Newly elected leader of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Kent Vital, has expressed confidence that his party is capable of capturing more than eleven seats during an election.
Vital made the boast after being announced as DFP leader at the party’s 32nd Annual Delegates Conference on Sunday, August 6th, 2017 at the Public Service Union Building.
Vital said that of the many objectives of the Freedom Party, being able to get “an overwhelming swing of the electorate” in the party’s favour, is paramount.
“What we have got to do as a party, is to get an overwhelming swing of the electorate, and call me naive if you wish, but I am telling you, it can be done. I believe in the next two and a half years we can, not only we will put up twenty-one seats, but I truly believe, and if I did not believe that, maybe I would not accept being the leader, that we can win more than eleven seats,” Vital proclaimed.
The just-elected, 5th political leader of the Dominica Freedom Party, stressed the importance of having strength in the message, messenger and method of carrying that message in the pursuit of political success when the Party is ready to contest in elections.
“To do that, it will be about our message, it will be about our messengers, it will be about the manner in which we do it, the approach, and it will be about just arriving at sufficient financing to allow our message to go out, to allow our messengers to operate,” Vital explained.
The Freedom Party boss rejected the notion of any campaign financing that would encourage any form of bribing because “as a party,” he said, “we do not do that, we will refuse to do that.”
Vital conceded that despite his confidence in his party’s ability to obtain a huge swing of the electorate, the road to an election victory is filled with challenges that must be faced head on.
” I truly believe this (a DFP election victory) is possible, as I have said, but I know it is not going to be easy. The fact that I believe it is possible does not mean that it will be easy; it is not going to be easy. We are going to have to overcome many challenges,” he warned.
Considering these challenges, Vital advised, “truth must be sold twice as well as they sell lies.” He said that the DFP’s strategy is to win the hearts and minds of the people in hitting at the root of what really matters to them and which must effectively counter the negative strategies of those that “seek to perpetuate negative cultures to their political advantage.”
Pointing out that his party will be “very responsible” in the use of their own strategies to combat this negativism, Vital called for an end to political tribalism and for its replacement with a trade in love instead of hate. He said an understanding of what drives the current administration and their actions is also necessary if the Freedom Party is to understand how to reverse the negative things that they have brought upon Dominica.
The only party in Dominica that was not given a fair chance to develop this country is united workers party. With a new dynamic leader they came from three seats to six. With all the negative attention the labour party has brought to Dominica, UWP is now on the rise and it looks like they again will double the amount of seats from six to twelve. The freedom party and the UWP now have similar ideas to develop Dominica, as a freedomite i think we should work together. I love Kent.
Vital, your name comes with a lot of different meanings, and if you are willing to do the work needed in living with you name,maybe, just maybe there might be light at the end of the tunnel. Your did not lay out any 3 or 5yr plan to achieve your goals for election winning, and then your parties history of playing stooge roles in power politics, have been one of extreme neoliberalism. as you rightly say, its not going to be easy, remember,every cook can govern. Bob D.
Any one can win – with a plan. WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR DOMINICA? The plan cannot be to remove the existing government only.
DOMINICANS NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WILL DO ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT, TOURISM, HEALTH CARE, AFFORDABLE LIVING, JOB CREATION, BEAUTIFYING THE CAPITAL, EXPORTS, AGRICULTURE, THE ECONOMY, AIRPORT, OUR PASSPORTS? Give us the plan so that we can make an informed decision.
is this suppose to be funny or something?
Yes Mr. Vital I agree with you that DFP can win a general election with all things considered and we deliver a the message that will remove Dominica as the poorest country in the Caribbean.
I for one have never left the Freedom Party even when that crook Charles Saverin told us to shift our support to DLP I never moved a muscle but keep on with Freedom party. . Generation changes mindsets and approach to new adventures but there are certain cultures we must maintain.
I don’t know much about Mr. Vital, but I am very encouraged by his positive messaging and discouragement of group-think. The DFP may prove to be a formidable opponent of the DLP. Looks like this may also be the wake up call to UWP to change it’s negative and inflammatory campaign style.
“Vital called for an end to political tribalism and for its replacement with a trade in love instead of hate.” “DFP’s strategy is to win the hearts and minds of the people in hitting at the root of what really matters to them and which must effectively counter the negative strategies of those that “seek to perpetuate negative cultures to their political advantage.”
congratulations to the DFP, and what looks to be a great come back!
Only in Dominica you can have a party serving 4 terms with almost nothing to show .The Freedom Party is fresh like the dew,so with good candidate a and clear economic message you can make it. ..Hello DNO please get a photo with our leader in a 3 piece suit this is the highest job in the land. Remember people still judge you by the way you dress
Admin: This photo was taken at the DFP delegates conference
Vital must tell the Dominican people why he left the NDC within three months of taking up an appointment there. He disappeared from Dominica and has resurfaced years later seeking a job at the highest level in the land. Why Kent? Will you disappoint again?
I certainly dont want to know ANYTHING LIKE THAT.That’s none of your doggone business..Go to Hell,Go to Hell,Go to Hell…accorging to Skerrit your God..What I want him to do together with LLL,Leader Lennox Linton,the patriot is to challenge the lazy inept,coward,dunce, Skerrit to a DEBATE on the economy.
SKERRIT MUST GO
SKERRIT MUST GO
SKERRIT MUST GO NOW!
%, Did you take your medication?
Twice I wrote my part abbreviation Dominica Freedom Party.
Correction DIP
DIP can make it
Now that would be taking us back to the dark ole days, with only one single achievement – ah ..inviting the US to invade Grenada?
For right now, the Freedom party is timely in becoming a sober mediator between the two more prominent rival parties.
Without pretending, the Freedom Party clearly regrets its 2000 coalition and alliance with the current DLP. If only one thing traditional Freedomites must return to their party and split the constituency votes to get rid of this inept and corrupt DLP.
Freedom won’t win the next General elections but they can clearly help remove these bandits from office and chart a better way forward for the future of all Dominicans.
This current charade of governance is a crying shame after 17 years..Enough is enough!!
Imagine representing Dominica in any international forum with that presentation, how embarrassing would it be for us as a people. I think we need to exercise better judgement in choosing our representative politicians.
Mr Vital, personally, I cannot take you seriously and despite your dream of taking 21 candidates before the electorate in the next general election and ask them for their votes; I would be very shocked if you can find 21 decent, clear thinking Dominicans who are serious about the future of our country to agree to willing work with you to take our country forward.
May I suggest that you work on your presentation. As a politician in the western world, You need to do better in packaging yourself. You spoke about the message and the messenger, as the lead messenger clean up yorself!!!! Will you?
Hardly the words of a prepared leader. No call for support, no insight into his proposed direction of leadership, just bare, nothing to work with or to give us any hope. My message to him is simply this, show some respect to the populace you are attempting to lead by cleaning up your image if you wish to be taken seriously nationally, regionally and Internationally. Until this is done, DFP may be another voice crying in the wilderness suggestive of Pappy’s show (saw him with his Yellow wheel barrow; the new pappy show on wheels), nuff noise but very little substance and not taken seriously by the masses. Mr Vital are you hoping to be competing with Mr Pappy as the next pappy show/ political clown in Dominica? If so, then your presentation is ideal, continue with your congo, suspect looking presentation as opposed to a clean presentable visage in keeping with the expectation of any serious western modern day politician.
UWP and DFP, we all have a common enemy which is the DLP. Let us work together to restore political order and human decency in our beautiful Island. The DLP have violated the norms of political credibility and continuously persecute their opponents by abuse of power and selective prosecution.
Man you are living in a bobble !!!!! Lol.
I wish the party good luck but I am certain that Skerrit supporters cannot be touched. People want tangibles rather than words. With a party with little capabilities of giving to the voters, how can you win the election? Freedom party was a bourgeoisie party. Are they throwing their finances behind the party? I applaud you for your bravery though!
All things are possible under the sun.
And a man should be respected for his beliefs, and more so his strong beliefs.
That said, is it likely that the DFP can win 11 seats in the next election?
VERY, VERY VERYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY UNLIKELY.
The new leader needs to change this mindset of winning 11 seats, from now or he will end up with none. Paramount option is to get down in the trenches and begin to rebuild and then everything else will follow. My opinion.
Hmmmm go ahead win yr eleven seats that is pawol pensay amen case open.
Smh… But what people drinking in D/ca that have them delusional so nuh?
In your frigging dreams Vital !!
I sense we are at the beginning of new era in Dominican politics..We need to proceed with energy and strategic planning to place the ship of state on a different course away from self enrichment, corruption, lies, propaganda as has been bleated into the body politic by the likes of Tony Astaphan, Parry Bellot plus many other acolytes who seeking personal gain have corrupted the political environment to the detriment and sacrifice of the country’s image internationally and caused economic and social decay..unemployment, economic decline, crime, dependency, decay in quality of life…
At this point. Better anything than red. Years of this course has brought the majority nothing but empty promises and dept while given others mass wealth. I pray they just take the money and go. They have done enough.
In all my life i am yet to see a male pawpaw tree
bearing fruit.!
Wey papa!!
First try to win your own seat Bro!
So long dfp die. Never to resurrect. Let DA roll doh come with allu coruption. Lets work together to run the country and stop fighting for power. Allu will slow us down by looking for yourselves and family. Dfp is not the same since mamo. So rest yourselves.
Labour was once a dead soul too.Twenty years in the wilderness.No sooner that it came out of the wilderness,than it was highjacked by a group of GREEDY men,with NO phylosophy or idealogy.Men who do not know what it means to be in opposition,and will never know.The result is that they have destroyed Dominica.
SKERRIT MUST GO
SKERRIT MUST GO
SKERRIT MUST GO NOW!
Some blame goes to the labourites who ran away after the 1980 elections