Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Discriminatory! You Can Vote, But Can't Run For Office

Discriminatory! You Can Vote, But Can't Run For Office

Hon. Mark Vanterpool has condemned a clause in the Constitution of 2007 which bars some belongers from running for political office but allows them to vote
The Fourth District Representative, a native of Anguilla and Belonger of the Virgin Islands, said that it is discriminatory towards these persons because they are not indigenous Virgin Islands.

He said that he does not know how it can be rectified, but it must be addressed in the upcoming constitutional review.

“I was grandfather in then, if I wasn’t on the voters’ list before 2007, I couldn’t run for office and I recognize that, but it’s not right. Are those categories of persons going forward since 2007, who may not have been grandfathered then but live here and belong here, are they going to be excluded from running for office,” he lamented in the House of Assembly during the debate of a motion for the constitutional reform, July 28.

Hon. Vanterpool said while these persons, like him, are not indigenous Virgin Islanders, they would have contributed to the Territory.

“That is not right, but that is what the constitution has in it now. They can vote, but they cannot run, they are belongers, they belong to the Virgin Islands, though they are not indigenous, they belong to the Virgin Islands,” he said.

The opposition member added, “they contribute, they live here, they go to school here, they grow up here, they pay taxes here but they cannot represent under this new constitution if they were not grandfather like me. That is discrimination.”

The legislator made it clear that he has no issue with the need to protect the indigenous Virgin Islander.

“I know I am going to get beat up for it, but I am going to speak up because I am here to represent those people. It’s discrimination that you can vote, but cannot run for office. Something is wrong there. I don’t know how it can be fixed, but it needs to be fixed because it is going to be a problem,” he stated.

He mentioned that if he was not married to a Virgin Islander, his sons would be barred from running for office.

“If I wasn’t married to a Virgin Islander, my two children, if they were not registered before 2007, they couldn’t run for office. You understand that, that is discrimination,” he stressed.

Hon. Vanterpool also made the point that when he retires soon, he cannot become Deputy Governor.

“There are different forms of discrimination…I am a belonger I have the rights of belongership. Yes, in the constitution they put in something there that they are protecting the rights for indigenous people, but be careful, one day a minority might be running a majority. These are the facts and no representation of the majority will be in the House of Assembly,” he opined.

He warned that they be careful this does not come back to haunt them.

“We might not see it, be under the guise that we are protecting indigenous which is good, but be careful it is discrimination,” the opposition member cautioned.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×