# 1983 British Virgin Islands general election

General elections were held in the British Virgin Islands on 11 November 1983. The result was a victory for the opposition United Party in coalition with independent candidate Cyril Romney over the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief Minister Lavity Stoutt. Each major party won four seats, and Cyril Romney was the sole remaining elected independent. Accordingly, Romney allegedly agree to join a coalition with whichever party would make him Chief Minister. The VIP declined to do so, but the UP eventually agreed thereby winning the election despite securing a smaller overall percentage of the vote.
Janice George served as the supervisor of elections. Turnout averaged 73.1% across the six districts that voted; the 1st District had the highest turnout (83.5%) and the 3rd District had the lowest (67.8%).
1983 was the second election after the Legislative Council had been expanded from seven district seats to nine. Astonishingly, just like the previous election, fully one third of the seats up for election were not contested, with only a single candidate standing in the 7th, 8th and 9th Districts. For the 7th and 8th Districts, this was the second consecutive general election when those seats went uncontested.
The election is also notable in that every single person who would ever serve as Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (excluding Premiers) (Stoutt, Wheatley, Romney and O'Neal) was elected during the 1983 general election.
Notable candidates who were elected for the first time included future Leader of the Opposition, E. Walwyn Brewley.

## Results

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
| | Virgin Islands Party | 1,355 | 44.90 | 4 | 0 |
| | United Party | 1,322 | 43.80 | 4 | +3 |
| | Independents | 341 | 11.30 | 1 | –3 |
| Total | Total | 3,018 | 100.00 | 9 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 3,018 | 97.04 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 92 | 2.96 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 3,110 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 4,252 | 73.14 | | |
| Source: BVI Deputy Governor's Office ||||||

### By constituency

Terrance B. Lettsome (7th District, Virgin Islands Party), Willard Wheatley (8th District, United Party), and Ralph T. O'Neal (9th District, Virgin Islands Party) were elected unopposed.
1st District :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Hamilton Lavity Stoutt | Virgin Islands Party | 421 | 55.61 |
| | Basil Blake | United Party | 336 | 44.39 |
| Total | Total | Total | 757 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 757 | 97.55 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 19 | 2.45 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 776 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 929 | 83.53 |
2nd District :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Conrad Maduro | United Party | 148 | 53.43 |
| | Prince Stoutt | Virgin Islands Party | 129 | 46.57 |
| Total | Total | Total | 277 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 277 | 98.93 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 3 | 1.07 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 280 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 399 | 70.18 |
3rd District :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Earl Fraser | United Party | 244 | 50.83 |
| | Oliver Cills | Virgin Islands Party | 236 | 49.17 |
| Total | Total | Total | 480 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 480 | 95.62 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 22 | 4.38 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 502 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 740 | 67.84 |
4th District :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Walwyn Brewley | United Party | 310 | 58.27 |
| | Alban Ulric Anthony | Virgin Islands Party | 222 | 41.73 |
| Total | Total | Total | 532 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 532 | 96.73 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 18 | 3.27 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 550 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 801 | 68.66 |
5th District :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Cyril Romney | Independent | 187 | 40.30 |
| | Eileene L. Parsons | Independent | 154 | 33.19 |
| | Patsy Lake | Virgin Islands Party | 68 | 14.66 |
| | Harold Vanterpool | United Party | 55 | 11.85 |
| Total | Total | Total | 464 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 464 | 97.48 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 12 | 2.52 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 476 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 694 | 68.59 |
6th District :
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Omar Hodge | Virgin Islands Party | 279 | 54.92 |
| | Charles Mercer | United Party | 229 | 45.08 |
| Total | Total | Total | 508 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 508 | 96.58 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 18 | 3.42 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 526 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 689 | 76.34 |

## Footnotes

* ↑ "BVI election and information results 1950-2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.
* 1 2 "BVI election and information results 1950–2011" (PDF). BVI Deputy Governor's Office. pp. 88–90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014.