# 2012 Turks and Caicos Islands general election

General elections were held in Turks and Caicos Islands on 9 November 2012. The PNP won the election, winning eight seats with the PDM winning seven. The PNP won most of its seats by narrow margins over the PDM, while the PDM won its seats by wide margins over the PNP, with the result that despite winning fewer seats and thereby losing the election, the PDM garnered more overall votes nationwide.

## Background

In 2009 the British government had imposed direct rule over the islands after an inquiry discovered evidence of corruption and incompetence in the islands' government. The islands' government was suspended for two years and the British-appointed governor given executive power over the territory.
On 12 June 2012 British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that fresh elections would be held in November 2012, stating that there had been "significant progress with an ambitious reform programme" and that there had been "sufficient progress, on the milestones and on putting in place robust financial controls"
A new constitution came into force on 15 October 2012. The terms of the election are specified in the constitution.

## Electoral system

Following the 2007 elections, the number of single-member constituencies was reduced from 15 to 10. However, an additional five members were elected at-large at the national level, with voters able to vote for up to five at-large candidates. According to a report on 12 October, there were 6,896 verified electors in the Electors Register, with an additional 349 to be published in a supplementary register later.

## Candidates

On Nomination Day, 25 October, a total of thirty-seven candidates were officially nominated. Among them were fifteen each from the Progressive National Party (PNP) and the People's Democratic Movement (PDM), five from the newly formed People's Progressive Party (PPP), and two independents.
The below list of candidates comes from the Turks and Caicos Islands Elections Office. Election results were confirmed on November 9, 2012, for local voting districts, and on November 12, 2012, for the at-large seats.

## Results

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats | +/– |
| | People's Democratic Movement | 3,164 | 50.13 | 4 | 15,431 | 50.71 | 3 | 7 | +5 |
| | Progressive National Party | 2,833 | 44.89 | 6 | 14,764 | 48.52 | 2 | 8 | –5 |
| | People's Progressive Party | 310 | 4.91 | 0 | | | | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 4 | 0.06 | 0 | 233 | 0.77 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nominated members | Nominated members | | | | | | | 4 | – |
| Ex officio members | Ex officio members | | | | | | | 2 | – |
| Total | Total | 6,311 | 100.00 | 10 | 30,428 | 100.00 | 5 | 21 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 6,311 | 99.35 | | | | | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 41 | 0.65 | | | | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 6,352 | 100.00 | | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 7,245 | 87.67 | | | | | | |
| Source: Caribbean Elections ||||||||||

### By constituency

| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes |
| 1. Grand Turk North | George Alexander Lightbourne | Progressive National Party | 353 |
| 1. Grand Turk North | Derek Anthonio Rolle | People's Democratic Movement | 336 |
| 2. Grand Turk South | Edwin Astwood | People's Democratic Movement | 524 |
| 2. Grand Turk South | Rex Elton Swann | Progressive National Party | 292 |
| 3. South Caicos | Norman Benjamin Saunders | Progressive National Party | 219 |
| 3. South Caicos | Edith Andrea Cox | People's Democratic Movement | 132 |
| 4. Middle and North Caicos | Ricardo Don Hue Gardiner | Progressive National Party | 261 |
| 4. Middle and North Caicos | Ashwood Leon Forbes | People's Democratic Movement | 250 |
| 5. Leeward | Akierra M. Missick | Progressive National Party | 337 |
| 5. Leeward | Ezra Ringo Tyrone Taylor | People's Democratic Movement | 305 |
| 5. Leeward | Bennett Williams | Independent | 4 |
| 6. The Bight | Porsha Monique Stubbs Smith | Progressive National Party | 335 |
| 6. The Bight | Sonny Alexander Forbes | People's Democratic Movement | 294 |
| 6. The Bight | Dorell Monique Pratt Delancy | People's Progressive Party | 36 |
| 7. Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill (results voided in February 2013) | Amanda A. Misick | Progressive National Party | 394 |
| 7. Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill (results voided in February 2013) | Isaac Oral Selver | People's Democratic Movement | 364 |
| 7. Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill (results voided in February 2013) | Edward E. Smith | People's Progressive Party | 58 |
| 8. Blue Hills | Goldray McMillin Ewing | People's Democratic Movement | 347 |
| 8. Blue Hills | Adrian Carlyle Williams | Progressive National Party | 232 |
| 8. Blue Hills | Wendal D. Wilson | People's Progressive Party | 84 |
| 9. Five Cays | Sean Rickard Astwood | People's Democratic Movement | 347 |
| 9. Five Cays | Thomas I.N. Ewing | Progressive National Party | 253 |
| 9. Five Cays | Harold Charles | People's Progressive Party | 103 |
| 10. Wheeland | Vaden Delroy Williams | People's Democratic Movement | 265 |
| 10. Wheeland | Gregory O'Neal Lightbourne | Progressive National Party | 157 |
| 10. Wheeland | Zhavargo J. Jolly | People's Progressive Party | 29 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Sharlene Linette Cartwright Robinson | People's Democratic Movement | 3,427 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Rufus Washington Ewing | Progressive National Party | 3,252 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Derek Taylor | People's Democratic Movement | 3,191 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Charles Washington Misick | Progressive National Party | 3,107 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Josephine Connolly | People's Democratic Movement | 3,023 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Carlos W. Simons | Progressive National Party | 2,899 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Samuel I. Harvey | People's Democratic Movement | 2,896 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Oswald O'Neal Skippings | People's Democratic Movement | 2,894 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Wayne Newton Garland | Progressive National Party | 2,806 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Royal Stephenson Robinson | Progressive National Party | 2,700 |
| All Island District 5 elected at-large | Oswald M. Simons | Independent | 233 |

## Subsequent by-election

PDM candidate Isaac Selver filed an election petition in the Supreme Court regarding the results in Electoral District 7, in which he had lost to Amanda Misick of the PNP by 30 votes. Selver's petition stated that PPP candidate Edward Smith was ineligible to stand for election by reason of his dual citizenship and dual allegiance to the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and that the 58 votes that went to Smith had affected the outcome of the election and could have resulted in Selver's victory over Misick. In a December 2012 interview, Smith claimed that he had renounced U.S. citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Queen in order to take up a position in the Turks and Caicos government. However, he had used his United States passport to travel to the United States in July 2012 after that oath. On 7 February 2013, the Supreme Court ruled the election void. A by-election was held on 22 March 2013. Amanda Misick won with 455 votes against Isaac Selver's 385.