Orlando Smith


 * This article is about the BVI politician. For the basketball coach: Orlando "Tubby" Smith, see Tubby Smith.

D. Orlando Smith, OBE (born August 28, 1944) is a former Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands. He achieved that position when his National Democratic Party won parliamentary elections in 2003 for the first time in its history.

Dr Orlando Smith, OBE originally qualified as a physician, specializing in obstetrics, and was the Territory's chief medical officer for many years both before and after entering politics. He entered politics at a relatively late stage of his career, being first elected to the Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands in the 1999 general election, as the head of the newly formed National Democratic Party (NDP). In 2003 Dr Smith led the NDP to victory, defeating the ruling Virgin Islands Party for the first time since 1971 in the 2003 general election.

Dr Smith has stood in each election as an "at large" candidate, and so is not affiliated with any individual political district. In each election that he has stood, he has garnered more votes than any other at large candidate (under the current political system in the British Virgin Islands, the four at large candidates with the highest number of votes are elected to the Legislative Council together the representatives of each of the political districts; each voter casts up to five votes - one for the representative of their district, and up to four for the at large candidates).

However, in the 2007 general election Dr Smith and his party suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Virgin Islands Party, retaining only two seats (one of whom was Dr Smith) out of 13 elected seats. Dr Smith remains in the legislature as the head of the opposition. He also retains the distinction being the only person to have been elected as a territorial at-large candidate in each of the three elections where at-large candidates have been elected.