Walwyn
Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn has dismissed claims that he caused the split in the National Democratic Party (NDP), insisting that he has always followed the party’s constitution and has remained loyal to its principles.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview recently, Walwyn said: “I hear people saying that Myron broke up the National Democratic Party. I don’t understand how that accords with common sense because we had an election. We had a process based on the constitution. And I won. And other persons took up and left the party because I won.”
He argued that the contest was fair, and that those who lost should have “had the discipline to fall behind whoever wins and move the agenda of the country through the party vehicle forward.”
Walwyn recalled that in 2018, a convention was called for fresh party leadership elections. He said he sought the support of then-Premier Dr Orlando Smith, along with other senior NDP figures, before putting his name forward. He won the leadership contest against Ronnie Skelton. But he explained that soon after, some members broke away and later formed the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM).
“I tried three times after Honourable Skelton came back to meet with him to discuss the way forward,” Walwyn stated. “Looks like we have to have a competition, and so I went out with my campaigning… and then the election took place. I won the election.”
He added that he showed respect to party elders, offering Skelton the finance minister role if he wished to continue, but while waiting for decisions from senior figures, “[Skelton] was forming PVIM while I was there waiting for him.”
The fallout weakened the NDP in the 2019 general election, when the party suffered major losses. The split effectively left two opposition parties, a division that also affected the 2023 general election when both the NDP and PVIM won three seats each.
Despite accusations that he was the cause of the rift, Walwyn insisted that the blame lay elsewhere. “If you don’t want to have an election, don’t have one. If you want a coronation, have a coronation,” he said. “But if it’s a contest, properly done, fairly done, based on your constitution… anybody can put their names forward to run.”
He added that his loyalty remains to the Virgin Islands.