The chairman of the Virgin Islands Party, Opposition Leader Ralph O’Neal, has finally scheduled a meeting of his VIP for next Wednesday. Party insiders say that they have been requesting this move for a long time, but to no avail. They are also wondering if the announcement of the meeting was prompted after a former senior member of the VIP, Alvin Christopher (R-D2), announced the formation of a third party. Mr. O’Neal, however, has denied this speculation.
Elections will be the main item on the agenda, and one wonders if the political stalwart will seek re-election to head the party that he has controlled since 1995 after the death of H. Lavity Stoutt. Many senior members of the party reportedly feel that the 80-year-old should make way for a younger and more active person. However, other sources state that the opposition leader will seek nomination and has indicated to close colleagues that they can throw him out if they want. Julian Fraser (R-D3) has already announced that he is interested in the top post, and there might be other contenders as well, including Dancia Penn, QC, a former deputy premier; Andrew Fahie (R-D1), a former minister of government; Vernon Malone, a lawyer and former police commissioner; and perhaps a couple of other dark horses.
Successor?
A senior party official indicated to me that although the brilliant and highly respected Ms. Penn — a former attorney general, speaker and deputy governor — was promised that she would take over from Mr. O’Neal, she might not be seen as the automatic successor on Wednesday because she is not a member of the House, despite the fact that there is no regulation prohibiting her or any non-elected member from chairing the party.
There is no doubt that there is disenchantment among party members: Hence the reason why Mr. Christopher, a former minister, moved away and formed his own movement, but in my view such a move will only weaken the VIP and make it easier for the governing National Democratic Party to win the next general election.
I feel that Mr. O’Neal should call a meeting with his top brass — mainly Ms. Penn and Messrs. Fraser, Fahie and Malone — and decide who should be the next leader instead of having a contest for the next chairperson, who is to be elected by eight representatives each from the nine constituencies, plus four executive members of the VIP.
It is understood that behind-the-scenes lobbying is going on by only three of the contenders via their supporters to win votes for Wednesday’s elections.
Party history
The VIP is the oldest active political party in the VI. It was founded by Mr. Stoutt in 1971 when he left the United Party in order to contest the 1971 election after losing the UP leadership to Willard Wheatley.
Mr. Stoutt’s VIP lost to Mr. Wheatley’s UP in the 1971 and 1975 general elections, but triumphed in the 1979 general election. Mr. Stoutt continued to lead the party until his death in 1995. Prior to the 2011 general election, the VIP had held power in the VI for all except 15 years since the adoption of the modern Legislative Council in 1967. The party most recently held power after the general election on Aug. 20, 2007, winning 10 out of 13 seats. However, it lost the 2011 general election and is presently in opposition.
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