‘We must be blind to party colours’ this elections- John I. Cline
Clergyman and political commentator Mr John I. Cline aka ‘Bishop’ has said he has been accused of voting partyline but it is not so and it will certainly not be so in the 2023 General Elections of the Virgin Islands.
“Last elections I didn’t vote party line. I look for people on the ballot who I believe could be worthy of my vote because my vote is my voice,” Mr Cline said on his My BVI show live-streamed on Facebook on March 30, 2023.
The former leader of the New Life Baptist Church (NLBC) in Duff’s Bottom said this time around he will do the same, look for people on the ballots who he believes will qualify for his vote, which is his civil and democratic right.
“Unfortunately some of those people I voted for, once I voted for them and they got to power they didn’t want to hear my voice, so now I see how you are and this time around I can’t vote for you again.”
The three main political parties in the
2023 elections race are Virgin Islands Party (VIP), National Democratic
Party (NDP) and Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM).
‘We are more intelligent’
Mr Cline urged those eligible to vote to do so responsibly and intelligently, ignoring party colours and personalities.
“So I can’t just go vote for you because you green or you blue or you red, I can’t do that.
“We are more intelligent. We have more information. We see when we give a particular party a mandate of a great majority how they just act irresponsibly.”
Mr Cline noted’ however, that he believes in a mixture of persons in the House of Assembly, both youthful and experienced and noted that there are persons over 70 years in the UK Parliament. He also pointed put that US President Joe R. Biden is like the “rock of ages”.
“Because you cannot leave the future of the country just to say you want a new set of people,” Mr Cline stated.
