BVI – The nomination of candidates for the upcoming general election will take place on Friday (May 22) from 10am until 1pm as well as from 2pm to 4pm.
The Government Information Service made the disclosure today while noting that Governor John Duncan also issued the Writs of Election, which formally pave the way for the polls to be held on June 8 – the date recently announced by Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith.
The Writs are formal instructions issued by the governor in accordance with the Elections Act. They instruct the appointed returning offices to carry out their functions on nomination day and polling day on the given dates. They also instruct the officers to report the election results to the Governor not later than June 9.
“According to the Writs, the Governor has appointed Friday, May 22 as Nomination Day and Monday June 8 as Polling Day. According to the 2011 amendment to the Elections Act of 1994, the final Voters’ List must be published no later than three days following the issuance of the Writs of Election,” said the government.
As outlined in the respective Writs, the nomination of candidates will take place at the following locations:
First Electoral District – West End Community Centre
Second Electoral District – Brewers Bay Community Centre
Third Electoral District – Valerie O. Thomas Community Centre
Fourth Electoral District – House of Assembly
Fifth Electoral District – Enid Scatliffe Pre-Primary School
Sixth Electoral District – Alexandrina Maduro Primary School
Seventh Electoral District – Long Look Methodist Church Hall
Eighth Electoral District – Willard Wheatley Primary School
Ninth Electoral District – Ashford Waters Community Centre
Territorial-At-Large Electoral District – Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall
In the meantime, the Government Information Service noted that, with the Nomination Day now set, prospective candidates for the general election are reminded to review sections 65 and 66 of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order (2007), which outline the qualifications and disqualifications for elected membership.
Section 66 (1)(f) states that no person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly who: “Is a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to, any contract with the Government of the Virgin Islands for or on account of the public service, and has not, within fourteen days before his or her nomination as a candidate for election, published in the Gazette or in a newspaper circulating in the Virgin Islands a notice setting out the nature of such contract and his or her interest, or the interest of such firm or company, in it.”
Candidates who opt to publish notices in the Gazette are notified that the final day to submit the notice to the Cabinet Office for publication is Wednesday, May 20 by 3pm.
Source BVI News
