The British Virgin Islands general election, 1986 was a "snap" election held in the British Virgin Islands on 17 November 1986. The result was a victory for the Virgin Islands Party led by Chief MinisterLavity Stoutt over the United Party. Subsequent to the election Ralph T. O'Neal became leader of the opposition despite not being head of the UP. The VIP won 5 of the available 9 seats giving it an absolute majority. Conrad Maduro and Ralph O'Neal were the only members of the UP to win a seat. Maduro only won by a single vote, and O'Neal would change allegiance to the Virgin Islands Party before the next general election. Two candidates running as independents, Walwyn Brewley and former Chief Minister Cyril Romney, were elected. The election victory would make the start of 17 consecutive years in power for the VIP, which would only end in the 2003 general election. Although Stoutt had lost the previous election, former Chief Minister Cyril Romney had been forced to step down on 1 October 1986 by Governor David Barwick, and so Stoutt had assumed Premiership by virtue of leadership of the largest party in the house prior to the election. Janice George-Creque served as the supervisor of elections. The turnout was 67.6% across the Territory, although this masked regional variations in the individual district seats. Turnout was highest in the 9th District and lowest in the 2nd and 3rd Districts. The low turnout in the 2nd District proved ironic, as that seat was decided by a single vote.
Background
Whilst serving as Chief Minister Romney was the 99% owner of a trust company called Financial Management Trust, which had been linked with laundering drugs money. Although Romney was not personally implicated in the money laundering scheme, he was serving as Chief Minister at the time, the Legislative Council resolved to debate a no-confidence motion, and Governor Barwick ordered Romney to step down. To preempt the motion, Romney dissolved the Legislative Council and called a general election.
Results
Although Romney himself was returned as the representative for Fifth District, his coalition partners in the United Party were beaten by Lavity Stoutt's Virgin Islands Party. The former coalition won only three seats: Romney himself, Conrad Maduro, and Ralph O'Neal. O'Neal was appointed leader of the opposition, but that role would pass to Maduro when O'Neal later joined the Virgin Islands Party. No notable candidates were elected to the Legislature for the first time, but the defeat of Q.W. Osborne would signal the end of his political career. Willard Wheatley also suffered the first defeat of his political career, but would continue on in politics.
District seats
The winners of the district seats were as follows: First Electoral District Second Electoral District Third Electoral District Fourth Electoral District Fifth Electoral District Sixth Electoral District Seventh Electoral District
Candidate
Polling Divisions
Total
Percentage
Candidate
Long Look
Total
Percentage
Terrance B. Lettsome
227
227
74.9%
Collingston George
73
73
24.1%
Rejected
3
3
1.0%
Eighth Electoral District '''Ninth Electoral District IND = Independent
VIP = Virgin Islands Party In the 1st District, Lavity Stoutt secured both the highest number of individual votes, and the highest percentage of the vote of any candidate.
