1996 Montserratian general election

General elections were held in Montserrat on 11 November 1996.[1] The result was a hung parliament, with no party holding more than two seats. Although the People's Progressive Alliance received the largest number of votes, Bertrand Osborne of the Movement for National Reconstruction became Chief Minister after forming a coalition government with the National Progressive Party (which had been the ruling party between 1991 and 1996) and an independent MP.

1996 Montserratian general election

← 1991 11 November 1996 2001 →

All 7 seats in the Legislative Assembly
4 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader John Osborne Bertrand Osborne Reuben Meade
Party PPA MNR NPP
Leader's seat Northwestern Southern Central
Last election 4 seats, 42.7%
Seats won 2 2 1
Seat change New New Decrease 3
Popular vote 1,472 930 809
Percentage 35.0% 22.1% 19.2%
Swing Increase 35.0% Increase 22.1% Decrease 23.5%

Chief Minister before election

Reuben Meade
NPP

Subsequent Chief Minister

Bertrand Osborne
MNR

Campaign

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A total of 26 candidates contested the elections.[1] All three parties nominated seven candidates, with five independents also running.[1]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Progressive Alliance1,47235.382New
Movement for National Reconstruction93022.352New
National Progressive Party80919.441–3
Independents95022.832+1
Total4,161100.0070
Valid votes4,16198.93
Invalid/blank votes451.07
Total votes4,206100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,23858.11
Source: Caribbean Elections, Barrow-Giles & Joseph[2]

By constituency

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Central Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Progressive Party Reuben Meade 292 46.4
Charlesworth Phillip 202 32.0
John Wilson 61 9.7
Johnny Dublin 61 9.7
Richard Payne 8 1.3
Eastern Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Movement for National Reconstruction Adelina Tuitt 189 54.9
Joel Webbe 119 34.6
James Lee 24 6.9
Nowell Tuitt 11 3.2
Northern Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Rupert Weekes 252 57.8
John Ponteen 182 41.7
Theo Bramble 2 0.5
Northwestern Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
People's Progressive Alliance John Osborne 379 53.9
Charles Kirnon 222 31.6
Jim Bass 89 12.7
George Tuitt 13 1.8
Plymouth Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
People's Progressive Alliance Brunelle Meade 372 34.4
Movement for National Reconstruction[4] P. Austin Bramble 354 32.7
Vereen Thomas Woolcock 126 11.7
Lazelle Howes 116 10.7
Chedmond Browne 93 8.6
Southern Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Movement for National Reconstruction Bertrand Osborne 237 50.9
Idabelle Griffith-Meade 193 41.4
Justin Casell 36 7.7
Windward Constituency[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Brandt 391 74.1
Beatrice Fenton 107 20.3
Joseph Meade 25 4.8
J.R. Osborne 4 0.8

References

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  1. ^ a b c General Election Results - 11 November 1996 Caribbean Elections
  2. ^ Cynthia Barrow-Giles & Tennyson S D Joseph (2006) General elections & voting in the English-Speaking Caribbean 1992-2005, Ian Randall Publishers, p73
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Montserrat General Elections Nov 11th 1996". Montserrat Reporter. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  4. ^ "MONTSERRAT-POLITICS: Elections Amid Volcanic Rumbling". Inter Press Service. 20 September 1996. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2017.