1999 British Virgin Islands general election

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.

1999 British Virgin Islands general election

← 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 party Second party
 
Leader Orlando Smith Ralph T. O'Neal
Party NDP VIP
Last election 30.15%, 6 seats
Seats won 5 7
Seat change New Increase 1
Popular vote 9,126 8,790
Percentage 38.14% 36.74%

Chief Minister before election

Ralph T. O'Neal
VIP

Chief Minister after election

Ralph T. O'Neal
VIP

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

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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 Party2,04432.6739,12638.1425New
Virgin Islands Party2,64942.3458,79036.7427+1
United Party4006.3901,9238.0400–2
Concerned Citizens Movement5368.5716702.8001–1
Independents62710.0203,41814.2900–3
Speaker and Attorney General20
Total6,256100.00923,927100.004150
Valid votes6,25698.156,06998.76
Invalid/blank votes1181.85761.24
Total votes6,374100.006,145100.00
Registered voters/turnout9,52366.939,52364.53
Source: Elections in the Virgin Islands

District seats

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1st District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Andrew FahieVirgin Islands Party52878.92
Elvin O. StouttIndependent14121.08
Total669100.00
Valid votes66997.38
Invalid/blank votes182.62
Total votes687100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,14060.26
2nd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Alvin ChristopherVirgin Islands Party48480.94
Enriquito RhymerNational Democratic Party11419.06
Total598100.00
Valid votes59899.17
Invalid/blank votes50.83
Total votes603100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,02358.94
3rd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Julian FraserVirgin Islands Party22839.45
Michael ThomasNational Democratic Party20234.95
Maxwell SmithBVI United Party14825.61
Total578100.00
Valid votes57897.31
Invalid/blank votes162.69
Total votes594100.00
Registered voters/turnout91464.99
4th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Mark VanterpoolNational Democratic Party45361.80
Walwyn BrewleyConcerned Citizens Movement25835.20
Gregory HodgeBVI United Party223.00
Total733100.00
Valid votes73397.99
Invalid/blank votes152.01
Total votes748100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,09168.56
5th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ethlyn Eugenie SmithConcerned Citizens Movement27838.56
Cyril RomneyIndependent23332.32
Hugo VanterpoolVirgin Islands Party16022.19
Ulric ScatliffeBVI United Party506.93
Total721100.00
Valid votes72198.36
Invalid/blank votes121.64
Total votes733100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,20260.98
6th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Omar HodgeVirgin Islands Party36746.28
Elvis HarriganNational Democratic Party35544.77
Edmund MaduroBVI United Party718.95
Total793100.00
Valid votes79398.02
Invalid/blank votes161.98
Total votes809100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,17468.91
7th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Kedrick PickeringNational Democratic Party35662.24
Collingston GeorgeBVI United Party10919.06
Birton LettsomeVirgin Islands Party10718.71
Total572100.00
Valid votes57297.61
Invalid/blank votes142.39
Total votes586100.00
Registered voters/turnout81272.17
8th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Lloyd BlackNational Democratic Party26439.11
Andre JJ PennIndependent25337.48
David A. PennVirgin Islands Party15823.41
Total675100.00
Valid votes67598.83
Invalid/blank votes81.17
Total votes683100.00
Registered voters/turnout92873.60
9th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ralph T. O'NealVirgin Islands Party61767.28
Hubert O'NealNational Democratic Party30032.72
Total917100.00
Valid votes91798.50
Invalid/blank votes141.50
Total votes931100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,23975.14

At-large seats

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CandidatePartyVotes%
Orlando SmithNational Democratic Party3,09412.93
Reeial GeorgeVirgin Islands Party3,01512.60
Ronnie SkeltonNational Democratic Party2,67511.18
Eileene ParsonsVirgin Islands Party2,2889.56
Paul WattleyNational Democratic Party1,8977.93
Irene Penn-O'NealVirgin Islands Party1,8357.67
Roy PickeringVirgin Islands Party1,6526.90
Delores ChristopherNational Democratic Party1,4606.10
Alred FrettIndependent1,4576.09
Neil BlydenIndependent9193.84
Conrad MaduroBVI United Party7233.02
Keith L. FlaxIndependent5372.24
Merritt HerbertBVI United Party5052.11
Charles MercerBVI United Party4511.88
Carl DawsonConcerned Citizens Movement3451.44
Betteto FrettConcerned Citizens Movement3251.36
Edison O'NealBVI United Party2441.02
Fletcher ScatliffeIndependent2090.87
Eileene BaronvilleIndependent1990.83
Noel LloydIndependent970.41
Total23,927100.00
Valid votes6,06998.76
Invalid/blank votes761.24
Total votes6,145100.00
Registered voters/turnout9,52364.53

References

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  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.