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1983 British Virgin Islands general election

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1983 British Virgin Islands general election

← 1979 11 November 1983 (1983-11-11) 1986 →

All seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
5 seats needed for a majority
Turnout73.2%
  First party Second party
 
Leader Lavity Stoutt Willard Wheatley
Party VIP United Party
Leader since 1971 1975
Leader's seat 1st District 7th District
Seats won 4 4
Popular vote 1,355 1,322
Percentage 44.90% 43.80%

Chief Minister before election

Lavity Stoutt
Virgin Islands Party

Elected Chief Minister

Cyril Romney
BVI United Party (Coalition)

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 11 November 1983. The result was a victory for the opposition United Party in coalition with independent candidate Cyril Romney over the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt. Each major party won four seats, and Cyril Romney was the sole remaining elected independent. Accordingly, Romney allegedly agree to join a coalition with whichever party would make him Chief Minister. The VIP declined to do so, but the UP eventually agreed thereby winning the election despite securing a smaller overall percentage of the vote.

Janice George served as the supervisor of elections.[1] Turnout averaged 73.1% across the six districts that voted; the 1st District had the highest turnout (83.5%) and the 3rd District had the lowest (67.8%).[2]

1983 was the second election after the Legislative Council had been expanded from seven district seats to nine. Astonishingly, just like the previous election, fully one third of the seats up for election were not contested, with only a single candidate standing in the 7th, 8th and 9th Districts. For the 7th and 8th Districts, this was the second consecutive general election when those seats went uncontested.

The election is also notable in that every single person who would ever serve as Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (excluding Premiers) (Stoutt, Wheatley, Romney and O'Neal) was elected during the 1983 general election.

Notable candidates who were elected for the first time included future Leader of the Opposition, E. Walwyn Brewley.

Results

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Virgin Islands Party1,35544.9040
United Party1,32243.804+3
Independents34111.301–3
Total3,018100.0090
Valid votes3,01897.04
Invalid/blank votes922.96
Total votes3,110100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,25273.14
Source: BVI Deputy Governor's Office[2]

By constituency

[edit]

Terrance B. Lettsome (7th District, Virgin Islands Party), Willard Wheatley (8th District, United Party), and Ralph T. O'Neal (9th District, Virgin Islands Party) were elected unopposed.

1st District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Hamilton Lavity StouttVirgin Islands Party42155.61
Basil BlakeUnited Party33644.39
Total757100.00
Valid votes75797.55
Invalid/blank votes192.45
Total votes776100.00
Registered voters/turnout92983.53
2nd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Conrad MaduroUnited Party14853.43
Prince StouttVirgin Islands Party12946.57
Total277100.00
Valid votes27798.93
Invalid/blank votes31.07
Total votes280100.00
Registered voters/turnout39970.18
3rd District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Earl FraserUnited Party24450.83
Oliver CillsVirgin Islands Party23649.17
Total480100.00
Valid votes48095.62
Invalid/blank votes224.38
Total votes502100.00
Registered voters/turnout74067.84
4th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Walwyn BrewleyUnited Party31058.27
Alban Ulric AnthonyVirgin Islands Party22241.73
Total532100.00
Valid votes53296.73
Invalid/blank votes183.27
Total votes550100.00
Registered voters/turnout80168.66
5th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Cyril RomneyIndependent18740.30
Eileene L. ParsonsIndependent15433.19
Patsy LakeVirgin Islands Party6814.66
Harold VanterpoolUnited Party5511.85
Total464100.00
Valid votes46497.48
Invalid/blank votes122.52
Total votes476100.00
Registered voters/turnout69468.59
6th District
CandidatePartyVotes%
Omar HodgeVirgin Islands Party27954.92
Charles MercerUnited Party22945.08
Total508100.00
Valid votes50896.58
Invalid/blank votes183.42
Total votes526100.00
Registered voters/turnout68976.34

Footnotes

[edit]
  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. ^ a b "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 88–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.