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1995 British Virgin Islands general election

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1995 British Virgin Islands general election

← 1990 20 February 1995 (1995-02-20) 1999 →

13 of the 15 seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
7 seats needed for a majority
Turnout69.21%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader H.L. Stoutt Conrad Maduro Walwyn Brewley
Party VIP United Party CCM
Leader since 1971 1967 1994
Leader's seat 1st District At-large 4th District
Last election 46.54%, 6 seats 8.04%, 0 seats
Seats won 6 2 2
Seat change Steady Increase 2 New
Popular vote 5,810 3,292 2,485
Percentage 30.15% 17.09% 12.90%

Chief Minister before election

Lavity Stoutt
VIP

Elected Chief Minister

Lavity Stoutt
VIP

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.[1] Shortly after the election Alvin Christopher joined the VIP upon being offered a Ministerial seat, giving the VIP an outright majority.

It was the first election to be fought in the British Virgin Islands after the introduction of Territorial at-large seats. Lavity Stoutt had fought hard against the introduction of at-large seats, fearing it would undermine the strong territorial base of the VIP. After his victory he said: "The at-large system was a plot, a plot designed to derail H. Lavity Stoutt. Well it failed. The people have had their say. Their voice has been heard."[2]

The 1995 general election also witnessed the first ever female representatives elected: Ethlyn E. Smith in the Fifth District, and Eileene Parsons as an At-large representative. Eileene Parsons would later join the ruling Virgin Islands Party and become the first ever female Minister for Government in the Territory.

Former Chief Minister, Willard Wheatley ran as an independent in at the at-large seats and was resoundingly rejected by the voters, only winning slightly more votes than were recorded as spoiled ballots (265 against 232).

It was the last election in the British Virgin Islands to be fought prior to the death of Lavity Stoutt.

The supervisor of elections was Eugenie Todman-Smith.[3] The turnout was 68.8%.

Results

[edit]
PartyDistrictAt-largeTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Virgin Islands Party2,12241.7645,81030.15260
United Party79615.6713,29217.0912+2
Concerned Citizens Movement1,03320.3322,48512.9002New
Independents1,13022.2427,68139.8613+1
Speaker and Attorney General20
Total5,081100.00919,268100.00415+4
Valid votes5,08197.415,05595.61
Invalid/blank votes1352.592324.39
Total votes5,216100.005,287100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,53769.217,73168.39
Source: Elections in the Virgin Islands

Notable candidates

[edit]

Notable candidates who were elected to the legislature for the first time included the first two women elected to the legislature, Ethlyn Eugenie Smith and Eileene Parsons; and future Minister, Alvin Christopher. Conversely, Willard Wheatley suffered the worst electoral defeat of his career, and would never run again. Cyril Romney was defeated for the first time since 1975, although he would run again (unsuccessfully) in 1999. Longtime legislators Oliver Cills and Terrance Lettsome were both elected, but neither would stand again after the 1995 election. Lavity Stoutt was also elected, but would die later in the same year. Andre Penn was elected for his only ever term of office; Penn would later be convicted of sexual crimes involving children and sentenced to 12 years in prison;[4] and is believed to be the only elected official in the British Virgin Islands to be subsequently convicted of an indictable offence.

District seats

[edit]
1st District
CandidatePartyVotes%
H. Lavity StouttVirgin Islands Party48969.66
Andrew FahieIndependent19728.06
Harold L. VanterpoolBVI United Party162.28
Total702100.00
Valid votes70298.04
Invalid/blank votes141.96
Total votes716100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,13962.86
2nd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Alvin ChristopherIndependent19358.48
Prince MacDonald StouttVirgin Islands Party10331.21
Leal RymerBVI United Party3410.30
Total330100.00
Valid votes33095.65
Invalid/blank votes154.35
Total votes345100.00
Registered voters/turnout54563.30
3rd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Oliver CillsVirgin Islands Party31353.50
Maxwell SmithBVI United Party27246.50
Total585100.00
Valid votes58597.83
Invalid/blank votes132.17
Total votes598100.00
Registered voters/turnout70584.82
4th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Walwyn BrewleyConcerned Citizens Movement40766.94
Arnando ScatliffeVirgin Islands Party17328.45
Donald de CastroBVI United Party284.61
Total608100.00
Valid votes60898.38
Invalid/blank votes101.62
Total votes618100.00
Registered voters/turnout91267.76
5th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ethlyn Eugenie SmithIndependent29151.50
Cyril RomneyIndependent27448.50
Total565100.00
Valid votes56595.12
Invalid/blank votes294.88
Total votes594100.00
Registered voters/turnout97361.05
6th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Omar HodgeConcerned Citizens Movement27042.25
Roy E. PickeringBVI United Party19430.36
Reeso M. MaduroIndependent17527.39
Total639100.00
Valid votes63999.38
Invalid/blank votes40.62
Total votes643100.00
Registered voters/turnout95567.33
7th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Terrance LettsomeVirgin Islands Party25971.35
Betteto FrettConcerned Citizens Movement10428.65
Total363100.00
Valid votes36395.78
Invalid/blank votes164.22
Total votes379100.00
Registered voters/turnout58964.35
8th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Andre PennBVI United Party25250.10
Louis WaltersVirgin Islands Party25149.90
Total503100.00
Valid votes50397.67
Invalid/blank votes122.33
Total votes515100.00
Registered voters/turnout72770.84
9th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ralph T. O'NealVirgin Islands Party53467.94
Allen O'NealConcerned Citizens Movement25232.06
Total786100.00
Valid votes78697.28
Invalid/blank votes222.72
Total votes808100.00
Registered voters/turnout99281.45

At-large seats

[edit]
CandidatePartyVotes%
Eileene ParsonsIndependent1,6758.69
Conrad MaduroBVI United Party1,6188.40
Reeial GeorgeVirgin Islands Party1,5958.28
Alred FrettVirgin Islands Party1,4787.67
Neil BlydenVirgin Islands Party1,4357.45
Paul P. WattleyIndependent1,3146.82
Earl P. FraserVirgin Islands Party1,3026.76
Merritt HerbertBVI United Party9414.88
Inez V. TurnbullIndependent9224.79
Hubert O'NealConcerned Citizens Movement9004.67
Belsadys DonovanIndependent8524.42
Elihu RhymerConcerned Citizens Movement7934.12
Carl DawsonConcerned Citizens Movement7924.11
Medita WheatleyIndependent4702.44
Fletcher ScatliffeIndependent4392.28
Patsy LakeIndependent4392.28
Ulric ScatliffeBVI United Party3882.01
Aubrey LevonsIndependent3841.99
Edmund MaduroBVI United Party3451.79
Edison O'NealIndependent3411.77
Keith GeorgeIndependent3391.76
Willard WheatleyIndependent2651.38
Stanford ConnorIndependent1470.76
Walter L. de CastroIndependent940.49
Total19,268100.00
Valid votes5,05595.61
Invalid/blank votes2324.39
Total votes5,287100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,73168.39

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 114–188. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  2. ^ "OBITUARY : H. Lavity Stoutt". The Independent. 23 May 1995. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  3. ^ "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Andre Penn convicted on 11 of 12 counts". BVI Beacon. 5 December 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015. Former legislator Andre Penn was convicted this week for 11 of the 12 sex crimes against a minor that he allegedly perpetrated between 2006 and 2008