Chairman of Progressives United Hon. Julian Fraser has confirmed that he did indeed request to be Premier of the Virgin Islands, but only publicly admitted to the request being made to the Virgin Islands Party during discussions following the April 24 General Election.
Fraser at the time of his confirmation was responding to questions posed by the media during a press conference which was held on Thursday by all members of the Opposition.
He said having premiership was a non-negotiable term on the table if he was to form a coalition government with the Virgin Islands Party and he made it clear that it is a decision that he still stands by.
Fraser said his stance with having premiership with the VIP is not to blame for what transpired with no coalition government being formed.
He said the sole blame for such was the unexpected move by Hon. Lorna Smith who opted to join the VIP to give them the majority, moving their total number of seats from six to seven, the number constitutionally needed to form a government.
Chairman Fraser also made it known that an amicable proposition was made between the three now Opposition parties, which was to be finalized at the 3 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, which never got the opportunity to materialise.
While Fraser was adamant that he was not going to disclose the terms of what he labelled to be an “amicable proposition”, Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM) newly At Large Elect Hon. Stacy Mather took matters in his own hands by being candid with the public.
He confirmed that he was present at several of the meetings and while Fraser did not put to rest the rumour that his premiership position was the stalemate that prolonged an agreement to form a coalition government between the now Opposition parties, Mather said the tone of the meetings certainly suggested that Fraser also wanted to be premier under a NDP-PVIM-PU coalition government.