March 31, 2007 — Anyone thinking about running for delegate to the fifth V.I. Constitutional Convention this year can pick up forms for filing nomination petitions beginning Monday.
The Board of Elections offices on all three islands have the forms and information about filing. Candidates cannot start filling in the petitions until April 16, however.
All petitions must be filed by May 16, and the election will take place on June 12, according to officials. For complete deadline information, look at the Source's "Calendar for Special Election of Delegates to the Constitutional Convention."
There have been four previous constitutional conventions, in 1965, 1972, 1978 and 1980. For various reasons, however, no constitution has been installed to date. For a detailed history of previous conventions, see "V.I. Constitutional Conventions: Background."
This fifth constitutional convention was originally slated to occur in 2006, but in late 2005 the Legislature voted to postpone the process one year. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Louis Hill, said at the time that holding the convention in an election year would not give it the credibility and seriousness it requires. Hill also said he was concerned the public was not well informed enough about the convention.
To address that second concern, the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is conducting a public-education project in support of the fifth convention, coordinated by attorney Tregenza Roach. He provided much of the information in this article.
The question of why the past four conventions did not produce constitutions is a constant, Roach said.
"We have spent a lot of time speaking to groups in the community: the Rotary Clubs, fraternities, civic organizations and so on, and in almost every setting the question comes up — why the past attempts were not successful," he said. "Some say there really wasn’t sufficient public engagement, no information campaign beforehand to get people ready.
"Also some of the delegates did not like the final document, and so there was an effort to make it fail. Now at least we’ve talked about some of the issues and we’ve held public meetings for a year."
To run for delegate to the convention, a candidate must meet three criteria. He or she must be a citizen of the United States, a qualified territory voter and must have been a bona fide resident of the U.S. Virgin Islands for at least three years before June 12, the date of the election.
Voters will elect a total of 30 delegates. Four will be elected at large. St. Croix will elect 13, St. John will elect two and the combined St. Thomas-St. John district will elect the remaining 11 delegates.
After the election in June, on July 23 the Fifth Constitutional Convention will convene at 10 a.m. at the Charlotte Amalie Senate Building. The delegates will have until July 27, 2008, to draft a constitution for the territory.
Roach explained what happens next.
"If two thirds of the delegates vote to adopt the document, it will go to the governor’s desk," Roach said. "He will have 60 days to add his comments and forward it to the U.S. Congress."
The Congress has 60 more days, during which the V.I. Delegate to Congress and others may testify. Congress has the power to add or delete by amendment, Roach explained.
"Last time they really sent it back with very little change," he said. "But they could change it, or it could look very much like the original." After Congress puts its stamp on the constitution, it comes back to the territory to go on the ballot as a referendum.
For more information about UVI’s public-outreach project in support of the constitutional convention, visit its website.
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