New PVIM member Shereen Flax-Charles

By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor

(JTV News) — Territory At-Large Representative, Shereen D. Flax-Charles, who resigned from the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) on Feb. 12, 2023, will contest the 2023 General Elections as a Ninth District candidate for the Ronnie Skelton-led Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM).

Flax-Charles made the announcement at a PVIM press conference on Friday during which she was introduced by Skelton, the chairman of the party, who later said, in response to a reporter’s question, that “we are proud to have her”.

She started off by saying she is a tourism stalwart, someone who cares about the territory, and someone who is not afraid to speak up.

She said she decided to join the PVIM because its leadership, with Skelton at the helm, as well as Mitch Turnbull (its deputy), are exemplary persons with a proven track record in their personal, professional, and political lives.

“Ladies and gentlemen integrity matters,” she pointed out, adding that she is excited to serve and rebuild the British Virgin Islands, and its reputation while uplifting its people.

“I pledge to serve these Virgin Islands with all my heart with truth and integrity as my motto. You can count on me, and you can count on PVIM to take this country to the next level,” she added.

During the question-and-answer session, she said she decided to run for the Ninth District because of feedback from people in the district. She however noted that if elected, she will still look out for the interest of the entire territory.

HERE IS FLAX-CHARLES’S FULL STATEMENT:

“Shereen Flax-Charles: A tourism stalwart, someone who cares about this territory, someone who is not afraid to speak up. I have made the decision to contest the upcoming elections as a candidate with the Progressive Islands Movement in the 9th district. Why PVIM? I’ve decided to join this Movement because its leadership with the Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton as well as the Honourable Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull
exemplifies persons with a proven track record in their personal, professional, and political life. Accountability, hope, empowerment, transparency, and inspiration. Ladies and gentlemen, integrity matters. I am excited for the journey ahead to serve you the people of the Virgin Islands in rebuilding our country’s reputation and uplifting its people, and so today, I pledge to serve these Virgin Islands with all my heart, with truth and integrity as my motto. And I want to say to everyone within the sound of my voice that you can count on me and you can count on the PVIM to take this country to the next level.”

WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HER AND THE VIP?

Flax-Charles is currently the Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Agriculture, and Fisheries and a member of the Natalio-Wheatley-led National Unity government. She intends to remain in this position until the general elections which is due this year but for which a date has yet to be set.

Her resignation from the VIP came exactly one week after the VIP Congress held a meeting to elect a new executive body to confirm its candidates for the General Elections which is constitutionally due by May 12.

Flax-Charles was not among the 10 candidates — seven district candidates and three at-large candidates — who were ratified by the VIP Congress.

The party said a “special meeting” will be convened in the near future to ratify the remaining candidates.

It was disclosed at a press conference by Party Chairman and Premier, Natalio Wheatley, that Flax-Charles’s non-ratification had to do with administrative issues: paper work she submitted did not meet the requirements.

However, in her resignation statement on Feb. 12, Flax-Charles gave her side of the story.

“My priorities are clear and have been communicated. I will only be a part of leadership that is transparent, fair and honest, conducted with the utmost integrity; developing and honouring structures which hold us to account. On this vein, I want to ensure that my own upholding of these standards remains unquestionable.

“I pride myself on understanding and operating within laws and rules. While many of you have rightly dismissed the idea that I somehow infringed on the constitution of my former party, I know that for others this has been a concern as it brings my ethics and frankly, my common sense, under scrutiny.

“Summarizing The Virgin Islands Party Constitution, Article Twenty: Nomination and Selection of Candidates for the Legislature, it is made abundantly clear that any incumbent VIP member of the Legislative Council desirous of re-election under the banner of the party is entitled to do so once they have informed the executive by the deadline prescribed.

“I fulfilled the basic requirements as outlined in Section 4, and made my intention known to the party’s secretary. I could not met the deadline which Section 1 makes mention of as to date none has been communicated, at least not to me.

“Anyone interested in further investigating this exercise of wordplay and paperwork is free to peruse the party’s constitution. There will be varied opinions as there always are, but what I can share is that my interpretation is supported by a senior party member’s written correspondence. Ultimately, this is a minor matter. When compared to the tremendous challenges we face as a Territory, it warrants no further dialogue.

“I only raised this for two reasons. It is important to me that you all continue to know that I do not play party games and that I have complete respect for fair protocol and due process. Whatever clerical mishaps and misunderstandings may have occurred, I hold no animosity towards my former party as this only reassured me of what I have been considering for a time,” she added.