Page 18 | Thursday, November 3, 2011 | The BVI Beacon
Meet the candidates By CHRYSTALL KANYUCK ckanyuck@bvibeacon.com A record 43 candidates are running for 13 seats this election. They range from elder statesmen to fresh-faced newcomers, offering plenty of choices in ideology and background for Virgin Islands voters, who will go to the polls Monday. The majority of candidates — 30 — are running under one of three party banners. The other 13 candidates are running independent of a political party. Women’s participation seems to be gradually increasing: Seven candidates are women this year, compared to six in 2007 and five in 2003.
Twenty-seven of the candidates are running for one of nine district seats. The most-sought District Nine seat, with five contenders, has belonged to Premier Ralph O’Neal since 1975. Four candidates each are seeking the Second District and Eighth District spots. Sixteen candidates are competing for the four territorial at-large seats. Fifteen candidates have held office before, while 19 are making their first bid for elected office. Two candidates are the sons of late Virgin Islands politicians: Bertrand “Washasha X” Lettsome is the son of Terrance B. Lettsome, and Preston Stoutt is the son of the territory’s first chief minister, H. Lavity Stoutt. At least 20 of the candidates have worked in the public service before running for elected office. They’ve served in diverse positions ranging from teacher to technocrat. The oldest candidate, Mr. O’Neal, will turn 78 in December, while the youngest, Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley, turned 31 in June. The BVI Beacon gathered the information for these profiles mostly by asking the candidates themselves, but in some cases the information was taken from candidate websites or from the newspaper’s archives. In the interest of fairness, the Beacon made several attempts to contact each candidate, including publishing a request in two editions. The following, then, are the election candidates for 2011.
Elections 2011
Elections 2011
AT LARGE Name: Eileene Baronville Party: Independent Born: Not provided Occupation: Proprietor and director, Paradise Preschool and Day Care Marital status: Single Children: Adult daughter and four grandchildren Education: General and legal studies certificate, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Residence: Barrow’s Estate, Road Town Previous political office held: None Have you run for political office before? Twice (independent)
Name: Bertrand “Washasha X” Lettsome Party: Independent Born: Dec. 7, 1962 Occupation: Retired chief conservation officer Marital status: Divorced, in a committed relationship Children: Two sons and a daughter Education: BVI High School; B.A. in marine science, Hampshire College; M.S. in environmental engineering, Polytechnic University, New York Residence: Long Look Have you run for political office before? No
Name: Elton Callwood Party: People’s Patriotic Alliance Born: Nov. 27, 1964 Occupation: Owner and chief editor, VI Standpoint Marital status: Married Children: Four Education: BVI High School; Royal of Business School; A.A. in management, Borough Manhattan Community College; B.A. in marketing, University of the Virgin Islands Residence: Carrot Bay, Tortola Have you run for political office before? No
Name: Edmund Maduro Party: Independent Born: July 5, 1939 Occupation: Retired chief immigration officer, businessman Marital status: Married Children: Six children, 14 grandchildren Education: Secondary level Residence: Baughers Bay Previous political office held? None Have you run for political office before? Twice, United Party
Name: Archibald Christian Party: National Democratic Party Born: Aug. 22, 1959 Occupation: Real estate appraiser Marital status: Married Children: Two Education: St. George’s Primary School; Road Town Primary School; BVI High School; Mapps College (Barbados) Residence: Freshwater Pond, West End, Tortola Previous political office held: None Have you run for political office before? Twice, in 2003 and 2007 (NDP)
Name: Keith Flax Party: Virgin Islands Party Born: Oct. 29, 1946 Occupation: Self-employed: Consultant and professional jeweler Marital status: Married Children: Three Education: St. Mary’s School, Virgin Gorda; building engineering technician qualification, Kingston Technical School and the College of Arts, Science and Technology, Jamaica Residence: Hodges Creek Previous political office held: At-large representative, 2007-present; Speaker of the House, 1983-1996 Have you run for political office before? Once (VIP)
Name: Vernon Malone Party: Virgin Islands Party Born: Not provided Occupation: Attorney; former primary school teacher and police commissioner Marital status: Married Children: One Education: CPA in public administration and bachelor of law, the University of the West Indies; post-graduate legal certificate, Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica; certificate in real estate valuation and sales, University of the West Indies Residence: Huntums Ghut Previous political office held: At-large representative, 2007-present Have you run for political office before? Twice, 2007 and Sept. 2005 by-election (VIP)
Name: Lionel Penn Party: Independent Born: July 16, 1960 Occupation: Manager, Nature’s Way; entrepreneur Marital Status: Married Children: Three Education: East End Primary School; H. Lavity Stoutt Community College; Bachelor’s in business and finance, Missouri Southern State University Residence: East End Have you run for political office before? No
The BVI Beacon | Thursday, November 3, 2011 | Page 19
AT LARGE Name: Irene Penn O’Neal Party: Virgin Islands Party Born: Jan. 1, 1957 Occupation: Hotel manager Marital status: Married Children: Three Education: Zion Hill Primary School and BVI High School; pursuits in tourism and financial management, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Cornell University and Missouri Southern States Residence: Pockwood Pond, Tortola Previous office held: At-large representative, 2007-present Have you run for political office before? Once as an independent, three times with the VIP
Name: Shaina Smith Party: People’s Patriotic Alliance Born: June 8, 1976 Occupation: Management consultant Marital status: Single Children: None Education: BVI High School; B.S. in electrical engineering, M.S. in industrial engineering and management systems, University of Central Florida Residence: Frenchman’s Cay, Tortola Have you run for political office before? No
Name: Ronnie Skelton Party: National Democratic Party Born: March 21, 1954 Occupation: CEO, Skelton Group of Companies Marital status: Married Children: Two Education: B.S. (Honours) electrical engineering, Tuskegee University; professional training as a chartered electrical engineer Residence: McNamara, Road Town, Tortola Previous political office held: Member of opposition, deputy chief minister and minister of finance, health and social development Have you run for political office before? Three times (NDP)
Name: Zoe Walcott-McMillan Party: Virgin Islands Party Born: March 26, 1976 Occupation: Manager, financial services sector Marital status: Married Children: Three Education: B.A. in marketing, Inter-American University, Puerto Rico Residence: Not provided Previous political office held: None Have you run for political office before? 2007 (VIP)
Name: Dr. Orlando Smith Party: National Democratic Party Born: Aug. 28, 1944 Occupation: Legislator, surgeon Marital status: Married Children: Three Education: BVI High School; University of the West Indies, MDDS; Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh; diploma in public health, United Kingdom; M.S. in community health in developing countries, UK Residence: McNamara, Tortola Previous political office held: Chief minister 2003-2007, opposition leader 2007-present and 1999-2003 Have you run for political office before? 1999, 2003, 2007 (NDP)
Name: Myron Walwyn Party: National Democratic Party Born: Feb. 22, 1972 Occupation: Attorney, restaurant and hotel operator Marital Status: Married Children: Five Education: Baughers Bay Primary School; Ebenezer Thomas Primary School, BVI High School; Princess Margaret Secondary School, Antigua; University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom; BPP Law School, United Kingdom; Cornell University Hospitality Executive Programme, United States Residence: Pasea Estate Have you run for political office before? No
Name: Khoy Smith Party: People’s Patriotic Alliance Born: Aug. 21, 1975 Occupation: Veterinary technician, manager of Prophys’ Farm Ltd. and Pro-Vet Animal Health Clinic Marital status: Married Children: Four Education: BVI High School; Regional Educational Programme for Animal Health Assistants Residence: Belle Vue, Tortola Have you run for political office before? No
Name: Natalio “Sowande Uhuru” Wheatley Party: People’s Patriotic Alliance Born: June 2, 1980 Occupation: H. Lavity Stoutt Community College lecturer Marital status: Single Children: Two Education: BVI High School; B.A., Clark Atlanta University; M.A., Purdue University; Ph.D. University of London (in progress) Residence: Fat Hogs Bay, Tortola Have you run for political office before? No
DISTRICT ONE Name: Andrew Fahie Party: Virgin Islands Party Born: Aug. 7, 1970 Occupation: 1999-present: Legislator. Formerly: part-time instructor of mathematics and science at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, 1991-1998; mathematics teacher at the BVI High School, 1991-1997; assistant principal of BVIHS, 1997-1999 Marital status: Married Children: Two Education: Ebenezer Thomas Primary School; BVI High School; University of the Virgin Islands, 1986-1988; transferred to Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, and earned a B.S. degree in 1991 Residence: West End Previous political office held: First District representative, 1999-present. Minister of education and culture, 2000-2003 and 2007-present Have you run for political office before? 1999, 2003, 2007 (VIP) Name: Preston Stoutt Party: Independent Born: Aug. 20, 1973 Occupation: Corporate manager Marital status: Single Children: None Education: Mapp’s College, Ridley College, Queen’s University Residence: Long Bay Have you run for political office before? No