Supporters of the National Democratic Party (NDP) were left with dropped jaws recently when they were told by two NDP members, including a candidate, to vote for the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).
Both of the blunders came at separate rallies in the Eighth District, which is represented by the NDP Chairman Hon Marlon A. Penn.
The first incident was on April 15, 2023, during the campaign launch of Hon Penn.
‘Put an X next to the VIP team’- Hon Vanterpool
Outgoing legislator Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4) was at the time telling supporters to “put an X next to our name”, adding that the first Premier of St Kitts and Nevis Mr Robert L. Bradshaw had told the people in St Kitts, “if you ain’t happy with us when you go in the polls, X us out.
“Put an X next to our name. I want to make sure you don’t put an X to that name. Put an X next to the VIP team to make sure they are your next government to run this country.”
Hon Vanterpool was then told of his error by Dr Kedrick D. Pickering.
“I said something else?” Vanterpool replied.
Hon Mark H. Vanterpool is told of his error by Dr Kedrick D. Pickering, right.
‘Vote VIP all the way’- Renard V. Estridge
The second ‘call’ for NDP supporters to vote for the VIP came at the Eighth District Rally on April 19, 2023.
At Large Candidate Renard V. Estridge was at the time lambasting the VIP as a government of mistakes.
“We certainly cannot take four more years of mistakes, mistake after mistake, after mistake. I know one thing we ain’t going do. We making no mistake tomorrow and the 24th. We ain’t making no mistake.
“Therefore, we must make the right choice. We must choose the NDP Government and we must vote VIP all the way, all the way, all the way.”
Estridge only became aware of what he said after persons in the audience alerted him.
“No, vote NDP all the way, that’s what I said.
“Where Mark is? Mark, Jesus lawd,” Estridge responded.
Mr John I. Cline alongside Angelle A. Cameron on the My BVI show live-streamed on Facebook on April 20, 2023.
‘A spirit of confusion’- Bishop Cline
Meanwhile, former lead pastor at New Life Baptist Church in Duff’s Bottom Bishop John I. Cline, while speaking on the My BVI Show livestreamed on
Facebook on April 20, 2023, concluded it must be a spirit of confusion that gripped the NDP men.
“Anytime you have on a red shirt, you on a podium under a banner called NDP and you going to say, so on April 24th, when you go to the polls, vote VIP all the way, when you are in a red shirt, you are a candidate, you are on an NDP podium and coming out of your mouth in the middle of your speech, you say vote VIP all the way, that’s a spirit. That’s a spirit of confusion that has been unleashed.
Bishop Cline related that when God wanted to take over or stop the people of Babel from building their tower, he confused their language.
“There is a spirit of Babel in the atmosphere that is causing people to say things that they don’t even realise what they are saying.
“And it didn’t just happen once, it happened twice.”
Bishop Cline claimed that a video is now being circulated stating that the NDP has prophesied its own doom because it is telling the people to vote VIP all the way.
“I’m like, if this is not a spirit, ain’t nothing else. It is the spirit of confusion.”
Polling Day in
the Virgin Islands is Monday, April 24, 2023.