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2023 In The British Virgin Islands
Events from the year 2023 in the British Virgin Islands. Incumbents * Governor: John Rankin *Premier: Natalio Wheatley Events January *10 January - Former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Julian Willock, is reportedly arrested and then released in relation to suspicions of human trafficking. Through a statement released on an affiliated news website, Willock strenuously denied the allegations, and referred to them as "unfounded". Willock had previously resigned as speaker under pressure from his party in May 2022. April * 24 April - 2023 British Virgin Islands general election: Citizens of the British Virgin Islands elect the 13 members of the House of Assembly. No party won an overall majority but the incumbent Virgin Islands Party (VIP) won the most seats. Discussions to form a coalition ensued. * 25 April - In a surprise move, Lorna Smith (wife of longtime National Democratic Party leader, Orlando Smith) switched allegiance to the VIP allowing them to form a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Governor Of The Virgin Islands
The Governor of the Virgin Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the British Virgin Islands. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the ''de facto'' head of state, and is responsible for appointing the chief minister and the executive council. The current Governor is John Rankin CMG. The Governor has a viceregal flag, the Union Flag defaced with the territory's coat of arms. The official residence of the Governor is Government House located in Road Town, Tortola. History The first colonial administration on the islands was the Dutch. England annexed the Islands in 1672. An administrator was appointed to the islands from 1887, and replaced by a governor in 1971 when the islands were created a distinct territory. Prior to this date, the local council would elect one of their members to be president (see List of president ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Rankin (diplomat)
John James Rankin, (born 12 March 1957) is a British diplomat and a former ambassador to Nepal. He is the current Governor of the Virgin Islands, Governor of the British Virgin Islands. He was Governor of Bermuda from December 2016 to December 2020. Early life and education Rankin was born on 12 March 1957. He was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School, an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent school in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied Scots law at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a first class honours Bachelor of Laws degree. He later studied international law at McGill University, graduating with a Master of Laws degree. Career Legal career Rankin qualified and practised as a solicitor in Scotland; he was a member of the Law Society of Scotland. He was additionally a lecturer in public law at the University of Aberdeen from 1984 to 1988. Diplomatic career Rankin joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1988. Bet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Premier Of The Virgin Islands
The Premier of the Virgin Islands is the head of government for the British Virgin Islands. As a British Overseas Territory, the Premier is appointed by the Governor on behalf of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. Until 2007, the head of government was known as the Chief Minister of the Virgin Islands, but a constitutional change in 2007 renamed the position as Premier. The current Premier is Natalio Wheatley. He is serving since 5 May 2022. History of the office Since the 1967 constitution was adopted, only seven different people (all men) have served as Premier or Chief Minister, and each of them except for Cyril Romney has served at least two full terms. Also, each of them has served as the Leader of the Opposition. H. Lavity Stoutt won the most general elections of any leader (he won five), followed by Orlando Smith (three). Stoutt, Smith and Willard Wheatley are the only leaders to have served two consecutive full terms (Ralph T. O'Neal also served two con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Natalio Wheatley
Natalio Dixon Wheatley (born 2 June 1980) is a British Virgin Islands politician currently serving as Premier of the Virgin Islands, Premier of the British Virgin Islands. He is the grandson of former Chief Minister, Willard Wheatley. He has at times expressed a preference to be referred to by his adopted African name, Sowande Uhuru. Political career Wheatley is from one of the main Politics of the British Virgin Islands, political families in the British Virgin Islands. He first ran for election in the 2011 British Virgin Islands general election, 2011 general election for the List_of_political_parties_in_the_British_Virgin_Islands#Unelected_parties, People's Patriotic Alliance (PPA) as an at-large candidate. He finished 10th in the voting with 798 votes (2.3%). He subsequently ran in the 2015 British Virgin Islands general election, 2015 general election for the People's Empowerment Party (British Virgin Islands), People's Empowerment Party (PEP), also as an at large candidat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extraction of organs or tissues, including for surrogacy and ova removal. Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. Human trafficking is a crime against the person because of the violation of the victim's rights of movement through coercion and because of their commercial exploitation. Human trafficking is the trade in people, especially women and children, and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person from one place to another. People smuggling (also called ''human smuggling'' and ''migrant smuggling'') is a related practice which is characterized by the consent of the person being smuggled. Smuggling situations can descend into human trafficking through coercion and exploitation. Trafficked people are hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2023 British Virgin Islands General Election
General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 24 April 2023. The governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) remained the largest party in the House of Assembly but lost its majority resulting in a hung parliament. The VIP won six seats, with the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) each winning three seats, and Progressives United (PU) winning a single seat. There followed a period of intense discussions between the party to either prise away members or to try and form a coalition between parties. In the end former first lady Lorna Smith agreed that she would join the VIP as a single person in coalition to give them a working majority and keep them in power. Background The House of Assembly normally sits in four-year terms. The Governor must dissolve the House within four years of the date when the House first meets after a general election unless it has been dissolved sooner. Once the House is dissolved a general election ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Virgin Islands
) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = British Virgin Islands - Location Map (2013) - VGB - UNOCHA.svg , mapsize2 = 250px , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , established_title = , established_date = Dutch West Indies , established_title2 = British capture , established_date2 = 1672 , established_title3 = Cooper Island (British Virgin Islands), Cooper Island sold to UK , established_date3 = 1905 , established_title4 = Separate colony , established_date4 = 1960 , established_title5 = Autonomy , established_date5 = 1967 , official_languages = North American English, English , demonym = , capital = Road Town , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , ethnic_groups = 76.9% Black people, Black5.6% Hispanic5.4% White people, White5.4% Multirac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Of Assembly Of The British Virgin Islands
The House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands, until 2007 known as the Legislative Council, has 15 members: 13 directly elected for four-year terms (nine in single-seat constituencies and four "at large"), and two ''ex officio'' members (the Attorney General and a Speaker chosen from outside the house). Sittings of the House of Assembly are divided into " terms" with each term following from a general election. The House of Assembly is presently sitting its fourth term, but the first term of the House of Assembly followed the 15th term of the old Legislative Council. Accordingly, in aggregate the legislature is sitting its 19th term since the restoration of democracy in the Territory. Each term has a series of "sittings". At the end of each sitting the House is either prorogued until the next sitting, or dissolved for a general election. The Hon. Julian Willock was elected Speaker of the House on 12 March 2019. The official record is Hansard. Latest elections Hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virgin Islands Party
The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) is a political party in the British Virgin Islands. It is presently led by Acting Premier Natalio Wheatley. It is the oldest active political party in the British Virgin Islands, and it has won more general elections (seven) than any other political party in the British Virgin Islands. The party was founded by Lavity Stoutt in 1971 when Stoutt left the United Party in order to contest 1971 election after a dispute with Conrad Maduro as to who should be leader of the United Party. The Virgin Islands Party led by Stoutt lost to coalitions led by Willard Wheatley in the 1971 and 1975 general elections, but triumphed in the 1979 general election. Stoutt continued to lead the party until his death in 1995. After Stoutt's death, leadership of the party fell to Ralph T. O'Neal who led it until he stepped down on 28 May 2014. Prior to the 2011 general election the Virgin Islands Party had held power in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Democratic Party (British Virgin Islands)
The National Democratic Party (or NDP) is a political party in the British Virgin Islands. In the 2019 general election the NDP was voted out of office; it most recently held power after winning the 2015 general election. Leadership The party had only one leader for the first 19 years of its existence: Orlando Smith. In June 2018 Orlando Smith announced he would be stepping down, and on 23 June Myron Walwyn was elected as the new party leader. At the same time the title of the party leader was changed from Chairman to President. In February 2019, after the territory's general election Marlon A. Penn became the Party President due to Myron Walwyn not being successful in the election. History Prior to 2011 the party most recently held power after the 2003 general election held on 16 June 2003, the party won 52.4% of popular votes and 8 out of 13 elected seats. It fought that campaign on a platform offering new leadership for the 21st century and promises to clean up cor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orlando Smith
Daniel Orlando Smith, OBE (born 28 August 1944) is a British Virgin Islands politician and the former Premier of the British Virgin Islands from 2011 to 2019 and from 2003 to 2007. He also formerly served as Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (as the role was formerly known before the 2007 constitution was adopted) from 2003 to 2007. He first won the office when his National Democratic Party won the 2003 general election, being the party's first victory at a general election in its history. Orlando Smith originally qualified as a physician, specialising in obstetrics, and was the territory's chief medical officer for many years both before and after entering politics. He entered politics at a relatively late stage of his career, being first elected to the Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands (now called the House of Assembly) in the 1999 general election, as the head of the newly formed National Democratic Party (NDP). In 2003, Smith led the NDP ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
