The general and at-large elections in the neighbouring British Virgin Islands on Monday, February 25, should have been of much interest to Anguilla for two main reasons.
The first is that Anguilla may learn something useful from the fact that, apart from the general election in the various districts, there was also an at-large election as has been the practice in the BVI for 25 years. Candidates in the BVI had been elected to four at-large seats to the First Legislative Council in November 1950 but not subsequently. At-large seats were reintroduced in 1994 and, since that time, the system should have been perfected to a point where Anguilla can now benefit.
In just over a year Anguilla, too, will be having a general election in seven districts as well as an at-large election for four seats with competing candidates from various parts of the island. Just how the Electoral Office in the BVI handles both elections, particularly, on the ballot papers, should be of much interest to Anguilla.
The second reason for Anguilla’s interest in the BVI elections is that the island’s Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmovan Webster, was appointed Head of the Election Observation Mission Team. She and the rest of the team were invited to oversee the elections by Governor Augustus U. Jaspert of the BVI.
The other members of the mission are: Election Observers Jaime Green MSP, Scotland, and Glenn Bedingfield MP, Malta; Election Analysts Merce Castells, Spain, and Matthew Salik, United Kingdom; and Election Coordinator, Felicity Harrmann, Germany.
According to available information, the Observer Mission was expected to publish a report within two days following the election to outline its findings. A final report will be published, within two months after the election, offering recommendations for potential election reform in the BVI.
The Election Observation Mission is being guided by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers. The guidelines were adopted by international bodies involved in election observation at the United Nations in October 2005.
