1995 British Virgin Islands general election

The British Virgin Islands general election, 1995 was 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.

British Virgin Islands general election, 1995
20 February 1995 (1995-02-20)
All seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
7 seats needed for a majority
Turnout68.8%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader H.L. Stoutt Conrad Maduro Walwyn Brewley
Party Virgin Islands Party BVI United Party Concerned Citizens Movement
Leader since 1971 1967 1994
Leader's seat 1st District At-large 4th District
Last election 6 seats, 46.6% 0 seats, 8.1% N/A
Seats before 6 0 0
Seats won 6 3 2
Seat change 0 +3 +2
Popular vote 7,932 4,088 3,518
Percentage 32.1% 16.5% 14.2%
Chief Minister before election

Lavity Stoutt
Virgin Islands Party

 Elected Chief Minister

Lavity Stoutt
Virgin Islands Party

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
 Summary of the 20 February 1995 Br. Virgin Islands Legislative Council election results
Parties Votes % Seats
BVI United Party 4,088 16.5 3
Concerned Citizens' Movement 3,518 14.2 2
Virgin Islands Party 7,932 32.1 6
Independents 8,822 35.7 2
Speaker and Attorney General 2
Total (turnout 68.8%)   15
Source: BVI election and information results 1950–2011

Notable candidates

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.

Individual territorial seats

First Electoral District

Candidate Jost Van Dyke Carrot Bay Zion Hill Total Percentage
H. Lavity STOUTT (VIP) 72 199 218 489 68.3%
Andrew FAHIE (IND) 7 50 140 197 27.5%
Harold L. VANTERPOOL (UP) 1 1 14 16 2.2%
Rejected 0 5 9 14 2.0%
Total number of registered voters: 1,139
Total number of votes cast: 716
Percentage of voters who voted: 62.9%
Spoiled ballots: 0

Second Electoral District

Candidate Cane Garden Bay Brewers Bay New Bush Total Percentage
Alvin CHRISTOPHER (IND) 87 72 34 193 55.9%
Prince MacDonald STOUTT (VIP) 71 18 14 103 29.9%
Leal RYMER (UP) 32 1 1 34 9.9%
Rejected 10 2 3 15 4.3%
Total number of registered voters: 545
Total number of votes cast: 345
Percentage of voters who voted: 83.3%
Spoiled ballots: 1

Third Electoral District

Candidates Meyers Sea Cows Bay Total Percentage
Oliver CILLS (VIP) 65 248 313 52.3%
Maxwell SMITH (UP) 61 211 272 45.6%
Rejected 2 11 13 2.2%
Total number of registered voters: 705
Total number of votes cast: 598
Percentage of voters who voted: 84.8%
Spoiled ballots: 1

Fourth Electoral District

Candidates Salt Island Road Town Total Percentage
Walwyn BREWLEY (CCM) 3 404 407 65.8%
Arnando SCATLIFFE (VIP) 0 173 173 28.0%
Donald deCASTRO (UP) 0 28 28 4.5%
Rejected 0 10 10 1.5%
Total number of registered voters: 912
Total number of votes cast: 618
Percentage of voters who voted: 67.8%
Spoiled ballots: 3

Fifth Electoral District

Candidates Huntum's Ghut Long Trench Total Percentage
Ethlyn Eugenie SMITH (IND) 223 68 291 49.0%
Cyril ROMNEY (IND) 201 73 274 46.1%
Rejected 22 7 29 4.9%
Total number of registered voters: 973
Total number of votes cast: 594
Percentage of voters who voted: 61.0%
Spoiled ballots: 0

Sixth Electoral District

Candidates Baughers Bay Belle Vue Total Percentage
Omar HODGE (CCM) 219 51 270 37.4%
Roy E. PICKERING (UP) 185 9 194 26.9%
Reese M. MADURO 160 15 175 24.2%
Rejected 4 0 4 0.6%
Total number of registered voters: 955
Total number of votes cast: 643
Percentage of voters who voted: 67.3%
Spoiled ballots: 0

Seventh Electoral District

Candidates Long Look Total Percentage
Terrence LETTSOME (VIP) 259 259 68.3%
Betteto FRETT (CCM) 104 104 27.4%
Rejected 16 16 4.2%
Total number of registered voters: 589
Total number of votes cast: 379
Percentage of voters who voted: 64.3%
Spoiled ballots: 1

Eighth Electoral District

Candidates East End Hope Estate Total Percentage
Andre PENN (UP) 246 6 252 48.9%
Louis WALTERS (VIP) 235 16 251 48.7%
Rejected 12 0 12 2.3%
Total number of registered voters: 727
Total number of votes cast: 515
Percentage of voters who voted: 70.8%
Spoiled ballots: 4

Ninth Electoral District

Candidates The Valley North Sound Anegada Total Percentage
Ralph T. O'NEAL (VIP) 342 165 27 534 66.1%
Alan O'NEAL (CCM) 158 33 61 252 31.2%
Rejected 8 11 3 22 2.7%
Total number of registered voters: 992
Total number of votes cast: 808
Percentage of voters who voted: 81.5%
Spoiled ballots: 5

At-large seats

Territorial At-Large Electoral District

PositionNameAffiliationTotalPercentage
1Eileene PARSONSIND1,6758.59%
2Conrad MADUROUP1,6188.30%
3Reeial GEORGE VIP1,5958.18%
4Alred FRETT VIP1,4787.58%
5Neil BLYDENVIP1,4357.36%
6Paul WATTLEYIND1,3146.74%
7Earl P. FRASERVIP1,3026.68%
8Meritt HERBERTUP9414.83%
9Inez TURNBULLIND9224.73%
10Hubert O'NEALCCM9004.62%
11Belsadys DONOVANIND8524.37%
12Elihu RHYMERCCM7934.07%
13Carl DAWSONCCM7924.06%
14Medita WHEATLEYIND4702.41%
15Patsy LAKEIND4392.25%
16Fletcher SCATLIFFEIND4392.25%
17Ulric SCATLIFFEUP3881.99%
18Aubrey LEVONSIND3841.97%
19Edmund MADUROUP3451.77%
20Edison O'NEALIND3411.75%
21Keith GEORGEIND3391.74%
22Willard WHEATLEYIND2651.36%
23Stanford CONNORIND1470.75%
24Walter deCASTROIND940.48%
Total votes rejected: 232
Total valid votes: 19,287
Total votes counted: 19,500
Percentage of votes: 63.0%
Total ballots: 5,287
Total registered: 7,731
Percentage turnout: 68.39%

Footnotes
  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.
  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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