Website Office of the Premier | Formation 14 April 1967 | |
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Term length At the Governor's pleasure (normally 4 years) First holder Hamilton Lavity Stouttas Chief Minister | ||
The Premier of the Virgin Islands is the head of government for the British Virgin Islands. As a British Overseas Territory, the Premier is appointed by the Governor on behalf of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. Until 2007, the head of government was known as the Chief Minister.
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The current Premier is Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith, OBE. He is serving since 9 November 2011.
History of the office
Since the 1967 constitution was adopted, only five different people (all men) have served as Premier or Chief Minister, and each of them except for Cyril Romney has served at least two full terms. Also, each of them has served as the Leader of the Opposition.
H. Lavity Stoutt is the only former leader to have won more than two general elections however (he won five), and Stoutt and Willard Wheatley are the only two former leaders to have served two consecutive full terms (Ralph T. O'Neal also served two consecutive terms, but the first of those was the remaining part of a term after Stoutt's death).
List
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)