Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

Dawning of a new day  | House of Assembly reopens

Dawning of a new day | House of Assembly reopens

All eyes will be on the Road Town Multi-Purpose Sports Complex today, as the Virgin Islands convenes for the opening of the Fifth House of Assembly (HOA).
While many may be anxious to see how new and seasoned elected officials will perform over the four-year term, most will agree that the opening of a new legislative term signals the narrow escape the territory made last year when the UK came close to snatching power away from local representatives.

Today’s opening of the House is also an occasion where there could be the appointment of a new speaker.

Reports are that Corine George-Masicotte who served as the last Speaker, could be challenged for the post by Dancia Penn-Sallah, KC.

Sallah is a former Attorney General and served as an elected member in the House of Assembly between 2007 to 2011.

Masicotte on the other hand, also a lawyer, has only been speaker for over a year.

The position of Deputy Speaker will also be up for grabs. According to Section 69(4) of the constitution, no one holding a ministerial position in government should hold this position.

But this will be an issue for the VIP-Lorna Smith coalition as all members of the government currently hold minister or junior minister posts.

In the meantime, four persons are set to start their inaugural terms as members of the House of Assembly—they are:

Lorna Smith, Deputy Premier and Minister for Financial Services, Trade & Labour; Luce Hodge Smith, Fourth District Representative and Junior Minister for Tourism & Culture; Dr Karl Dawson, First District Representative and Junior Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries; and Stacy Mather, At-Large Representative under the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement.

Mather forms part of a tripartite opposition that is made up of members from the National Democratic Party, the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement and Progressives United.

The Fifth House of Assembly will also see the return of former elected members Ronnie Skelton and Myron Walwyn. Skelton served in the HOA between 2003 to 2007 and both he and Walwyn both served in the HOA between 2011 to 2019.

It will be Skelton’s second time serving as Opposition Leader.

It will also be the first time since 1999 that there will be a six-member opposition in the House — the last time being 1999 when the NDP contested the election for the first time.

Proceedings for the Fifth House of Assembly are scheduled to begin at 10am on May 18.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×