Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
on 21 February 2005 to elect the seven elected seats in the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...
. The
Anguilla United Front
The Anguilla United Front is an alliance of political parties in Anguilla.
At elections, 21 February 2005, the alliance won 38.9% of popular votes and 4 out of 7 elected seats.
The Anguilla United Front (AUF) was created on 7 January 2000 as a ...
, an alliance of the
Anguilla National Alliance
The Anguilla National Alliance was a centre-right political party in Anguilla.
At the elections of 21 February 2005, the party first became part of the Anguilla United Front(AUF), that won 38.9% of popular votes and 4 out of 7 elected seats, and ...
and the
Anguilla Democratic Party
The Anguilla Democratic Party was a political party in Anguilla.
At the 21 February 2005 elections, the party first became part of the Anguilla United Front
The Anguilla United Front is an alliance of political parties in Anguilla.
At election ...
, won the elections retaining four of the elected seats.
Anguilla United Party
The Anguilla Progressive Movement is a political party in Anguilla. The party was named the Anguilla United Movement until being rebranded in 2019 alongside new leaders and colours.Osbourne Fleming, became
Chief Minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
. In May 2004 the leadership of the opposition passed from
Hubert Hughes
Hubert Benjamin Hughes (15 October 1933 – 7 May 2021) was an Anguillan politician. He was the island territory's Chief Minister from 16 March 1994 to 6 March 2000, and again between February 2010 and April 2015.
He had stated his intention to ...
, leader of the
Anguilla United Movement
The Anguilla Progressive Movement is a political party in Anguilla. The party was named the Anguilla United Movement until being rebranded in 2019 alongside new leaders and colours.Edison Baird, leader of the
Anguilla Strategic Alliance
The Anguilla Strategic Alliance is a political party in Anguilla.
At the last elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office ...
. This came after one member of the House of Assembly, Albert Hughes, changed parties.
Electoral system
The House of Assembly has 11 members. Seven members are directly elected by the
plurality voting system
Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which a candidate, or candidates, who poll more than any other counterpart (that is, receive a plurality), are elected. In systems based on single-member districts, it elects just one member per ...
while the other four members are appointed. One of the appointed members is chosen by the governing party, while the other three are appointed by the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, with one of the three appointments being made in consultation with the opposition.
Campaign
Towards the end of January 2005 Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming announced that the election would be held on 21 February, with nominations required by the 8 February. A record 25 candidates put themselves up for election by the 7,560 eligible voters.
The governing
Anguilla United Front
The Anguilla United Front is an alliance of political parties in Anguilla.
At elections, 21 February 2005, the alliance won 38.9% of popular votes and 4 out of 7 elected seats.
The Anguilla United Front (AUF) was created on 7 January 2000 as a ...
stood based on the development they had brought over the past five years, including the island's first 18 hole
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...
, the renovation of Wallblake Airport and plans for a luxury hotel. Osbourne Fleming claimed that the developments would bring jobs and had made Anguilla significantly different from how it had been five years before.
Three opposition parties, the Anguilla Strategic Alliance, Anguilla United Movement and
Anguilla Progressive Party
The Anguilla Progressive Party (APP) is a political party in Anguilla.
The APP took part in the 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is hel ...
fielded candidates. Opposition leader Edison Baird of the Anguilla Strategic Alliance said that the government had not been open enough in explaining how the development project would benefit ordinary Anguillans. Opposition parties also criticised tax concessions given to the company who would be building the luxury hotel.
Results
All 6
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
s who sought re-election kept their seats in the election. The only change took place in Valley North where the previous representative, Eric Reid, stood down and was succeeded by Evans McNeil Rogers.
Aftermath
The day after the elections was declared a national holiday and the four elected members of the Anguilla United Front were sworn into government by the Governor
Alan Huckle
Alan Edden Huckle (born 15 June 1948) is an English senior diplomat in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British Government. He was the commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and the British Antarctic Territory fro ...
. Following the election, Albert Hughes, left the Anguilla Strategic Alliance and joined the government. This meant the opposition was evenly split between the Anguilla Strategic Alliance and the Anguilla United Movement, so the Governor did not appoint a
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
General election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...