PM Roosevelt Skerrit Dismisses UWP’s Threats to Derail Dominica

Dominica: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has blasted the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) for its “brimstone and fire” threats to create confusion and turmoil in Dominica this week.

Speaking at the Dominica Labour Party’s Sunday night rally in Cochrane, the prime minister cautioned against falling prey to the UWP’s December 6 general elections boycott tactics, stating that the opposition party has no plans, no policies and no candidates.

“I am saying to the voters of this country this evening, my dear people, do not be distracted by the shenanigans of opposition forces. They want elections put back because they are not ready. They cannot agree among themselves on who should lead,” he charged.

Following Lennox Linton’s resignation as a political leader from the UWP on September 30 this year, less than a year after his unopposed re-election to that role, the party has been besieged by internal turmoil over the election of his replacement.

According to the stipulations of the UWP’s constitution, Deputy Political Leader Francisca Joseph is supposed to fulfil the role of interim party leader until that position is determined at the party’s delegates conference on November 27.

“When Mr Linton resigned, I obviously became the interim leader, and I cannot comment yet on anything further,” Joseph said in an October interview. “We have a delegate’s conference coming up, and I await.”

Since the calling of the general elections, however, Linton has re-emerged to be the voice and face of the beleaguered Workers’ party.

In contrast, PM Skerrit underscored the importance of keeping the country stable in his Independence Day address earlier this month, stating that Dominica is now back on the path of growth and is well-positioned for the future.

“This is comforting news as well as suggests that we can look ahead with optimism,” he noted, adding that “this government has been as constant as the North Star in its service to people and country.”

While addressing, Prime Minister Skerrit has also raised the question of Lennox Linton for leaving the leadership of the political party and making the party ‘headless’. “Who ups and leaves the leadership of a political party three years into a term? How do you ask a political leader to step aside, and you do not have any particular person to replace him? They were going to a party conference at the end of November with six candidates fighting each other for leadership. Is that a party that you can take seriously? They were not ready!!!” the Prime Minister of Dominica stated.

Furthermore, he assured that he would never do to the Dominica Labour Party what Lennox Linton and Edison James did to the United Workers Party.