2011 British Virgin Islands general election

2011 British Virgin Islands general election

← 2007 7 November 2011 (2011-11-07) 2015 →

13 of the 15 seats in the House of Assembly
7 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Orlando Smith Ralph T. O'Neal
Party NDP VIP
Last election 46.74%, 2 seats 50.31%, 10 seats
Seats won 9 4
Seat change Increase 7 Decrease 6
Percentage 52.91% 38.34%

Premier before election

Ralph T. O'Neal
VIP

Premier after election

Orlando Smith
NDP

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 7 November 2011.[1] 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.[2] No minor parties or independent candidates won any seats.

Background

The House of Assembly was dissolved on 13 September 2011, by the Governor, Mr William Boyd McCleary, on advice from the Premier. However, the date of the election was not announced until 23 September 2011.

Premier Ralph O'Neal confirmed that he would lead his party at the 2011 general election, even though he would turn 78 shortly after the election, and would be 82 at the end of the term of office (if re-elected).

Second district representative, Alvin Christopher (who received the highest percentage of votes for a territorial candidate (75.9%) in the 2007 election) announced that he would run for the Virgin Islands Party. Mr Christopher has formerly run for the VIP, the NDP and as an independent candidate.

Although the ruling Virgin Islands Party had a huge majority following the 2007 election the intervening years had been characterised by difficult economic times, and a series of natural disasters had hit the Territory damaging its infrastructure. Both of these events led to criticism being directed towards the ruling Government.

Results

The 2011 general election was largely a complete reversal of the 2007 election. Whereas in 2007 everything seemed to go the way of the VIP, in 2011 every closely contested seat seemed to end up falling to the NDP. The VIP characteristically dominated their safe seats in the First, Second and Third Districts, and the NDP characteristically dominated the At-large seats, sweeping all four. But surprise defeats for the VIP in Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Districts handed victory to the NDP. Former Premier Ralph O'Neal managed to cling on to his seat in the Ninth District, which he had held for 40 years, by just 28 votes.

PartyDistrictAt-largeTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
National Democratic Party4,27148.18518,44752.9149+7
Virgin Islands Party3,86443.59413,36738.3404–6
People's Patriotic Alliance2,2666.5000New
Party of the People720.8100New
Independents6577.4107822.2400–1
Speaker and Attorney General20
Total8,864100.00934,862100.004150
Valid votes8,86499.238,84399.05
Invalid/blank votes690.77850.95
Total votes8,933100.008,928100.00
Registered voters/turnout12,60970.8512,60970.81
Source: Election Centre

District seats

One of the bigger surprises was the defeat of Government minister and veteran politician, Omar Hodge, in the 6th district by political newcomer, Alvera Maduro-Caines. Early counts showed incumbent Premier, Ralph O'Neal, trailing his challenger, Hubert O'Neal, in the 9th district, but he eventually overhauled the challenger to retain the seat which he has held since 1975.

In the Territorial seats, the highest percentage of votes and greatest margin of victory (nearly 50 points) was Kedrick Pickering in the 7th district. The largest number of individual votes however was Delores Christopher in the 5th district. The lowest percentage of votes by a winning candidate was Marlon Penn (48.1%) in the four way race in the 9th district. The lowest total number of votes by a victorious candidate was Alvin Christopher (423) in the 2nd district.

1st District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Andrew FahieVirgin Islands Party61165.84
Preston StouttIndependent31734.16
Total928100.00
Valid votes92899.36
Invalid/blank votes60.64
Total votes934100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,38467.49
2nd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Alvin ChristopherVirgin Islands Party42352.42
Claude Skelton-ClineNational Democratic Party32440.15
Leall RymerIndependent536.57
Allewine SmithIndependent70.87
Total807100.00
Valid votes80798.66
Invalid/blank votes111.34
Total votes818100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,24865.54
3rd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Julian FraserVirgin Islands Party61352.39
Kevin SmithNational Democratic Party55747.61
Total1,170100.00
Valid votes1,17099.49
Invalid/blank votes60.51
Total votes1,176100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,53076.86
4th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Mark VanterpoolNational Democratic Party66168.50
Vincent ScatliffeVirgin Islands Party20921.66
Collin ScatliffeIndependent959.84
Total965100.00
Valid votes96599.18
Invalid/blank votes80.82
Total votes973100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,34672.29
5th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Delores ChristopherNational Democratic Party52052.10
Elvis HarriganVirgin Islands Party47847.90
Total998100.00
Valid votes99899.20
Invalid/blank votes80.80
Total votes1,006100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,52166.14
6th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Alvera Maduro-CainesNational Democratic Party61261.38
Omar HodgeVirgin Islands Party38538.62
Total997100.00
Valid votes99799.11
Invalid/blank votes90.89
Total votes1,006100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,52066.18
7th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Kedrick PickeringNational Democratic Party53670.07
Ronnie LettsomeVirgin Islands Party15720.52
Allen WheatleyParty of the People729.41
Total765100.00
Valid votes76598.84
Invalid/blank votes91.16
Total votes774100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,15866.84
8th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Marlon PennNational Democratic Party52448.12
Dancia PennVirgin Islands Party42338.84
Bevis SylvesterIndependent11210.28
Nolan DavisIndependent302.75
Total1,089100.00
Valid votes1,08999.27
Invalid/blank votes80.73
Total votes1,097100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,40478.13
9th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ralph T. O'NealVirgin Islands Party56549.34
Hubert O'NealNational Democratic Party53746.90
Lorie RymerIndependent201.75
Rheudel Samuel O'NealIndependent121.05
Devon OsborneIndependent110.96
Total1,145100.00
Valid votes1,14599.65
Invalid/blank votes40.35
Total votes1,149100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,49876.70

Territorial At-Large Seats

The results for the at-large seats were as following. The top four vote receiving candidates are elected to the at-large seats.

CandidatePartyVotes%
Orlando SmithNational Democratic Party5,11714.68
Myron WalwynNational Democratic Party4,61913.25
Ronnie W. SkeltonNational Democratic Party4,48912.88
Archibald ChristianNational Democratic Party4,22212.11
Irene Penn-O'NealVirgin Islands Party3,87011.10
Zoë Walcott-McMillanVirgin Islands Party3,4179.80
Vernon Elroy MaloneVirgin Islands Party3,0418.72
Keith L. FlaxVirgin Islands Party3,0398.72
Shaina SmithPeople's Patriotic Alliance9062.60
Natalio WheatleyPeople's Patriotic Alliance7982.29
Bertrand LettsomeIndependent4781.37
Elton CallwoodPeople's Patriotic Alliance3541.02
Khoy SmithPeople's Patriotic Alliance2080.60
Edmund Gregory MaduroIndependent1230.35
Lionel PennIndependent1000.29
Eileene BaronvilleIndependent810.23
Total34,862100.00
Valid votes8,84399.05
Invalid/blank votes850.95
Total votes8,928100.00
Registered voters/turnout12,60970.81

Orlando Smith, being the leader of the victorious National Democratic Party, was invited by the Governor to form a new Government as the Premier.

Aftermath

On 9 November 2011 Governor Boyd McCleary officially appointed Orlando Smith as the Premier under section 52(1) the constitution. He became the third person in BVI political history to serve two non-consecutive terms of office as Chief Minister/Premier, and the fourth to win more than one general election as party leader

On the same day the first cabinet was sworn in under Orlando Smith. In addition to serving as Premier, Smith was appointed Minister of Finance and Tourism. Kedrick Pickering was appointed Deputy Premier and Minister of Natural Resources and Labour, Myron Walwyn was appointed Minister of Education and Culture, Mark Vanterpool was appointed Minister of Communications and Works and Ronnie Skelton was appointed Minister of Health and Social Development.

Sources

References

  1. ^ "Premier Announces November 7 As General Elections Day". Platinum News BVI. 23 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Loud celebration begins in Road Town!". Virgin Islands News Online. Retrieved 8 November 2011.