Natalio D. Wheatley was officially sworn in Tuesday as premier of the British Virgin Islands after Gov. John Rankin received a letter from the elected members of the Virgin Islands Party pledging their support.
The coalition government was formed after no clear winner emerged from the BVI’s general elections on Monday. To win a majority, a party has to take at least seven of a total 13 available seats in the House of Assembly after the votes are counted.
According to Monday’s count, the Virgin Islands Party earned six seats, the National Democratic Party three, the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement three, and Progressives United one. The tie-breaker was thought to lie with Progressives United’s Julian Fraser, but instead, National Democratic Party winner Lorna Smith formed an alliance with the Virgin Islands Party, giving it the chance to regain a majority.
“Since they VIP has six persons, they can add one from one of the other political parties and form a government — otherwise the three parties will have to come together and that’s where the big question is. Who will be the leaders if you go that route?” Benito Wheatley, advisor and brother to the premier, said before those elected were said to have entered into closed-door sessions to talk over forming a coalition government.
The six winning VIP candidates were: Karl Dawson for District One, Luce Hodge-Smith for District Four, Kye Rymer for District Five, Natalio Wheatley for District Seven, Vincent Wheatley for District Nine, and Sharie de Castro at-large, with Smith joining in to round out the group.
“Last night and into the early hours of this morning, I have been speaking with all political parties at length; with the National Democratic Party, the PVIM and the VIP to ensure we arrive at a position in which we can take this territory forward,” Smith said in a public statement issued early Tuesday.
“I have decided that in order to ensure a cohesive, clear and dynamic government can be sworn in, that I will form a coalition with the VIP. This is no lightweight decision, nor is it born from a need for power or control. It is a decision based upon my desire to serve you, the people, to the best of my abilities and with the determination for change to start immediately in this country,” she added.
Ahead of Tuesday’s swearing in, the VIP said in a statement that the seven members signed official documents in the presence of Rankin, which also supported Wheatley in forming the government of the Virgin Islands as stipulated by the territory’s constitution.
