FORMER PRINCIPAL ELMORE STOUTT

 WINS BY-ELECTION

Tuesday, September 6 – Supervisor of Elections Ms. Juliette Penn today declared National Democratic Party candidate Mr. Elmore Stoutt winner of the Territorial by-elections held yesterday.

Out of 4,946 votes cast, Mr. Stoutt gained a total of 2,570. Virgin Islands Party candidate Mr. Vernon Malone received 2,167 votes; the United Party’s Mr. Conrad Maduro, 144; and independent candidate Mr. Richard DeCastro, 19.

With 10,124 people named on the final voters list, it meant that voter turnout was approximately 48.85 percent.

Ms. Penn’s announcement followed an all-night counting process which got underway at just after 8:00 last evening and ended at around 8:00 a.m. Returning Officer Mrs. Antoinette Skelton conducted the entire counting procedure.

His Excellency Governor Thomas Macan, who observed part of the counting process and was present when the announcement was made, said he was pleased with the peaceful manner in which the elections were conducted.

Governor Macan noted that while the voter turnout was not as high as anticipated, the elections nevertheless gave the people of the BVI a chance to have their say in democratically electing a representative.

The Territorial by-elections became necessary following the passing of Minister for Communications and Works and Territorial Member Honourable Paul P. Wattley, who died on July 6 at age 59 at Peebles Hospital.