No By-Elections! General Elections to be held by April 16, 2019—Gov Jaspert
This was disclosed by Governor Augustus J. U Jaspert, today November 15, 2018, who stated, “I have received legal advice that the holding of a General Election within a period of six months from the date of the death of the member of the Fifth District may be a compromise date between foregoing a By-Election and holding a General Election.”
Careful Consideration
He said, “after careful consideration of this advice, I consider the holding a General Election by 16th April 2019, as a reasonable time frame…I will be advised accordingly in due course on the dates the Premier wishes to dissolve the House and hold an election prior to that date in April.”
Prefacing his decision, Governor Jaspert explained that the VI’s Constitution and the Election Act 1994 and Amendments, do not explicitly prescribe set timescales for by-elections, “this is something I hope we can address in future amendments to the Elections Act.”
He said however, the Attorney General has advised the “Premier and I, drawing on electoral timescales, precedent in the VI and the position of the United Kingdom and other Overseas Territories, on what would be a reasonable timescale to ensure representation for the people of the 5th District.”
Governor Jaspert explained that given that the House of Assembly must be dissolved by June 23, 2019, at the latest for the purpose of a General Election, the Premier, Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL) “has advised me that the Territory should forego a By-Election and avoid having two elections in one year in such a relatively close period.”
Accept Advice
As such, “I have accepted the Premier’s advice to forego a by-election.”
He said, in deciding to accept this advice, “I considered carefully what would be in the best interests of the VI and the electorate and agreed with the Premier that it would not be in the best interests of the people of the VI to hold both a By-Election followed shortly after by a full General Election next year.”
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