ROSEAU (CMC):
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is urging Dominica to go out and cast their ballots in the December 6 general election that he has called two years ahead of the constitutional deadline, even though the main opposition parties continue to urge their supporters to stay away.
Speaking at a public meeting of his ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP), Skerrit, 50, who has been prime minister here since 2004, said that “not voting cannot be a choice in this election”.
“We want to ensure that we get a resounding victory on December 6. As I have said on many occasions, not voting cannot be an option in this election. Voting is a choice each of us must make, but we always have to make the right choice.
“We cannot sit back and say Labour has won and I am not voting. It is absolutely important that every vote is counted in this constituency and that the entire constituency says to Fenella Wenham, you have our support,” Skerrit told the rally in Portsmouth, north of here, on Monday night.
Wenham is among the new DLP candidates contesting the elections in place of Trade and Industry Minister Ian Douglas.
Skerrit, one of six DLP candidates who had been nominated uncontested for the December 6 poll, said it was therefore important for Dominicans to go out and vote and ensure the party’s victory for control of the 21-seat Parliament. In the 2019 general election, the ruling DLP won 18 of the 21 seats, in the Parliament with the remaining three going to the United Workers Party.