We’ve moved on, says Penn on potential merger with PVIM
Health Minister Marlon Penn said his National Democratic Party (NDP) has moved on from talks with the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) about a possible merger.
The two sides reportedly met about heading into the upcoming general elections as a single unit before party members and other stakeholders decided that discussions should be discontinued.
The NDP and PVIM currently sit alongside the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government in Cabinet as part of a tripartite governing coalition.
Speaking on the Talking Points radio show recently, Penn, the current NDP Chairman, said the two parties never got into any details at any stage of those discussions.
“We all looked at the numbers. We saw that the most practical thing to do was for us to have a conversation about how we could unify and move forward as a unified organisation for the best interest of the country,” Penn explained.
“They’ve moved on, we’ve moved on,” Penn added. “We listened to the people. The people said that they thought the best option was for us to mend our differences, come back around the table, and we made an attempt, a valiant attempt to do so, to do just that. It didn’t materialise.”
Penn also denied an existing narrative that his party was demanding certain things as pre-conditions for a possible merger, insisting that discussions never advanced to that stage.
According to Penn, “that’s totally false. We had a cursory conversation on moving forward on what we thought was the best approach for us to move forward, and we intended to have a further conversation which never happened and we learned of a [PVIM] launch later on after that conversation.”
When questioned on the issue of the merger last week, Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) Chairman, Ronnie Skelton said he preferred that individual members join his party’s cause.
We’ll be launching soon
In the meantime, the NDP Chairman said his party is now in the process of moving forward since the PVIM already held its launch last week.
While declining to name any prospective candidates on the NDP slate, Penn said his party also has intentions of launching some time before the end of the week.
The party leader said, ultimately, everyone has been touting that they are vying for office to save the country’s democracy.
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Good for trying and good move for the NDP to move on. Looking at the PVIM releases that followed, I would have done the same. Dead weight for the 9th? Mitch for Chairman or deputy? Hm. Send help. Now the public finally heard Ronnie speak and were disappointed to realise he does not have the verbal skills required for the job. Hearing the folly spewing out of VIP. And all of them who voted back the VIP Chairman is just as responsible. They do not have the courage to lead. They just being safe on the backbench to try to secure a job. They should find the job they are actually qualified to do. Call a spade a spade. This my country and right now, what is in the best interest of the country is in my best interest too. PVIM bit themselves by not being humble. Just my opinion. NDP is the best hope in my eyes. Who can represent me? Who can get the job done? Who is about country and not about self? Bring something good to the table for each of the districts and at large reps and you got my vote.
Skelton pulling out and leaving you in this race shows you up Marlon. You obviously were hoping for this merger more than Skelton. You however can get back at him. I believe that there should be a debate among the party leaders, not necessarily with the independents.
We all know that CSC was correct when he said Skelton is not articulate. We can not have someone leading us who can’t meet world leaders. Who can’t develop and deliver a thought. So who will be the main spokesperson in that party.
The reason why I said no independents is the Pickering would eat all of you for breakfast. We need someone who can talk. I don’t think the premier is a strong articulater. He pauses too long as if searching for words.
Both of them are dead they are one in the same
Marlon is a great deceiver in politics. He cannot be trusted and only says what he thinks the public wants to hear. He is a poor leader and always up to trickery and magic. He wants to get power only by trying to destroy others with makeup stories with half-truths or no truth at all.
Marlon wants to be leader of the party without holding an internal election….THAT CANT WORK!””So leh we stop beating around the bush!
Moved on? NDP does not have candidates and are now scrambling and picking anyone that raise their hands to run. The slate will be sad just like PVIM and VIP will win. It’s a no-brainer. Sad to see how such a strong organization has dwindled down to a practical joke.
How can NDP be the best hope and you do not even know who their candidates are at this point? Can you be any more obvious in your bias? PVIM is NDP-Light so don’t try to separate the two. The PVIM leaders were with NDP just 4 short years ago so don’t forget that. Show me the difference between Sowande and Marlon with respect to temperament and readiness to lead. PVIM’s slate is no better than VIP’s and NDP’s won’t be any different either. If I am not mistaken, the Premier cannot be that bad as Marlon and Mitch continue to serve under him as Ministers in his Cabinet.
I agree that Ronnie is less than articulate. The premier always need pre-questions. Today he say one thing, tomorrow he contradict it, no leg to stand on. To me, a USVI governor could not even try to bully Myron to change a policy. The COI recommendations could not pass by Myron without him challenging it, without him bringing it to his party and to the people of the country so we understand what is happening. To defend the laws and constitution of the country, you have to know what it says. At least be able to read it. Myron would swallow every last one of them in a debate. The people need to be honest. All this country is missing is a good, strong leader. Time to There seems to be a network in place that has cast lies on this country in the international scene and that same network that is trying to create discord locally, through lies. Time to rise above that network by showing wisdom and uniting with our strongest leaders.
Myron is the best candidate to lead the NDP. NDP is the best hope based on the decisions they have made so far.
1) They tried to unite with PVIM in the best interest of the country.
2) They stood by what they believed was for the best for the country, even if that meant accepting that the merger could not work.
3) They remain dedicated to pursuing the next steps all in the best interest of the country.
It is not about winning. It is not about bowing down to what seems popular. It is about having a backbone and moving forward with conviction and confidence in the best interest of the country and most of all, with sense.
Based on what I have seen so far, I am confident that party has enough sense to bring the most sensible candidates to the table. So far NDP has not proven me wrong. PVIM and VIP…a different story altogether.
Well you just handed victory to the VIP because of all your egos. The more you dilute a disillusioned voting public the more it will benefit the more cohesive group regardless of how we bad the choice may be.
Look how less natalio gonna get back in just because these man cant put their hunger for power and their egos aside for the betterment of the country.
There is NO DIFFERENCE between NDP and PVIM, NONE, ZERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mitch and Ronnie claim that they do not share the same principles etc. of NDP so if that’s the case, why did they contest their internal elections in 2019? They only bolted when they lost. If they did not share the same principles they would’ve left the party long before the internal elections. Who are they fooling? Not me for sure! They want to be in charge and left the party because they lost the election, that’s where it all went downhill. They are the reason VIP got in power and that is exactly what they wanted. Now they are here again with another team that cannot hold water so we can expect the same result. Only Mitch will win a seat and Ronnie if he is lucky. Voters have 4 at-large votes and the field will have 12 from the main parties and a few independents. With most persons voting party line (not all but majority) what is their path to victory. None of them care about country, all their care about is being in the top spots and taking care of their little boujee cliques.
Of course there is a difference between NDP and PVIM. One have a mitch and a Ronnie, one does not. Clearly.
I hope that the party launches with policies and detailed agenda (what why, how and how resourced and funded). I also expect them to apologize to the ppl for all the S$it they did over the years and give details. If no such details are given from jump I write them off. These trash parties taking the country down
Hold up folks, NDP has Lorna Smith. Why is there only mention of Myron and Marlon? Say what you want about her, she may be tainted by the folly of her husband’s idiotic air line debacle. However on her own she is imminently qualified to lead not just the party. I know we aren’t emotionally mature enough to accept a woman as leader of the country, but she is definitely a trained diplomat. If the NDP wins whoever they decide will be the Premier would do the country a favor of making her his right hand in some way. She speaks standard english and can negotiate. You folks are way too complicated, or you think everything has to be complicated in order to be seen as serious. What a pity.
DID MARLON HAD AN INTERNAL ELCTION TO BECOME LEADER OF THE PARTY?
NDP is still the best party for the country they never had any record like VIP they take the cake
If PVIM had so love this country he would have put aside his differences and merge
Isn’t that what the VIP and Marlon did so who looks more power hungry of the lot
PVIM
Scorpion versus Red Ants
Red Ants made bad decision on the plane
Scorpions :
Decided to give 40
million to fishers and farmers with no accountability
Red Ants :
No wrong doing was unearthed by the wall
Scorpion :
Handcuffs and under house arrest
Red Ants :
Showed a pier park
Scorpion :
Kneeling down , hands in the air , supporting gambling and marjuina
A wonder who had stung and hurt this nation more
We should punish PVIM by not voting for them for this. Our country has all sort of problems. One of the biggest is that we are divided so that strengthens the U.K. yet our so called leaders cannot drop their egos and hatred and join forces to save our country? They rather stay separated and put back in Natalio and his goons? It was the formation of PVIM by Ronnie and Mitch because they lost the NDP internal elections that caused Andrew Fahie and the VIP to win. They are responsible in part to what happened to this country. Do not vote for any one of them on that PVIM team. When I see them I see people with bad mind. I see power hungry people. I see people who hold grudges. I see people are not about unity but about division. We don’t need that.
Lorna is very qualified, nobody with half a brain disputes that. However, when it comes to BVI Airways please talk what you know and stop blogging foolishness. She was right there front and center with this deal!!
Marlon is a smooth talker. Don’t trust anything coming out of his mouth.