British Virgin Islands Hold Elections

On Monday, some 16,000 voters in the British Virgin Islands will exercise their right to vote to elect a new government that will control the 13-member Parliament.

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From 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, the polling stations will remain open to receive citizens who must choose their next authorities among 42 candidates, according to the Election Supervision Office.

"The territory’s election machinery is already in place as Governor John Rankin has approved over 20 polling locations across the BVI’s nine districts," local outlet Our News said, recalling that the British Virgin Islands' last general election was held in 2019.

Prime Minister Natalio Wheatley heads the list of 13 candidates proposed by the ruling Virgin Islands Party (VIP). The opposition parties Virgin Islands Progressive Movement (PVIM) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) are running with nine candidates.

The tweet reads, "2023 British Virgin Islands general election. NDP - 29.0%, VIP - 28.9%, UP - 2.8%, PVIM - 2.7%. Election Day April 24, 2023."

Additionally, another ten independent candidates are participating in an electoral process that will be monitored by a team of eight international observers, according to the Office of the Supervisor of Elections.

In the previous general election, the VIP controlled 8 of the 13 parliamentary seats in the Virgin Islands, which are a British overseas territory that elects a unicameral legislature.

The House of Assembly has a total of 15 members, 13 of whom are members elected to serve four-year terms. Of the 13 elected members, nine are elected to represent territorial district seats and four are elected to represent the entire overseas territory.

The other two remaining members are non-voting ex officio members, namely the Attorney General and the Speaker of the House.