2012 Turks and Caicos Islands general election

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| <- 2007 | 9 November 2012 | 2016 ->

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15 of the 21 seats in the House of Assembly
|  | First party  | Second party

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|  |
Leader  | Rufus Ewing | Oswald Skippings
Party  | PNP | PDM
Seats won  | 8  | 7
Popular vote  | 2,833  | 3,164
Percentage  | 44.89%  | 50.13%

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| Premier before election

None
Office suspended

| Elected Premier

Rufus Ewing
PNP

|

Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Constitution

Monarchy

* Sovereign
* Charles III
* Governor
* Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam
* Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
* Anya Williams

Executive

* Premier
* Washington Misick
* Cabinet

Legislative

* Parliament
* Speaker: Gordon Burton

Elections

* Recent elections

* General: 2016
* 2021
* 2025

* Political parties

Progressive National
Party (PNP)

People's Democratic
Movement (PDM)

Administrative divisions

Citizenship

* Belonger status
* British Overseas Territories citizen
* Passport
* Visa requirements

Foreign relations

* Proposed unification with Canada

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

General elections were held in Turks and Caicos Islands on 9 November 2012.[1] The PNP won the election, winning eight seats with the PDM winning seven.[2] The PNP won most of its seats by narrow margins over the PDM, while the PDM won its seats by wide margins over the PNP, with the result that despite winning fewer seats and thereby losing the election, the PDM garnered more overall votes nationwide.

## Background

[edit]

In 2009 the British government had imposed direct rule over the islands after an inquiry discovered evidence of corruption and incompetence in the islands' government.[3] The islands' government was suspended for two years and the British-appointed governor given executive power over the territory.[3]

On 12 June 2012 British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that fresh elections would be held in November 2012, stating that there had been "significant progress with an ambitious reform programme" and that there had been "sufficient progress, on the milestones and on putting in place robust financial controls"[1]

A new constitution came into force on 15 October 2012. The terms of the election are specified in the constitution.[4]

## Electoral system

[edit]

Following the 2007 elections, the number of single-member constituencies was reduced from 15 to 10.[5] However, an additional five members were elected at-large at the national level,[5] with voters able to vote for up to five at-large candidates.[6] According to a report on 12 October, there were 6,896 verified electors in the Electors Register, with an additional 349 to be published in a supplementary register later.[7]

## Candidates

[edit]

On Nomination Day, 25 October, a total of thirty-seven candidates were officially nominated. Among them were fifteen each from the Progressive National Party (PNP) and the People's Democratic Movement (PDM), five from the newly formed People's Progressive Party (PPP), and two independents.[8]

The below list of candidates comes from the Turks and Caicos Islands Elections Office.[9] Election results were confirmed on November 9, 2012, for local voting districts,[10] and on November 12, 2012, for the at-large seats.[11]

## Results

[edit]

Party| District| At-large| Total
seats| +/–
Votes| %| Seats| Votes| %| Seats
| People's Democratic Movement| 3,164| 50.13| 4| 15,431| 50.71| 3| 7| +5
| Progressive National Party| 2,833| 44.89| 6| 14,764| 48.52| 2| 8| –5
| People's Progressive Party| 310| 4.91| 0| | 0| New
| Independents| 4| 0.06| 0| 233| 0.77| 0| 0| 0
Nominated members| | | 4| –
Ex officio members| | | 2| –
Total| 6,311| 100.00| 10| 30,428| 100.00| 5| 21| 0
Valid votes| 6,311| 99.35| | | | |
Invalid/blank votes| 41| 0.65| | | | |
Total votes| 6,352| 100.00| | | | |
Registered voters/turnout| 7,245| 87.67| | | | |
Source: Caribbean Elections

### By constituency

[edit]

Constituency  | Candidate  | Party  | Votes

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1\. Grand Turk North  | George Alexander Lightbourne |  | Progressive National Party | 353
Derek Anthonio Rolle  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 336
2\. Grand Turk South  | Edwin Astwood |  | People's Democratic Movement | 524
Rex Elton Swann  |  | Progressive National Party | 292
3\. South Caicos  | Norman Benjamin Saunders |  | Progressive National Party | 219
Edith Andrea Cox  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 132
4\. Middle and North Caicos  | Ricardo Don Hue Gardiner |  | Progressive National Party | 261
Ashwood Leon Forbes  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 250
5\. Leeward  | Akierra M. Missick |  | Progressive National Party | 337
Ezra Ringo Tyrone Taylor  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 305
Bennett Williams  |  | Independent | 4
6\. The Bight  | Porsha Monique Stubbs Smith |  | Progressive National Party | 335
Sonny Alexander Forbes  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 294
Dorell Monique Pratt Delancy  |  | People's Progressive Party  | 36
7\. Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill
(results voided in February 2013) | Amanda A. Misick |  | Progressive National Party | 394
Isaac Oral Selver  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 364
Edward E. Smith  |  | People's Progressive Party  | 58
8\. Blue Hills  | Goldray McMillin Ewing |  | People's Democratic Movement | 347
Adrian Carlyle Williams  |  | Progressive National Party | 232
Wendal D. Wilson  |  | People's Progressive Party  | 84
9\. Five Cays  | Sean Rickard Astwood |  | People's Democratic Movement | 347
Thomas I.N. Ewing  |  | Progressive National Party | 253
Harold Charles  |  | People's Progressive Party  | 103
10\. Wheeland  | Vaden Delroy Williams |  | People's Democratic Movement | 265
Gregory O'Neal Lightbourne  |  | Progressive National Party | 157
Zhavargo J. Jolly  |  | People's Progressive Party  | 29
All Island District
5 elected at-large
Sharlene Linette Cartwright Robinson |  | People's Democratic Movement | 3,427
Rufus Washington Ewing |  | Progressive National Party | 3,252
Derek Taylor |  | People's Democratic Movement | 3,191
Charles Washington Misick |  | Progressive National Party | 3,107
Josephine Connolly |  | People's Democratic Movement | 3,023
Carlos W. Simons |  | Progressive National Party | 2,899
Samuel I. Harvey  |  | People's Democratic Movement | 2,896
Oswald O'Neal Skippings |  | People's Democratic Movement | 2,894
Wayne Newton Garland  |  | Progressive National Party | 2,806
Royal Stephenson Robinson  |  | Progressive National Party | 2,700
Oswald M. Simons  |  | Independent | 233

## Subsequent by-election

[edit]

PDM candidate Isaac Selver filed an election petition in the Supreme Court regarding the results in Electoral District 7, in which he had lost to Amanda Misick of the PNP by 30 votes. Selver's petition stated that PPP candidate Edward Smith was ineligible to stand for election by reason of his dual citizenship and dual allegiance to the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and that the 58 votes that went to Smith had affected the outcome of the election and could have resulted in Selver's victory over Misick. In a December 2012 interview, Smith claimed that he had renounced U.S. citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Queen in order to take up a position in the Turks and Caicos government. However, he had used his United States passport to travel to the United States in July 2012 after that oath. On 7 February 2013, the Supreme Court ruled the election void.[12][13] A by-election was held on 22 March 2013. Amanda Misick won with 455 votes against Isaac Selver's 385.[14]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Foreign Secretary statement announces elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands Foreign & Commonwealth Office
2. ^ http://suntci.com/pnp-wins-seats-pdm-p435-108.htm[permanent dead link]
3. ^ a b UK imposes Turks and Caicos rule BBC News, 14 August 2009
4. ^ Governor Todd Signs Constitution Proclamation Turks & Caicos Weekly News Online
5. ^ a b Political Party Leaders Pleased With Proposed Boundaries. Turks and Caicos Weekly News
6. ^ Basic election ballot rules released[usurped] TCI News Now, 3 September 2012
7. ^ Tyson, Vivian (2012-10-12). "Election results will be delayed". Turks & Caicos Sun. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
8. ^ Tyson, Vivian (2012-10-25). "37 candidates nominated". Turks & Caicos Sun. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
9. ^ "List of nominated candidates for General Elections 2012" (PDF). Turks & Caicos Islands Elections Office. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2012-10-30.[permanent dead link]
10. ^ "Turks and Caicos Islands Election Results" Archived 2012-11-16 at the Wayback Machine. Guide 2 Turks and Caicos, 13 November 2012.
11. ^ "At-Large results stand". Turks and Caicos Weekly News, 13 November 2012.
12. ^ Tyson, Vivian (2012-11-26). "Dr. Smith says he renounced US Citizenship". Turks and Caicos Sun. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
13. ^ "Court declares Provo district election void". TCI News Now. 2013-02-07. Archived from the original on February 11, 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
14. ^ "Amanda Missick wins by-election -PNP maintains power". Turks and Caicos Weekly News. 25 March 2013.

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