1983 British Virgin Islands general election

The British Virgin Islands general election, 1983 was held in the British Virgin Islands on 11 November 1983. The result was a victory for the opposition United Party in coalition with independent candidate Cyril Romney over the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt. Each major party won four seats, and Cyril Romney was the sole remaining elected independent. Accordingly, Romney allegedly agree to join a coalition with whichever party would make him Chief Minister. The VIP declined to do so, but the UP eventually agreed thereby winning the election despite securing a smaller overall percentage of the vote.

British Virgin Islands general election, 1983
11 November 1983 (1983-11-11)
All seats in the British Virgin Islands Legislative Council
5 seats needed for a majority
Turnout73.1%
  First party Second party
 
Leader H.L. Stoutt Willard Wheatley
Party Virgin Islands Party BVI United Party
Leader since 1971 1975
Leader's seat 1st District 7th District
Seats won 4 4
Popular vote 1,363 1,314
Percentage 43.8% 42.3%
Chief Minister before election

Lavity Stoutt
Virgin Islands Party

 Elected Chief Minister

Cyril Romney
BVI United Party (Coalition)

Janice George served as the supervisor of elections.[1] Turnout averaged 73.1% across the six districts that voted; the 1st District had the highest turnout (83.5%) and the 3rd District had the lowest (67.8%).[2]

1983 was the second election after the Legislative Council had been expanded from seven district seats to nine. Astonishingly, just like the previous election, fully one third of the seats up for election were not contested, with only a single candidate standing in the 7th, 8th and 9th Districts. For the 7th and 8th Districts, this was the second consecutive general election when those seats went uncontested.

The election is also notable in that every single person who would ever serve as Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (excluding Premiers) (Stoutt, Wheatley, Romney and O'Neal) was elected during the 1983 general election.

Notable candidates who were elected for the first time included future Leader of the Opposition, E. Walwyn Brewley.

Results
British Virgin Islands general election, 1983[3]
Party Votes Percentage Seats Won
United Party 1,314 42.3% 4
Virgin Islands Party 1,363 43.8% 4
Independents 359 11.5% 1
Total 3,110 100% 9
Turnout: 73.1%

Individual seats
British Virgin Islands general election, 1983[4]
Individual seats
Constituency Candidates Votes Percentage Winner Party
1st District
Turnout: 83.5%		 H. Lavity Stoutt (VIP) 421 55.6% H. Lavity Stoutt Virgin Islands Party
Basil Blake (UP) 336 44.4%
Total 757 100%
2nd District
Turnout: 70.2%		 Conrad Maduro (UP) 148 53.4% Conrad Maduro United Party
Prince Stoutt (VIP) 129 46.6%
Total 277 100%
3rd District
Turnout: 67.8%		 Earl Fraser (UP) 244 50.8% Earl Fraser United Party
Oliver Cills (VIP) 236 49.2%
Total 480 100%
4th District
Turnout: 68.7%		 E. Walwyn Brewley (UP) 310 58.3% E. Walwyn Brewley United Party
Alban U. Anthony (VIP) 222 41.7%
Total 532 100%
5th District
Turnout: 68.6%		 Cyril Romney (Ind) 187 40.3% Cyril Romney Independent
Eileene Parsons (Ind) 154 33.2%
Patsy Lake (VIP) 68 14.7%
Harold Vanterpool (UP) 55 11.9%
Total 464 100%
6th District
Turnout: 76.3%		 Omar Hodge (VIP) 279 54.9% Omar Hodge Virgin Islands Party
Charles Mercer (UP) 229 45.1%
Total 508 100%
7th District Terrance B. Lettsome (VIP) Uncontested Terrance B. Lettsome Virgin Islands Party
8th District Willard Wheatley (UP) Uncontested Willard Wheatley United Party
9th District Ralph T. O'Neal (VIP) Uncontested Ralph T. O'Neal Virgin Islands Party

Footnotes
  1. "BVI election and information results 1950-2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  2. "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 88–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  3. "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 88–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
  4. "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 88–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
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