More PVIM Confusion; Paul A Hewlett Out! Ian S Smith In! for D4
The instability and confusion surrounding the breakaway group from the main Opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) called the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) continue.
It was a few weeks ago, before they launched, that the party kicked out Lesmore Smith from the ticket who had already announced three months before that he was on PVIM slate as an At Large candidate only to be snubbed. Mr Smith is now running as an independent candidate and is the President of the BVI Horse Owners Association. He has picked up the endorsement of a PVIM founding member and former Legislator Mrs Eileene L. Parsons OBE.
Who will be next?
Now less than a month before elections after they announced on Monday, March 6, 2023 that Mr Paul A. Hewlett as their district four candidate, he has been ousted. The party insiders claimed that he was not selling and now have picked businessman and former banker, Ian S. Smith. The former Chairman of the BVI Social Security Board, Mr Smith will be the PVIM candidate in District 4.
Mr Hewlett has since issued a statement confirming his exit from the political race.
As Chairman of the Social Security Board, Mr Smith was one of the architects of the controversial Joe's Hill Manor Estate Project.
He will come up in D4 against two female candidates, Luce D. Hodge-Smith of the Virgin Islands Party and Sandy M. Harrigan-Underhill of the NDP.
It is unclear if anyone else from the PVIM will be booted from the ticket of eight candidates. Already, there are questions sounding one of their At-Large candidate Stacey Mather about his eligibility to run under the constitution.
There continues to be confusion in the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement.
NDP slammed PVIM
Mr Mather was not born in the Virgin Islands or any of his parents. However, he told a local radio station that he is eligible to run.
The PVIM is headed by former legislator and businessman Ronnie W. Skelton and its Deputy Chairman is incumbent Second District Representative Hon Melvin M. Turnbull. It was last night, March 18, 2023 at the launching of NDP, that At Large candidate Allen O’Neal slammed the PVIM saying, “we really aint studying them, they are a want to be party, a want to be NDP.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
