Elections 2023
District Six incumbent Alvera Maduro-Caines Denies plagiarising campaign launch speech
Sixth Electoral District incumbent Alvera Maduro-Caines has denied plagiarising portions of her speech given at her May 26 official campaign launch at the Omar Hodge Fisherman’s Wharf and Park in Tortola.
The Virgin Islands Party (VIP) candidate said her speech, which focused on developmental plans for the District over the next four years, was decided during a January meeting.
“I presented a speech where I chose to focus on my plans for the next four years, when re-elected as the representative for District Six. Before giving my speech last night, I released a list of projects completed in the district knowing that I would focus on our way forward and not use the best part of the evening to revisit the many roads that I’ve worked on, public facilities that I’ve worked to salvage and restore, and the number of social ills that I address daily. In a planning meeting held in January, I began to outline the plans that I had for the district with my executive committee who assembled at my home. I jokingly termed the plans, “things that are Alvera-chievable,” she explained in a statement issued to the media on March 27.
Accusations of plagiarisation came from her toughest opponent to date, National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Myron Walwyn.
Maduro-Caines won the Sixth Electoral District in 2019 flying the NDP banner. Walwyn, the then NDP chairman, ran as a Territorial at-large candidate and lost.
The VIP won eight of the 13 seats in the House of Assembly, while NDP secured only three seats, including the Sixth Electoral District. Maduro-Caines later crossed the floor and joined the VIP.
She stressed that the plans outlined during her campaign address were “developed based on two things: conversations that I’ve had with many residents of the district and an analysis of plans I’ve been working on but had yet to be completed. I was determined to only include items that I know could be achieved in four years. The landscape of our district continues to change, yet there are some things that we all know we want collectively to happen in District Six. That’s how a good plan comes together.”
She admitted that the “ideas are not entirely new. A beautification and cleaning project is a continuous part of my district plan, and you can imagine that after the hurricanes of 2017, we have even more work to do as debris and derelict vehicles continue to appear. Especially when lands are being cut and pruned, it exposes even more rubbish. It’s a problem that the entire country faces. As it pertains to a monitoring programme for students to ensure the graduation rate increases, that is my purest response through love.”
Regarding the provision of extra classes for students in her District, Maduro-Caines explained “earlier this year about eight students found themselves on the harsh side of the EPE which they must complete to graduate. It’s a haphazard examination and programme instituted by the former Minister of Education, that has had many disastrous results for many of our students. To assist those students from our district to complete that requirement, I created a programme where I helped to monitor them for the three weeks of re-testing. I provided food and extra classes for those students three days per week, and all of those students passed. That’s where the plan for that programme came from.”
Maduro-Caines also accused Walwyn of ignoring her proposal for a Youth Empowerment Programme for her District while he was NDP chairman Walwyn.
“Mr. Walwyn and I worked together, I presented the Youth Empowerment Programme to him on the same day that I went to meet with key stakeholders. He acted like he was supportive, but later showed no interest. A form of that idea now appears on his list. When I presented him the idea to cover the basketball court in Purcell, I was met with no support. The very business that sits on the basketball court now, was met with the hardest opposition to get approval from the then minister, who insulted the young people who were trying to make an honest dollar and needed a recreational space. The covering of the bleachers, part of the same idea, was rushed a few weeks ago. Though my idea was a complete covering like that of the Jeffery Caines arena in Virgin Gorda.”
The race for the Sixth Electoral District is between Maduro-Caines and Walwyn.
Residents will decide who will be their District Representative for the next four years on April 24.
The 2024 Preliminary Voters List for the Virgin Islands has been released for public review, as mandated by Section 18 (6) of the Elections Act 1994 and its amendments. The list includes a total of 16,106 registered voters across the Territory’s nine electoral districts.
Supervisor of Elections, Scherrie Griffin, emphasised the importance of this review process, urging the public to ensure their information is accurate. “The publication of the Preliminary Voters List plays a crucial role in keeping the Territory’s Voters List up-to-date throughout the year. It is essential that individuals check their registration details for their respective districts,” Griffin stated.
The list is available for inspection at 48 locations throughout the Virgin Islands, including supermarkets, clinics, bars, restaurants, stores, government buildings, and the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. Additionally, the list can be accessed online at bvi.gov.vg/elections.
Those with objections or claims regarding the list must submit them between September 6 and 19 at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, located in the Creque Building on Main Street, Tortola.
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections is reminding the public that voter registration is currently open. Eligible individuals are encouraged to register.
According to Section (2) of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007, eligibility to vote requires being a Belonger aged 18 or older and domiciled in the Virgin Islands.
To register, individuals must present a Virgin Islands Passport with an embossed seal, a Belonger’s Card, or a Belonger’s Certificate. A Naturalisation Certificate dated before June 15, 2007, is also acceptable.
Furthermore, Section 17(1) of the Elections (Amendment) Act No. 14 of 2011 states:
“A registered voter who is ordinarily resident in the Territory and who moves his place of residence from within one local electoral district or polling division to another, may have his name transferred to the list of voters for the local electoral district or polling division to which he has moved if he applies on Form No. 9 and establishes, to the satisfaction of the Supervisor of Elections, proof of residence within the local electoral district or polling division to which he/she has moved.”
Individuals who have changed their residence and wish to transfer their registration are encouraged to apply. Supporting documents for a transfer can include cable, water, electricity, or telephone bills, a rent receipt, lease agreement, or a notarized document stating the new address.
Registration and Transfer forms are available at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, Road Town Post Office, the District Offices on Anegada and Virgin Gorda, and the Government Office on Jost Van Dyke. These forms can also be accessed online at BVI Government’s website under the services tab.
For further information, please contact the Office of the Supervisor of Elections at 284-468-4380 or 284-468-3701 Ext. 4380 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The office is located at Creque’s Building, #216 Upper Main Street, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections in the British Virgin Islands has announced the resumption of Voter Identification Card issuance.
To obtain the card, individuals must provide proof of identity along with updated registration information.
Accepted documents for proof of identity include a BVI Passport with an embossed seal, a Belonger Card, a Belonger Certificate, a Certificate of Naturalization (issued before June 15, 2007), or a previous Voter Identification Card if applicable.
Applicants seeking to change their name on the card or transfer their registration must submit specific documents. For a change of name, individuals must complete Form No.3 [Claim Form] in person at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, accompanied by documents such as a Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, or Deed Poll. For transferring registration, Form No. 9 [Transfer of Registration] must be filled out in person at the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, along with additional proof of identity.
Additionally, applicants must provide proof of residence, which can include utility bills (Cable, Water, Electricity, or Telephone), rental receipts with the new address, or a notarized document from the head of household/lessee confirming residency.
It’s essential to note that utility bills or receipts must be dated within two months prior to the application date for a Voter Identification Card.
For further inquiries and information, individuals are encouraged to contact the Office of the Supervisor of Elections at 284-468-4380 or via email at electionsoffice@gov.vg.
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