TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands – Eight years after it was swept out of power, the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) headed by Andrew A. Fahie, won Monday’s general election, winning eight of the 13 seats at stake.
The party, which formed the government between 2007-11, won four district seats and four Territorial At-large seats, while the incumbent National Democratic Party (NDP) won three seats.
The other two seats were won by the Progressive United (PU) and the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIMP).
In the First District, Fahie, received 752 votes, easily defeating Sylvia Moses, 141 votes and Stephanie Brewley, a mere 28 votes.
Fahie, 48, is expected to be sworn in as the new Premier later on Tuesday.
He was last December ousted as Opposition Leader following the split within the then ruling NDP with Ronnie Skelton leading a faction and became the largest opposition party in Parliament.
The VIP was one of four political parties that contested the elections held after Premier Dr Orlando Smith, decided to forego a by-election for the Fifth Electoral District that became vacant last October following the death of Representative Delores Chris.
Smith did not contest Monday’s polls, after having indicated in June last year that he would be stepping down and not contesting the next general election.
Electoral officials said 25 candidates from four political parties as well as a lone independent, contested the election in nine districts, while 15 candidates contested the poll as At-Large Candidates.
It is the first time in the history of the BVI that four political parties -the Progressives United (PU), Virgin Islands Party (VIP), Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and the NDP- contested an election here.
The election was the first general election in the Territory to use electronically tabulated voting rather that manual counts. (CMC)
