TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) on Saturday presented its slate of candidates to contest the general election that will be held this year.
The party presented 11 candidates, however contenders for seats in the first and second districts were not presented.
Representing the third district will be singer/song-writer Aaron Parillon Sitting legislator Mark Vanterpool will seek re-election in the Fourth District, Elvis ‘Juggy’ Harrigan will contest the Fifth District, while Alvera Maduro-Caines will seek re-election in the Sixth District.
Hipolito Diego Penn has been named the contender for the Seventh District, NDP Deputy Chairman Marlon Penn will contest the Eighth District, while Dr Hubert O’Neal is seeking re-election in the Ninth.
Party Chairman Myron Walwyn along with educator Sandy Underhill, former Ports Authority board chairman Trefor Grant, and former BVI Electricity Corporation boss Henry Creque are the four Territorial At-Large candidates .
The NDP’s next political event will come in the form of a rally on January 12.
Last November, Governor Augustus Jaspert announced that a general election will be held by April 16 – that is earlier than scheduled.
Jaspert then said that the early election is being held based on advice of Premier Dr Orlando Smith, who decided to forego a by-election for the Fifth Electoral District.
That district became vacant in October following the death of Representative Delores Christopher.
“In deciding to accept this advice, I considered carefully what would be in the best interests of the Virgin Islands and the electorate and agreed with the Premier that it would not be in the best interests of the people of the Virgin Islands to hold both a by-election followed shortly after by a full general election next year,” the Governor then said in a statement.
