Three candidates have been officially announced as contestants in the District 3 Valley North By-Election slated for May 24, 2022.
The recent resignation of elected Parliamentarian, Evans McNeil Rogers, left District 3 – Valley North – without parliamentary representation in the Anguilla House of Assembly. As a result, a by-election was called for his replacement.
On Nomination Day, Friday, April 29, persons interested in contesting the vacant seat in District 3, registered to do so. The process requires that each application be witnessed by two persons who are registered in that district or constituency. Each candidate appeared at the Atlin Harrigan Parliament Building, announced his or her name, was publicly acknowledged by witnesses, paid the EC$1000 fee, and completed all the preliminary paperwork.
Three candidates officially announced their candidacy for contesting the election on May 24: one for the Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM), another for the Anguilla United Front (AUF), and the third an Independent.
Mr Courtney Morton resigned his position as financial advisor to the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr Ellis Webster, to become the APM’s candidate for the seat which he contested and lost in the last general election.
Mrs Shellya Rogers-Webster resigned her position as Deputy Director of the Anguilla Tourist Board to become the AUF’s party for the seat following the vacancy left by the departure of her party’s representative, Mr McNeil Rogers.
Then there is Dr Lanny Hobson, the Independent, who participated in the last general election as an independent Island-wide candidate – under the symbol “The Lion”.
In the next few days, between nominations and the by-election, we are likely to witness energised campaigning by the three candidates, their supporters and others in Valley North.
Incidentally, this is the second time that a by-election has been called in Anguilla. The first was in 1985 to replace the late Albena Lake-Hodge, representative for District 4, who died during her term in office.
