My biggest regret is NDP’s split — Dr Smith
Former Premier, Dr D Orlando Smith said his greatest disappointment in politics as leader of the territory is the fracture of his former National Democratic Party (NDP).
“My biggest regret probably would be that unfortunately — the National Democratic Party of which I was a member and head at that point, sort of splitting asunder,” Dr Smith told the Talking Points show.
Just months before the 2019 general elections, the party split into two factions, with the breakaway Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) led at the time by then-Health Minister and longtime NDP stalwart, Ronnie Skelton.
Skelton was joined by lawmakers Archibald Christian and current Labour Minister Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull, who both moved to the Opposition benches in the House of Assembly (HOA) back then. Skelton was later sacked from the governing side.
Turnbull was the only PVIM member that managed to be successful following the 2019 elections.
A former three-term Premier, Dr Smith suggested that the acrimonious split that happened within his former party was inevitable. However, he still expressed disappointment when it finally happened.
“Now, it’s a regret, understandable too, because all over the world, parties do develop branches, break off and form new parties,” Dr Smith shared.
He added: “So, it’s kind of a natural process, but it’s something I really was disappointed that it happened, but not entirely surprised that it could happen.”
At the time of the rupture, Dr Smith called the resulting new appointments of his party a ‘reshuffle’, and said it did not affect the NDP‘s ability to govern the territory.
He remarked back then, that even as politicians come and go, it was the vision of the party that endured.
Just months before the 2019 general elections, the party split into two factions, with the breakaway Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) led at the time by then-Health Minister and longtime NDP stalwart, Ronnie Skelton.
Skelton was joined by lawmakers Archibald Christian and current Labour Minister Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull, who both moved to the Opposition benches in the House of Assembly (HOA) back then. Skelton was later sacked from the governing side.
Turnbull was the only PVIM member that managed to be successful following the 2019 elections.
A former three-term Premier, Dr Smith suggested that the acrimonious split that happened within his former party was inevitable. However, he still expressed disappointment when it finally happened.
“Now, it’s a regret, understandable too, because all over the world, parties do develop branches, break off and form new parties,” Dr Smith shared.
He added: “So, it’s kind of a natural process, but it’s something I really was disappointed that it happened, but not entirely surprised that it could happen.”
At the time of the rupture, Dr Smith called the resulting new appointments of his party a ‘reshuffle’, and said it did not affect the NDP‘s ability to govern the territory.
He remarked back then, that even as politicians come and go, it was the vision of the party that endured.
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