1999 British Virgin Islands general election

Last updated

1999 British Virgin Islands general election
Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg
  1995 17 May 1999 (1999-05-17) 2003  

13 of the 15 seats in the House of Assembly
7 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  D. Orlando Smith (cropped).jpg Ralph T. O'Neal (cropped).jpg
Leader Orlando Smith Ralph T. O'Neal
Party NDP VIP
Last election30.15%, 6 seats
Seats won57
Seat changeNewIncrease2.svg 1
Popular vote9,1268,790
Percentage38.14%36.74%

Chief Minister before election

Ralph T. O'Neal
VIP

Chief Minister after election

Ralph T. O'Neal
VIP

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 17 May 1999. The result was a victory for the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by Chief Minister Ralph T. O'Neal over the newly formed National Democratic Party (NDP) led by Orlando Smith.

Contents

The elections marked the emergence of the NDP, the first serious opposition to the VIP since the collapse of the United Party in the aftermath of Cyril Romney's resignation as Chief Minister in 1986. They were also the first elections in the territory since 1954 in which Lavity Stoutt, a dominant political force in the British Virgin Islands did not participate and the first in which no independent candidates were elected. [1]

Results

The election was largely decided in three key seats: the Third District (which Julian Fraser carried for the VIP by 26 votes), the Sixth District (which Omar Hodge carried for the VIP by 12 votes) and the Eighth District (which Lloyd Black carried for the NDP by 11 votes, with the crucial Penn family votes being split between Andre (running as an independent) and David (running for the VIP) – most years a member of the Penn family wins the Eighth District). The At-large seats were split equally between the two main parties. Ethlyn Smith won the Fifth District for the minority party, the Concerned Citizens Movement, where the second placed candidate was former Chief Minister running as an independent, Cyril Romney.

Although the overall vote count was flattering to the NDP this was because they polled well in the At-large seats (where each voter casts four votes). But most of the Territorial seats were not that competitive, with the VIP winning some seats with huge majorities, the largest being Alvin Christopher's thumping 80.2% of the vote in the Second District. Conversely, Julian Fraser won his seat in the Third District with the smallest mandate of any candidate – just 228 votes in a three-way contest with a low voter turnout.

Notable candidates who were elected to the Legislature for the first time included future Chief Minister and Premier, Orlando Smith; future Deputy Premier and Minister Kedrick Pickering; future Minister Andrew Fahie; and future Minister and Leader of the Opposition Julian Fraser. Conversely, Walwyn Brewley suffered the first electoral defeat of his career, and would thereafter choose to end his political career at this point.

PartyDistrictAt-largeTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
National Democratic Party 2,04432.6739,12638.1425New
Virgin Islands Party 2,64942.3458,79036.7427+1
United Party 4006.3901,9238.0400–2
Concerned Citizens Movement 5368.5716702.8001–1
Independents62710.0203,41814.2900–3
Speaker and Attorney General20
Total6,256100.00923,927100.004150
Valid votes6,25698.276,06998.76
Invalid/blank votes1101.73761.24
Total votes6,366100.006,145100.00
Registered voters/turnout9,52366.859,52364.53
Source: Elections in the Virgin Islands

Individual territorial seats

Winning candidates are shaded in blue. The previous incumbent, if any, is indicated in bold.

First Electoral District

CandidateCarrot BayZion HillTotalPercentage
Andrew FAHIE (VIP)30622252876.9%
Elvin STOUTT (IND)1014014120.5%
Rejected151162.3%
Spoiled1120.3%
Total number of registered voters: 1,140
Total number of votes cast: 687
Percentage of voters who voted: 60.2%

Second Electoral District

CandidateJost Van DykeBrewers BayCane Garden BayMeyersTotalPercentage
Alvin CHRISTOPHER (VIP)748516516048480.2%
Enriquito RHYMER (NDP)413613611418.9%
Rejected003250.8%
Total number of registered voters: 1,023
Total number of votes cast: 603
Percentage of voters who voted: 58.9%

Third Electoral District

CandidatesSea Cows BayTotalPercentage
Julian FRASER (VIP)22822838.4%
Michael THOMAS (NDP)20220234.0%
Maxwell SMITH (UP)14814824.9%
Rejected14142.4%
Spoiled220.3%
Total number of registered voters: 914
Total number of votes cast: 594
Percentage of voters who voted: 65.0%

Fourth Electoral District

CandidatesRoad TownSalt IslandTotalPercentage
Mark VANTERPOOL (NDP)451245362.2%
Walwyn BREWLEY (CCM) 254425835.4%
Gregory HODGE (UP)220223.0%
Rejected140141.9%
Spoiled1010.1%
Total number of registered voters: 1,091
Total number of votes cast: 728
Percentage of voters who voted: 66.7%

Fifth Electoral District

CandidatesHuntum's GhutLong TrenchTotalPercentage
Ethlyn SMITH (CCM)2087027837.9%
Cyril ROMNEY (IND)1825123331.8%
Hugo VANTERPOOL (VIP)1045616021.8%
Ulric SCATLIFFE (UP)473506.8%
Rejected82101.4%
Total number of registered voters: 1,202
Total number of votes cast: 733
Percentage of voters who voted: 61.0%

Sixth Electoral District

CandidatesBaughers BayBelle VueTotalPercentage
Omar HODGE (VIP) 3165136745.4%
Elvis HARRIGAN (NDP)2896635543.9%
Edmund MADURO (UP)674718.8%
Rejected133162.0%
Total number of registered voters: 1,174
Total number of votes cast: 809
Percentage of voters who voted: 68.9%

Seventh Electoral District

CandidatesLong LookTotalPercentage
Kedrick PICKERING (NDP)35635660.8%
Collingston GEORGE (UP)10910918.6%
Birton LETTSOME (VIP)10710718.3%
Rejected13132.2%
Spoiled110.1%
Total number of registered voters: 812
Total number of votes cast: 586
Percentage of voters who voted: 72.2%

Eighth Electoral District

CandidatesHope EstateEast EndTotalPercentage
Lloyd BLACK (NDP)1125326438.7%
Andre PENN (IND) 1823525337.0%
David PENN (VIP)1014815823.1%
Rejected0881.2%
Total number of registered voters: 928
Total number of votes cast: 683
Percentage of voters who voted: 73.6%

Ninth Electoral District

CandidatesThe ValleyNorth SoundAnegadaTotalPercentage
Ralph T. O'NEAL (VIP) 3921814461766.2%
Hubert O'NEAL (NDP)202534530032.2%
Rejected1211141.5%
Total number of registered voters: 1,239
Total number of votes cast: 931
Percentage of voters who voted: 75.1%

At-large seats

Territorial At-Large Electoral District

PositionNameAffiliationTotalPercentage
1 SMITH, D. Orlando NDP3,09412.93%
2GEORGE, ReeialVIP3,01512.60%
3SKELTON, RonnieNDP2,67511.18%
4 PARSONS, Eileene VIP2,2889.56%
5WATTLEY, PaulNDP1,8977.93%
6O'NEAL, IreneVIP1,8357.67%
7PICKERING, RoyVIP1,6526.90%
8CHRISTOPHER, DelorisNDP1,4606.10%
9FRETT, Alred IND 1,4576.09%
10BLYDEN, NeilIND9193.84%
11 MADURO, Conrad UP 7233.02%
12FLAX, KeithIND5372.24%
13HERBERT, MerrittUP5052.11%
14MERCER, CharlesUP4511.88%
15DAWSON, CarlCCM3451.44%
16FRETT, BettetoCCM3251.36%
17O'NEAL, EdisonUP2441.02%
18SCATLIFFE, FletcherIND2090.87%
19BARONVILLE, EileenIND1990.83%
20LLOYD, NoelIND970.41%
Total ballots cast: 6,145
Total rejected ballots: 76
Total votes rejected: 4
Total valid votes: 23,927
Total votes counted: 23,931
Total registered voters: 9,523
Percentage turnout: 64.53%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando Smith</span> British Virgin Islands politician (born 1944)

Daniel Orlando Smith, OBE is a British Virgin Islands politician and the former Premier of the British Virgin Islands from 2011 to 2019 and from 2003 to 2007. He also formerly served as Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands from 2003 to 2007. He first won the office when his National Democratic Party won the 2003 general election, being the party's first victory at a general election in its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 British Virgin Islands general election</span> General election held in the British Virgin Islands

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 20 August 2007. The result was a landslide victory for the opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) over the incumbent National Democratic Party (NDP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 British Virgin Islands general election</span> General election held in the British Virgin Islands

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 16 June 2003. It was won by the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP), which took 54.4% of the vote and 8 of the 13 available seats on the Legislative Council. After the election the NDP formed a Government for the first time in its history. Both major parties - the NDP and the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) actually increased their share of the overall vote at the expense of minority parties and independents. No independents or any minority parties won any seats. The NDP won all four of the territorial-at-large seats.

The US state of Illinois is a Democratic stronghold and one of the "big three" Democratic states alongside California and New York. It is considered one of the most Democratic states in the nation and following the 2018 elections, all six statewide elected offices are held by a Democrat. However, there is a sharp division between Democratic cities, college towns, and population centers, and highly conservative rural regions, which continue to be dominated by Republicans, but are drowned out due to their relatively low population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of the British Virgin Islands</span> Politics of a British overseas territory

Politics of the British Virgin Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Premier is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The British Virgin Islands are an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes the islands on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. The Constitution of the Islands was introduced in 1971 and amended in 1979, 1982, 1991, 1994, 2000 and 2007. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the House of Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Military defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary-Glenmore</span> Provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada

Calgary-Glenmore, formally styled Calgary Glenmore from 1957 to 1971, is a provincial electoral district in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 British Virgin Islands general election</span> General election held in the British Virgin Islands

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 7 November 2011. The result was a decisive victory for the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) led by Orlando Smith over the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP), led by Premier Ralph T. O'Neal. No minor parties or independent candidates won any seats.

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 20 February 1995. The result was a victory for the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt. The VIP won a plurality of six seats, and thus were able to form a minority government as no other party or coalition could muster a larger number of seats. The BVI United Party (UP) won three seats, and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) won two seats. The two other seats were won by independents. Shortly after the election Alvin Christopher joined the VIP upon being offered a Ministerial seat, giving the VIP an outright majority.

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 12 November 1990. The result was a decisive victory for the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt. Three other parties contested the election: the BVI United Party (UP) led by Conrad Maduro, the newly formed Progressive People's Democratic Party (PPDP) led by former Chief Minister Willard Wheatley, and the newly formed Independent People's Movement (IPM) which fielded only two candidates. The only candidate from a party other than the VIP to be elected was Omar Hodge of the IPM in the Sixth District. Independent candidates won in the Fourth and Fifth Districts, and the VIP won every other available seat.

Snap general elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 17 November 1986. The result was a victory for the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt over the United Party (UP). Subsequent to the election, Ralph T. O'Neal became leader of the opposition despite not being head of the UP.

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 11 November 1983. The result was a victory for the opposition United Party in coalition with independent candidate Cyril Romney over the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt. Each major party won four seats, and Cyril Romney was the sole remaining elected independent. Accordingly, Romney allegedly agree to join a coalition with whichever party would make him Chief Minister. The VIP declined to do so, but the UP eventually agreed thereby winning the election despite securing a smaller overall percentage of the vote.

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 12 November 1979. The result was a victory for the opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt over the incumbent United Party (UP) led by Willard Wheatley. The newly formed Virgin Islands National Movement (VINM), led by Elvin Stoutt, also contested the elections but did not win any seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Fraser</span>

Julian Fraser is a British Virgin Islander politician who formerly belonged to the opposition Virgin Islands Party in the British Virgin Islands, and in August 2018 formed a new party, Progressives United. He is the current Leader of the Opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 British Virgin Islands general election</span> General election held in the British Virgin Islands

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 8 June 2015 to elect members to the House of Assembly. The result was a landslide victory for the incumbent National Democratic Party (NDP) over the opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP). No minor parties or independent candidates won any seats. Unusually, every single incumbent candidate who stood in their original seat was victorious.

J. Alvin Christopher, is a politician who presently serves as leader of the People's Empowerment Party in the British Virgin Islands. He is not currently a member of the House of Assembly, but was the longstanding elected member for the second district, a position which he held from the 1995 general election until the 2015 general election.

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 14 April 1967. The election was the first general election after the passing of the new Constitution earlier in the same year, which introduced Ministerial Government into the British Virgin Islands for the first time. Elections under the prior Constitution introduced in 1950 to restore the Legislative Council had merely elected legislators. It is probably fair to say that 1967 marked the introduction of true direct democratic rule in the British Virgin Islands. But, notwithstanding the introduction of Ministerial Government, the resulting Legislative Council is still referred to as the 6th Legislative Council in deference to the five prior Councils elected under the 1950 Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leader of the Opposition (British Virgin Islands)</span>

The Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest political party in the House of Assembly that is not in government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 British Virgin Islands general election</span>

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 25 February 2019. For the first time, four parties with at least one incumbent member were contesting an election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Fahie</span> British Virgin Islands politician

Andrew Alturo Fahie is a British Virgin Islands politician who served as Premier of the British Virgin Islands from 2019 to 2022. He was also the chairman of the Virgin Islands Party in the British Virgin Islands from 2016 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 British Virgin Islands general election</span>

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 24 April 2023.

References

  1. "Constitutional & Political Development in the Virgin Islands 1950–2000". House of Assembly (website). Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.