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.http://suntci.com/pnp-wins-seats-pdm-p435-108.htm 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.UK imposes Turks and Caicos rule BBC News, 14 August 2009
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"Foreign Secretary statement announces elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands Foreign & Commonwealth Office
A new constitution came into force on 15 October 2012. The terms of the election are specified in the constitution.Governor Todd Signs Constitution Proclamation Turks & Caicos Weekly News Online
Electoral system Following the 2007 elections, the number of single-member constituencies was reduced from 15 to 10.Political Party Leaders Pleased With Proposed Boundaries. Turks and Caicos Weekly News 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. TCI News Now, 3 September 2012 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,"Turks and Caicos Islands Election Results" . Guide 2 Turks and Caicos, 13 November 2012. and on November 12, 2012, for the at-large seats."At-Large results stand". Turks and Caicos Weekly News, 13 November 2012.
Results
By constituency ConstituencyCandidatePartyVotes1. Grand Turk NorthGeorge Alexander LightbourneProgressive National Party353Derek Anthonio Rolle 3362. Grand Turk SouthEdwin AstwoodPeople's Democratic Movement524Rex Elton Swann 2923. South CaicosNorman Benjamin SaundersProgressive National Party219Edith Andrea Cox 1324. Middle and North CaicosRicardo Don Hue GardinerProgressive National Party261Ashwood Leon Forbes 2505. LeewardAkierra M. MissickProgressive National Party337Ezra Ringo Tyrone Taylor 305Bennett Williams 46. The BightPorsha Monique Stubbs SmithProgressive National Party335Sonny Alexander Forbes 294Dorell Monique Pratt Delancy People's Progressive Party367. Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill(results voided in February 2013)Amanda A. MisickProgressive National Party394Isaac Oral Selver 364Edward E. Smith People's Progressive Party588. Blue HillsGoldray McMillin EwingPeople's Democratic Movement347Adrian Carlyle Williams 232Wendal D. Wilson People's Progressive Party849. Five CaysSean Rickard AstwoodPeople's Democratic Movement347Thomas I.N. Ewing 253Harold Charles People's Progressive Party10310. WheelandVaden Delroy WilliamsPeople's Democratic Movement265Gregory O'Neal Lightbourne 157Zhavargo J. Jolly People's Progressive Party29All Island District5 elected at-largeSharlene Linette Cartwright RobinsonPeople's Democratic Movement3,427Rufus Washington EwingProgressive National Party3,252Derek TaylorPeople's Democratic Movement3,191Charles Washington MisickProgressive National Party3,107Josephine ConnollyPeople's Democratic Movement3,023Carlos W. Simons 2,899Samuel I. Harvey 2,896Oswald O'Neal Skippings 2,894Wayne Newton Garland 2,806Royal Stephenson Robinson 2,700Oswald M. Simons 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.
References