Dear Editor,
Voters in the little island of Dominica go to the polls on Monday, December 8 to elect a new government. Unlike Guyana which has the PR electoral system, Dominica has the first-past-the-post system. And while Guyana has an executive presidency, Dominica has the traditional parliamentary system with the prime minister being head of the executive.
The head of state is a president, currently Charles Savarin, a former MP of 34 years and minister of government. As in pre-independence Guyana, there is a bicameral legislature – the elected House and appointed Senate. The prime minister and the opposition leader each appoint five senators.
Elections were not constitutionally due till March but the PM decided to go for an early pre-Christmas poll. Parliament was dissolved on November 5 with two weeks’ notice for nomination day on November 19. Both parties have put up twenty-one candidates; the number of seats in parliament. There are also two independents, neither of whom will alter the outcome.
The ruling Dominica Labour Party is defending 18 seats to three for the opposition United Workers Party. The UWP has been slipping in support for the last three elections. It is expected to pick up votes, but not significantly alter the composition of parliament. Several seats are keenly contested.
All indications from the ground and from a poll commissioned by the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) suggest that the incumbent will retain office. The DLP is facing a weak challenge from the opposition United Workers Party (UWP), led by newly minted leader Lennox Linton, an inexperienced politician.
A third party, the Dominica Freedom Party of former PM Eugenia Charles (deceased), is not contesting the election and its supporters are backing the DLP. Savarin started out as a Senator of DFP under the late Charles.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, in office for over a dozen years, is brimming with confidence. He expects to lead the party towards its third consecutive victory. The island has been doing relatively well economically, and voters are not inclined to make any significant change – a few DLP seats may change hands but not enough to remove Skerrit from power. Skerritt has been appealing to voters to return the DLP to power to continue the socio-economic development of the island.
Linton has been hitting the campaign trail in every constituency rallying support for his beleaguered party appealing to voters to go for change. Both parties have final rallies planned for this weekend.
Unless the DLP faces complacency and political fatigue among voters, it is on track for a fourth consecutive victory with UWP springing surprises in a few seats.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
