1995 British Virgin Islands general election

General election held in the British Virgin Islands

1995 British Virgin Islands general election

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| <- 1990 | 20 February 1995 (1995-02-20) | 1999 ->

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13 of the 15 seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
7 seats needed for a majority
Turnout| 69.21%
|  | First party  | Second party  | Third party

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|  |  |
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  |  |  2  | New
Popular vote  | 5,810  | 3,292  | 2,485
Percentage  | 30.15%  | 17.09%  | 12.90%

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| 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]

Party| District| At-large| Total
seats| +/–

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Votes| %| Seats| Votes| %| Seats
| Virgin Islands Party| 2,122| 41.76| 4| 5,810| 30.15| 2| 6| 0
| United Party| 796| 15.67| 1| 3,292| 17.09| 1| 2| +2
| Concerned Citizens Movement| 1,033| 20.33| 2| 2,485| 12.90| 0| 2| New
| Independents| 1,130| 22.24| 2| 7,681| 39.86| 1| 3| +1
Speaker and Attorney General| | | 2| 0
Total| 5,081| 100.00| 9| 19,268| 100.00| 4| 15| +4
Valid votes| 5,081| 97.41| | 5,055| 95.61| |
Invalid/blank votes| 135| 2.59| | 232| 4.39| |
Total votes| 5,216| 100.00| | 5,287| 100.00| |
Registered voters/turnout| 7,537| 69.21| | 7,731| 68.39| |
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]

### District seats

[edit]

1st DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| H. Lavity Stoutt| Virgin Islands Party| 489| 69.66
| Andrew Fahie| Independent| 197| 28.06
| Harold L. Vanterpool| BVI United Party| 16| 2.28
Total| 702| 100.00
Valid votes| 702| 98.04
Invalid/blank votes| 14| 1.96
Total votes| 716| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 1,139| 62.86
2nd DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Alvin Christopher| Independent| 193| 58.48
| Prince MacDonald Stoutt| Virgin Islands Party| 103| 31.21
| Leal Rymer| BVI United Party| 34| 10.30
Total| 330| 100.00
Valid votes| 330| 95.65
Invalid/blank votes| 15| 4.35
Total votes| 345| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 545| 63.30
3rd DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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|
|

| Oliver Cills| Virgin Islands Party| 313| 53.50
| Maxwell Smith| BVI United Party| 272| 46.50
Total| 585| 100.00
Valid votes| 585| 97.83
Invalid/blank votes| 13| 2.17
Total votes| 598| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 705| 84.82
4th DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Walwyn Brewley| Concerned Citizens Movement| 407| 66.94
| Arnando Scatliffe| Virgin Islands Party| 173| 28.45
| Donald de Castro| BVI United Party| 28| 4.61
Total| 608| 100.00
Valid votes| 608| 98.38
Invalid/blank votes| 10| 1.62
Total votes| 618| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 912| 67.76
5th DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Ethlyn Eugenie Smith| Independent| 291| 51.50
| Cyril Romney| Independent| 274| 48.50
Total| 565| 100.00
Valid votes| 565| 95.12
Invalid/blank votes| 29| 4.88
Total votes| 594| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 973| 61.05
6th DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Omar Hodge| Concerned Citizens Movement| 270| 42.25
| Roy E. Pickering| BVI United Party| 194| 30.36
| Reeso M. Maduro| Independent| 175| 27.39
Total| 639| 100.00
Valid votes| 639| 99.38
Invalid/blank votes| 4| 0.62
Total votes| 643| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 955| 67.33
7th DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Terrance Lettsome| Virgin Islands Party| 259| 71.35
| Betteto Frett| Concerned Citizens Movement| 104| 28.65
Total| 363| 100.00
Valid votes| 363| 95.78
Invalid/blank votes| 16| 4.22
Total votes| 379| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 589| 64.35
8th DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Andre Penn| BVI United Party| 252| 50.10
| Louis Walters| Virgin Islands Party| 251| 49.90
Total| 503| 100.00
Valid votes| 503| 97.67
Invalid/blank votes| 12| 2.33
Total votes| 515| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 727| 70.84
9th DistrictCandidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Ralph T. O'Neal| Virgin Islands Party| 534| 67.94
| Allen O'Neal| Concerned Citizens Movement| 252| 32.06
Total| 786| 100.00
Valid votes| 786| 97.28
Invalid/blank votes| 22| 2.72
Total votes| 808| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 992| 81.45

### At-large seats

[edit]

Candidate| Party| Votes| %

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| Eileene Parsons| Independent| 1,675| 8.69
| Conrad Maduro| BVI United Party| 1,618| 8.40
| Reeial George| Virgin Islands Party| 1,595| 8.28
| Alred Frett| Virgin Islands Party| 1,478| 7.67
| Neil Blyden| Virgin Islands Party| 1,435| 7.45
| Paul P. Wattley| Independent| 1,314| 6.82
| Earl P. Fraser| Virgin Islands Party| 1,302| 6.76
| Merritt Herbert| BVI United Party| 941| 4.88
| Inez V. Turnbull| Independent| 922| 4.79
| Hubert O'Neal| Concerned Citizens Movement| 900| 4.67
| Belsadys Donovan| Independent| 852| 4.42
| Elihu Rhymer| Concerned Citizens Movement| 793| 4.12
| Carl Dawson| Concerned Citizens Movement| 792| 4.11
| Medita Wheatley| Independent| 470| 2.44
| Fletcher Scatliffe| Independent| 439| 2.28
| Patsy Lake| Independent| 439| 2.28
| Ulric Scatliffe| BVI United Party| 388| 2.01
| Aubrey Levons| Independent| 384| 1.99
| Edmund Maduro| BVI United Party| 345| 1.79
| Edison O'Neal| Independent| 341| 1.77
| Keith George| Independent| 339| 1.76
| Willard Wheatley| Independent| 265| 1.38
| Stanford Connor| Independent| 147| 0.76
| Walter L. de Castro| Independent| 94| 0.49
Total| 19,268| 100.00
Valid votes| 5,055| 95.61
Invalid/blank votes| 232| 4.39
Total votes| 5,287| 100.00
Registered voters/turnout| 7,731| 68.39

## 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 2014.114-188&rft.pub=BVI+Deputy+Governor's+Office&rft_id=http://216.197.123.192/Portals/0/Forms/Election%20Information%20and%20Results%201950-2011.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:1995+British+Virgin+Islands+general+election" class="Z3988">
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"

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