People voted against VIP, but we should move on — Walwyn
Newly elected Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn has argued that the absence of an outright majority victory at the polls for the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) was a clear indication that the people voted against them.
“We’re all adults. What has happened, in my view, is water under the bridge. It is now time… to move on,” Walwyn said recently at a joint opposition press conference. “I personally believe that when you look at the results — even though you don’t have the statistics yet from the election office — the people voted against the Virgin Islands Party.”
Opposition members have contended that the proverbial rug was pulled from beneath them when Walwyn’s National Democratic Party (NDP) colleague and Territorial At-Large Representative, Lorna Smith, OBE, pulled a surprise defection which allowed the VIP to be able to successfully form a government.
According to Walwyn, the parties that now make up the opposition — NDP, Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and Progressives United (PU) — had an obligation to ensure that voters got the government that they wanted by fully working through the machinations and resolving any issues that arose during negotiations between the three parties.
In the meantime, Walwyn pointed out that his extensive house-to-house visits during the elections campaign suggested that people were unwilling to vote in the elections because of an apparent mistrust of politicians.
“People kept saying we’re not voting, particularly young people,” Walwyn commented. “Because the psyche of the public has been damaged by politicians. And when things like this (Lorna Smith’s immediate, post-election defection) happen again, you further erode and further damage the psyche.”
He added: “If the negotiations [with the NDP, PVIM, and PU] broke down and somebody had to make a move, [then] I understand. But I think we had an obligation and the people of the BVI expected us to do that.”
Walwyn apologised to the electorate for not being able to deliver the results that he felt they voted for, but said he felt there is now a formidable Opposition in place in the House of Assembly (HOA) and urged that the country should move forward.
Opposition members have contended that the proverbial rug was pulled from beneath them when Walwyn’s National Democratic Party (NDP) colleague and Territorial At-Large Representative, Lorna Smith, OBE, pulled a surprise defection which allowed the VIP to be able to successfully form a government.
According to Walwyn, the parties that now make up the opposition — NDP, Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and Progressives United (PU) — had an obligation to ensure that voters got the government that they wanted by fully working through the machinations and resolving any issues that arose during negotiations between the three parties.
In the meantime, Walwyn pointed out that his extensive house-to-house visits during the elections campaign suggested that people were unwilling to vote in the elections because of an apparent mistrust of politicians.
“People kept saying we’re not voting, particularly young people,” Walwyn commented. “Because the psyche of the public has been damaged by politicians. And when things like this (Lorna Smith’s immediate, post-election defection) happen again, you further erode and further damage the psyche.”
He added: “If the negotiations [with the NDP, PVIM, and PU] broke down and somebody had to make a move, [then] I understand. But I think we had an obligation and the people of the BVI expected us to do that.”
Walwyn apologised to the electorate for not being able to deliver the results that he felt they voted for, but said he felt there is now a formidable Opposition in place in the House of Assembly (HOA) and urged that the country should move forward.
