1986 British Virgin Islands general election

Snap general elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 17 November 1986. The result was a victory for the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt over the United Party (UP). Subsequent to the election, Ralph T. O'Neal became leader of the opposition despite not being head of the UP.

1986 British Virgin Islands general election

← 1983 17 November 1986 (1986-11-17) 1990 →

All seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
5 seats needed for a majority
Turnout67.5%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Lavity Stoutt Ralph T. O'Neal
Party VIP United Party
Leader since 1971 1986
Leader's seat 1st District 9th District
Last election 4 seats, 43.8% 4 seats, 42.3%
Seats before 4 4
Seats won 5 2
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 2
Popular vote 1,838 977
Percentage 46.63% 24.78%

Chief Minister before election

Cyril Romney
United Party (Coalition)

Elected Chief Minister

Lavity Stoutt
VIP

The VIP won five of the nine available seats giving it an absolute majority. Conrad Maduro and Ralph O'Neal were the only members of the UP to win a seat. Maduro only won by a single vote, and O'Neal would change allegiance to the Virgin Islands Party before the next general election. Two candidates running as independents, Walwyn Brewley and former Chief Minister Cyril Romney, were elected. The election victory would make the start of 17 consecutive years in power for the VIP, which would only end in the 2003 general election.

Although Stoutt had lost the previous election, former Chief Minister Cyril Romney had been forced to step down on 1 October 1986 by Governor David Barwick, and so Stoutt had assumed Premiership by virtue of leadership of the largest party in the house prior to the election.

Janice George-Creque served as the supervisor of elections.[1] The turnout was 67.5% across the Territory, although this masked regional variations in the individual district seats. Turnout was highest in the 9th District (81.3%) and lowest in the 2nd (60.3%) and 3rd (60.6%) Districts. The 2nd District was decided by a single vote.

Background

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Whilst serving as Chief Minister Romney was the 99% owner of a trust company called Financial Management Trust, which had been linked with laundering drugs money. Although Romney was not personally implicated in the money laundering scheme, he was serving as Chief Minister at the time, the Legislative Council resolved to debate a no-confidence motion, and Governor Barwick ordered Romney to step down. To preempt the motion, Romney dissolved the Legislative Council and called a general election.

Results

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Although Romney himself was returned as the representative for Fifth District, his coalition partners in the United Party were beaten by Lavity Stoutt's Virgin Islands Party. The former coalition won only three seats: Romney himself, Conrad Maduro (and Maduro's victory was by a single vote), and Ralph O'Neal. O'Neal was appointed leader of the opposition, but that role would pass to Maduro when O'Neal later joined the Virgin Islands Party.

The defeat of Q.W. Osborne was the end of his political career. Willard Wheatley also suffered the first defeat of his political career, but would continue in politics.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Virgin Islands Party1,83846.635+1
United Party97724.782–2
People's Party2556.470New
Independents87222.122+1
Speaker and Attorney General2
Total3,942100.00110
Valid votes3,94298.04
Invalid/blank votes791.96
Total votes4,021100.00
Registered voters/turnout5,94867.60
Source: BVI Deputy Governor's Office[2]

By constituency

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1st District
CandidatePartyVotes%
H. Lavity StouttVirgin Islands Party41666.14
Basil BlakePeople's Party21333.86
Total629100.00
Valid votes62998.13
Invalid/blank votes121.87
Total votes641100.00
Registered voters/turnout92969.00
2nd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Conrad MaduroBVI United Party9239.48
Prince StouttIndependent9139.06
Malcia HodgeVirgin Islands Party5021.46
Total233100.00
Valid votes23396.68
Invalid/blank votes83.32
Total votes241100.00
Registered voters/turnout39860.55
3rd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Oliver CillsVirgin Islands Party25257.27
Alfred ChristopherBVI United Party10323.41
Earl FraserIndependent439.77
Ishmael BrathwaitePeople's Party429.55
Total440100.00
Valid votes44098.65
Invalid/blank votes61.35
Total votes446100.00
Registered voters/turnout74060.27
4th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Walwyn BrewleyIndependent18134.28
Elihu R. RymerIndependent11020.83
Alban Ulric AnthonyVirgin Islands Party9117.23
Ishmael P. ScatliffeIndependent6412.12
Qwominer William OsborneIndependent417.77
Ulric ScatliffeBVI United Party417.77
Total528100.00
Valid votes52895.31
Invalid/blank votes264.69
Total votes554100.00
Registered voters/turnout80169.16
5th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Cyril RomneyIndependent18443.19
Eileene L. ParsonsIndependent15837.09
Patsy LakeVirgin Islands Party8419.72
Total426100.00
Valid votes42697.71
Invalid/blank votes102.29
Total votes436100.00
Registered voters/turnout69362.91
6th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Omar HodgeVirgin Islands Party29464.05
Charles MercerBVI United Party16535.95
Total459100.00
Valid votes45998.92
Invalid/blank votes51.08
Total votes464100.00
Registered voters/turnout68867.44
7th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Terrance B. LettsomeVirgin Islands Party22775.67
Collingston GeorgeBVI United Party7324.33
Total300100.00
Valid votes30099.01
Invalid/blank votes30.99
Total votes303100.00
Registered voters/turnout45666.45
8th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Louis WaltersVirgin Islands Party17851.74
Willard WheatleyBVI United Party16648.26
Total344100.00
Valid votes34498.57
Invalid/blank votes51.43
Total votes349100.00
Registered voters/turnout52166.99
9th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Ralph T. O'NealBVI United Party33757.80
Allen O'NealVirgin Islands Party24642.20
Total583100.00
Valid votes58399.32
Invalid/blank votes40.68
Total votes587100.00
Registered voters/turnout72281.30

References

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  1. ^ "BVI election and information results 1950-2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  2. ^ "BVI election and information results 1950-2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 95–97. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.