Legislators want 5-year election cycle, not 4- HoA Report
However, the Lisa E. Penn-Lettsome-led Constitutional Review Commission recommended that no amendments be made to move from a four-year to a five-year election cycle, noting the constitutional significance of such a change and the absence of strong public demand for it.
However, the Committee of the whole House, putting the negotiating position together, rejected that notion and proposed a constitutional amendment to go to five years.
The House Committee of elected members recommends that the Constitution be amended to extend the maximum interval between general elections from four years to five years, while preserving the existing ability for the House to be dissolved earlier, in accordance with the constitutional framework.
Rationale of elected members
Elected members considered that, while shorter terms provide frequent and visible electoral accountability, a five-year cycle offers advantages for governmental stability and the sustained implementation of longer- term development policies, particularly in a small jurisdiction.
Members also considered that the term should remain at a maximum of five years, preserving the flexibility of the Westminster model whereby Parliament may be dissolved earlier when circumstances so require.
Most, if not all, of the other Caribbean Islands have a five-year election cycle.
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14 Responses to “Legislators want 5-year election cycle, not 4- HoA Report”
The truth is even after the two 2017 hurricanes, Erma and Maria, the B.V.I infrastructure development lags. Boat government's and some residents buildings dwelling homes remain unrepaired. Filty sewerage water, many direlect vehicles, unrepaired roads, water shortages, low income earners, such as minimum wage workers, Healthcare workers and others continue suffering hardship. In all of these unfulfilled promises by the VIP government, they, the Cabinet leaders have the guall to want to fight for an extra year on four (4), so they can dip their greedy hands into or finances secretly, as was done, and add to what they have already took, without sympathy for the majority of financial struck people of the British Virgin Islands.
Outlying Islands Councils and b)District/Village councils.