-
by pltm
(PLTM) - All eyes are on the main opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) as its highly anticipated Congress takes place this evening at Marias By The Sea, where they will choose a leader to take them into the next general elections.
The 76 party delegates will converge at the conference room to cast secret ballots for the posts of Chairman and President, and will be voting by show of hands for each of the remaining Executive Committee positions.
The campaign to secure votes at the internal elections was public this go-round, with incumbent Chairman, Opposition Leader Hon. Julian Fraser and First District Representative Hon. Andrew Fahie having adverts on various medium to woo delegates.
In relation to the position of President, newcomer to the party, Dr. Natalio 'Sowande' Wheatley is the only person nominated so far for that post. Current President, Mr. Carvin Malone has already announced that he will not be seeking reelection for the post.
There will also be nominations for the posts of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Public Relations Officer and Assistant Public Relations Officer.
However, at tonight's Congress, additional nominations could be received from the floor from credentialed Congress members.
Hon. Fraser faced an avalanche of dissatisfaction after leading the VIP to the worst defeat under the new 2007 Constitution, which provides for 13 elected members in the House of Assembly. Although the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) won re-election 11-2 in 2015, Hon. Fraser survived a close race for his Third District seat.
Following the major loss, the majority of the party's candidates who contested the election did not support him as the Leader of the Opposition.
Some of the delegates have indicated that they have an issue with trust when it comes to Hon. Fahie, who has earned the boxing legend Joe Louis' moniker as the 'Brown Bomber'. However, others have defended his character in this regard.
-----
Copyright 2023 by Virgin Islands Platinum News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
