Former First Lady Lorna Smith has called on members of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) to stop spreading false claims about the eligibility of candidates from her party to serve in the House of Assembly (HOA).
Smith, who is contesting the elections as a Territorial At-Large candidate with the National Democratic Party (NDP), told residents at a campaign rally in the Second Electoral District last evening that she has tried to remain above the fray of party politics thus far.
“I would, however, ask the members of the Virgin Islands Party to refrain from spreading deliberate and false claims, to the effect that, should two of us (NDP candidates) on the campaign be elected, we cannot be seated in the House of Assembly,” Smith said.
The former First Lady did not offer any details to support her contention but insisted that such claims were far from the truth, particularly since she had helped with negotiations for the 2007 Constitution Order — the document which outlines the fundamental laws that govern the territory today.
Smith also suggested that candidates should instead address real issues affecting the BVI and ‘stop talking nonsense’ on the campaign trail.
Who is qualified to serve
According to Section 65(1) of the constitution, in order to be eligible, a person must meet one of two criteria: either they were eligible before the new constitution was put in place, or they are a Virgin Islander who was at least 21 years old and eligible to vote.
The definition of a ‘Virgin...
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