The BVI Elected New Leadership on November 7, 2011

On Monday, November 7, 2011, the people of the British Virgin Islands voted and made a change in the leadership of the country.

Monday, November 7, 2011 marked a new day for the people in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). They went to the polls which opened at 6AM and voted for the persons who they felt were worthy of leading their country. After several marathon hours of counting, the Virgin Islands Party was ousted as the people chose the National Democratic Party team to lead the country.

How the BVI Votes

The BVI elects representatives in nine electoral district seats and with four at-large territorial seats. The nine districts cover Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and all the islands in the territory. The territorial seats are chosen by all the registered voters of the country. There needs to be a majority of seven representatives to form the government and the other representatives would sit in the opposition. Any elected representative can be named Premier and be a member of the cabinet. The ruling party decides who will lead and the Ministers of Government namely for the Ministries of Finance and Tourism, Communication and Works, Natural Resources and Labour, Health and Social Development and Education and Culture.

Parties Contesting the Elections

In 2011, there were 43 candidates vying for seats in the 2nd House of Assembly. There were sixteen candidates aiming for the four at-large seats and 27 persons spread across the nine districts vying for seats. Among the 43 candidates, there were four parties, the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) with 13 candidates, the National Democratic Party (NDP) with 12 candidates, the People's Patriotic Alliance (PPA) with four candidates and the Party Of the People (POP) with one candidate. There were also 13 independent candidates of which 9 spread across the districts.

Winners of the 2011 BVI Elections

After voting concluded on November 7, counting started. Some districts were completed by 11PM but the at-large votes were not completed until around 11AM on Tuesday. Many people stayed up with counters, not just for moral support but because they truly wanted to know what the BVI's destiny would be.

• First District: The constituents of the 1st District voted for the incumbent Honorable Andrew Fahie of the Virgin Islands Party over the independent candidate Preston Stoutt.
• Second District: VIP's Honorable Alvin Christoper was once again victorious. He won over NDP's Claude Skelton-Cline and independents Allewine Smith and Leall Rhymer.
• Third District: The Honorable Julian Fraser, a VIP incumbent, remained the 3rd District's representative as he narrowly won over NDP's Kevin Smith.
• Fourth District: Honorable Vincent Scatliffe of the VIP was ousted by the NDP's Mark Vanterpool. Collin Scatliffe also competed for this district.
• Fifth District: The fifth district voted for NDP's Delores Christopher over the VIP's incumbent, Hon. Elvis Harrigan.
• Sixth District: The incumbent VIP's Hon. Omar Hodge was unseated after 32 years of representation by NDP's Alvera Maduro-Caines.
• Seventh District: In the 7th District, Honorable Dr. Kedrick Pickering remains as the district representative. The constituents chose Dr. Pickering over VIP's Ronnie Lettsome and independent Allen Wheatley.
• Eighth District: In the 8th District, Marlon Penn of the NDP stood victorious over VIP's incumbent Honorable Dancia Penn Q.C., the outgoing Deputy Premier and independents Nolan Davies and Bevis Sylvester.
• Ninth District: In a close contest, the outgoing Premier, Honorable Ralph T. O'Neal of the VIP narrowly won over the NDP's candidate Hubert O'Neal. The other persons contesting this seat were independents Devon Osbourne, Samuel O'Neal and Laurie Rhymer.
• At-Large Winners: The National Democratic Party secured all the At-Large seats with winners, the new Premier, Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith, Myron Walwyn, Archibald Christian and Ronnie Skelton. The VIP's At-Large candidates included incumbents Honorable Keith Flax, Honorable Irene Penn-O'Neal and Zoe Walcott-McMillan. The PPA had Shaina Smith, Natalio 'Sowande Uhuru' Wheatley, Elton Callwood and Khoy Smith. The independent candidates for the territorial votes were Eileene Baronville, Lionel Penn, Edmund Maduro and Bertrand Lettsome.

At the completion of the counting, the National Democratic Party secured nine of the thirteen seats and the Virgin Islands Party took four seats. The new Premier, Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith will be sworn shortly and his members of Cabinet who will also be the Ministers of government will be named in due course.