Hon. Penn says having overseas observers for elections is nothing negative. Photo: VINO

Governor William Boyd McCleary, CMG, CVO

Speaking at a 7th District meeting last evening November 1, 2011, Hon. Penn also said it would not be the first time that persons would be coming in to the VI to observe elections since in February 1995 the now deceased Dr. Patrick Emanuel was here to observe elections, which had included the Territorial At Large seats for the first time.

His Excellency the Governor, Boyd McCleary CMG announced, via press release yesterday that the Virgin Islands (VI) will receive a team of election observers for the General Election. “The Joint Observer Mission has been organised by CARICOM and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) British Islands & Mediterranean Region (BIMR),” the release added.

Leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Dr. D. Orlando Smith had announced at a tent meeting on Monday October 31, 2011 at The Watch House, Fahie Hill that, “I heard for the first time today in our political history that observers are being invited to observe our election…which is very troubling...I feel troubled that is even more troubling ladies and gentlemen. In the BVI during election process [it is a] time to be respectful of our colleagues, and after elections we continue to do our business in a peaceful way. It is even more troubling because of the kind of representation that is allowing these kinds of things to happen without a whimper,” Hon. Smith noted.

But according to Hon. Penn, having observers brought to a country to observe elections is very much the trend in modern, mature parliamentary democracy and noted that in July she was privileged, along with the Honourable Irene Penn-O’Neal, the Honourable Keith Flax and Hon. Elvis Harrigan, along with a number of parliamentarians from all over the Commonwealth to be in London on the occasion of the anniversary celebration of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association where one of the many important things that took place at that meeting was the acceptance and approval by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association of benchmarks for parliament in modern democracy.

“And among those benchmarks is the peer review process, others coming to look at your system and to see how your system works. And there are things that we can teach others. That is the trend, that is the way the world is going. And the fact that an observer team will be here for our elections next week ladies and gentlemen, is nothing negative and none of us should say it is negative and none of us should think of it as a negative thing. It is part of the trend in modern democracy and it may well be the case. That has happened in so many instances, where this Virgin Islands can lead in how General Elections are to be conducted in small countries.”

The Deputy Premier further said having an observer team for elections was a very important development “and I think that it is very important that all of us who would be leaders today are honest and open and objective with our people and our community on this. This is not a matter on which anybody should seek to score any narrow political points. And we know we have a very proud record of free and fair elections in our country. We stand on that record and just as we are evaluated by people from all over the world in our financial services industry and in other things, it is certainly not a negative thing that our elections will be observed by people from other countries who will make a report and who will make recommendations.”

She said if the Territory was going to grow and develop and become the great nation that it is destined to be, an open and transparent process was necessary. “We have to be open and we have to be proud of who we are and what we offer and let it be open to scrutiny. I believe that it is consistent with our political maturity and political development. We have nothing to hide…”

Meanwhile, the press release from the Governor said the role of the Joint Observer Mission would be to observe the VI elections and to write a report on its findings. “Elections are an important part of the democratic process. They should be free and fair and should be seen to be so. I believe the arrangements which have been put in place for the forthcoming elections in the Virgin Islands are robust and consistent with both the Constitution and the Election Law, and that the elections will be free and fair. The presence of election observers is one way to demonstrate this,” the release stated.

The Virgin Islands General Elections is slated for November 7, with Advance Polling set for November 4.