Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

NDP & PVIM continue discussions on re-uniting!

NDP & PVIM continue discussions on re-uniting!

As the 2023 general election gets closer, two political parties- the National Democratic Party (NDP) and its breakaway group the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM)- are still meeting with the hopes to merge into one.

Both the NDP and PVIM are part of the ruling coalition Government headed by Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).

Sources close to the talks say for months there have been attempts to bring the two parties together to contest the 2023 general elections as one. There have; however, been concerns over who will lead the group, with the choices being the current Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8) and Chairman of the PVIM Mr Ronnine W. Skelton.

In 2018, Mr Skelton was ousted from the NDP by former Premier Dr D Orlando Smith, after it was discovered he was forming the PVIM after losing a contest for Chairmanship of the NDP to former Education Minister Myron V. Walwyn.

Who will lead?

Mr Walwyn resigned as NDP Chairman on May 21, 2019, and today he faces charges for Breach of Trust over a controversial million-dollar wall at Elmore Stoutt High School. Many residents see his court matter as unfair as he has been allegedly targeted by the UK in their ongoing witch-hunt against some locals who are outspoken.

There is also confusion if Hon Penn is legitimately now the new NDP Chairman, as he held the post of Deputy Chairman before Mr Walwyn resigned. There was no party vote for Chairman of the NDP.

The talks between both parties are ongoing but there are issues as to who will lead and which candidates will be dropped from a merged NDP and PVIM. Many have said Hon Penn is elected and should lead the merged group while others claim the country is ready for Mr Skelton to take on the weighty challenges the country faces.

It is unclear if a decision will be forthcoming in time for the 2023 General election, which cannot go beyond May 12, 2023.

There are also conflicting reports and debates about who will be running from each party in a merged group. Two candidates have already announced they are with the PVIM- Shaina M. Smith-Archer and Lesmore Smith- and they will be running At-Large.

Up to the time of publication, both Hon Penn and Mr Skelton had not responded to our request for comment.

Talks between both parties are ongoing but there are issues as to who will lead and which candidates will be dropped from a merged NDP and PVIM. Many have said Hon Marlon A. Penn (R8), left, is elected and should lead the merged group while others claim the country is ready for Mr Ronnie W. Skelton, right, to take on the weighty challenges the country faces.

Is VIP the front-runner?

Meanwhile, the VIP has 10 out of 13 candidates and is expected to fill its final three seats by early next month. The party just confirmed its Chairman, Dr Wheatley, in a landslide victory. Hon Wheatley won 60 votes while Hon Carvin Malone (AL) gained only 12.

The VIP was also just rocked by a bombshell, with the departure of one of its At-Large Candidates, Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles, who is also a Junior Minister For Trade, Economic Development, Agriculture and Fisheries; however, there have been mixed reactions by the public and the party regarding her exit.

Opposition Leader Hon Julian Fraser (R3) of Progressives United noted he will be running again and that he is coming back with his political party but has not revealed any of his candidates.

Our news centre will bring more details regarding the possible merger of the NDP and PVIM, as discussions continue.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×