all and the entire team stand by and did nothing .