Mr. Orris Smith and Premier Victor Banks
With both the district general election and the at-large elections due in Anguilla, just over a year from now, a new candidate in each of the two categories has been announced so far.
The AUF candidate for the at-large voting will be Mr. Othlyn Vanterpool who won the Island Harbour district seat in 2010 but lost it in 2015. He is, however, serving as the Ministerial Assistant in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, Public Utilities, Housing, Agriculture and Fishing.
Also, representing the governing Anguilla United Front (AUF) in the general election will be newcomer, Mr. Orris Smith, of Island Harbour, who will be vying for the constituency seat there.
Both candidates made their announcements at the AUF’s public meeting in District 1, East End/Sandy Hill, on Saturday, May 9.
Mr. Vanterpool took the opportunity to refer to a number of accomplishments and plans of the United Front Government. He was delighted that he and other AUF candidates would be contesting the at-large elections which would provide greater representation for the people of Anguilla.
“God spares my life, in 2020, I am hoping to contest the elections as an island-wide candidate even though I am from the Island Harbour District,” he told his listeners. “This means when you go to the polls in 2020 you can vote for me, and also for the other members of the Anguilla United Front who will also be contesting the at-large voting. You can vote for a person in your district and also for four other individuals on the list of at-large voters.
“I am hoping that when you go, you would look for the sign of the Beacon and give us your vote so that we can continue to work on behalf of the people of Anguilla. You will have a greater choice and I hope that you will use it. So if you see us on your doorstep in West End, South Hill or Blowing Point, do not be alarmed. We are just candidates who are running at large and we are coming to seek your support, and I hope that you will support us.”
Mr. Vanterpool continued: “You may ask – but Othlyn, if you are running at large or island-wide, who will be contesting the seat in District 1 for the Anguilla United Front? That is a question that needs to be answered. Our next speaker has offered himself as a candidate and I hope that you will support him the way you supported me in 2010.”
He then took the opportunity to introduce Mr. Orris Smith, his successor as the AUF candidate for District 1. In describing him, Mr Vanterpool said in part: “He is a young man from the district – a very hard-working individual. When I see the way he moves, he reminds me of the Honourable Kenneth Harrigan, full of zeal and wants to get everything done.
“He was born and raised in Island Harbour. He is the son of the late Simon and Eudora Smith. Most of his secondary education was completed in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, where he also started his carpentry career. He is an avid sportsman. He played both youth cricket and senior cricket locally and abroad. He is very active in our national sport – boat-racing for over twenty years. He owned and captained both a B-class and an A-class racing boat and is the builder of many boats.
“He is a businessman, and owner and manager of Klassique Carpentry – a wood-work shop that produces the finest joinery. You can look in any, in some, of the most exquisite places in Anguilla and you will see his work – second to none. It is a place where he has trained many young Anguillians in the art of carpentry in District 1. Some of them have gone on to work on their own. This has made him very proud to know that he has been teaching them and now they can provide for themselves and their families. This individual is a licenced home builder, a joiner by trade, and a musician by profession, and has always been giving to the community of Anguilla.”
Vanterpool called on voters in District 1 to support Mr. Smith in the 2020 general election.
Mr. Smith told the large gathering that it was an historic occasion for him and he was grateful to the AUF team for putting their trust and belief in him. “This was a long and well-thought-out decision made by me,” he stressed. “I was not dragged into it by party or family. This decision was made because you, the people, have been asking me to contest the seat in the upcoming general election. You feel that I am the candidate with a plan; a hard worker; a man for, and with, the people; and a man who has never lost sight of the people. That is why I have been persuaded – that if you, the people, have this confidence in me – that I should be your eyes and ears. To this end, I will not let you down.”
Mr. Smith outlined a number of undertakings in which he was involved in Island Harbour before and when he considered entering the political arena. These included the provision of a ramp for fishermen without cost to them; repairing the jetty damaged by Hurricane Irma; the provision of lights and a Delta fuel station for fishermen; the demolition of the old Baptist school to give way to a waterfront board walk; the construction of a stage for Festival Del Mar; and the current building of a 4000-square-foot state-of-the-art music studio for a group desirous of promoting music talent in Anguilla.
Mr. Smith, who said he has a degree in Management Building and Architecture, with thirty years experience, said he decided to stand with the United Front Government because it “presented the best opportunity for District 1 and Anguilla in general.” He praised the Government for its handling of the banking situation; the previously longstanding Cap Juluca issue; and other socio-economic and governance matters.
“Anguilla was rendered helpless and hopeless by Hurricane Irma,” he continued. “The level-headed leadership and representation of the island, along with the UK Government, the Governor and others, brought us from a paradise lost to a paradise regained. I applaud the Government of Anguilla for the speedy recovery of the island following Hurricane Irma. I applaud the community for the clean-up throughout our island. This Government was able to deliver water throughout the island for its people, and our medical services have been improved greatly.”
Without detailing the particulars of his plans, Mr. Smith promised to make Island Harbour the number one district in Anguilla. Calling for the assistance of residents there, he added: “Together we can do this.”
