Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) Dr. Thomson Fontaine has said the party will continue to focus its efforts on the fight for electoral reform for Dominica.
In May 2024, the public was made aware of draft legislation aimed at revising existing election laws in Dominica. This followed months of prolonged public engagements, rallies, and debate over the need for electoral reforms in Dominica.
It also was presented after the government spent over $700,000 to hire the Former Chief Justice of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Sir Dennis Byron to prepare detailed recommendations for bringing Dominica’s electoral laws up to date.
“We will not relent in our campaign to get electoral reform legislation that is conducive, that we believe is the right way to go,” he told Dominica News Online (DNO) during an interview recently. “It must include a clean voters list, it must include voter ID and it must include access to the national radio station.”
He said the party will continue to pursue this campaign for the rest of the year and into next year, “until we have that legislation.”
Beyond electoral reform, Dr. Fontaine said the UWP continues to build the party by allocating possible candidates to represent various constituencies for the next general election.
“We are beginning with a series of public engagements throughout the different constituencies in Dominica,” he revealed. “That is something we started before the independence [season]”
Dr. Fontaine further revealed that the party already had eight public meetings in Wesley, Roseau, Salisbury, Marigot, and Grand Fond among other areas.
“We will continue those in the next few weeks into next year,” he said.
Dr. Fontaine believes that the party has to prepare itself for any eventuality including the calling of a snap election by the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) government.
In addition to that, he explained that the party is working on its sources of revenue, “because we cannot run the party without financial support.”
“So we are working to build up our financial support as well and we are also to increase our appeal to [persons] who [have] not supported the United Workers Party,” he noted. “The key aspect of my role as leader of the United Workers Party is to attract new blood, attract new people, attract new voters into the United Workers Party.”
You know the UWP are toast when they continue to spiral down a dead-end road of implosion and eating their own. Give them some credit though for acknowledging that they are toast.
The sad irony is the UWP, on paper, appear to have a more formidable line-up of aspiring blue chipper candidates who have no clue of how to excite and galvanize the electorate into believing they can lead the country.
If you go on the ground you will know the majority of people are not interested in electoral reform.Even if UWP candidates go on the ground they cannot convince people to vote them.There are more than 5,000 benefitting from the housing programme and UWP is against people getting free houses.There are about 5,000 employed in the NEP,UWP is against that.Over 2,000 senior citizens are getting $300 monthly UWP is against that.UWP cannot go to none of the houses built under the housing revolution to campaign ask Mike Wallace.And they cannot face any body employed under the NEP or Yes We Care programmes.UWP is a dead political.
whoever is the leader of the opposition must do following
1- change their old tune they have been signing for 25plus years
2- get new and dynamic members to attract the interest of the voting public
3- advs what their plan are to develop da and create employment and opportunities for the young graduates who are leaving da to go elsewhere
4- attract investors who would employ Dominican long term
5- get new foot soldiers to do their ground work for them , we keep hearing from the present soldiers same old negatives vibes but none comes up with any thing positive coming from their calls
unless u have a dynamic team it going to be the same seat u all will occupy for the next years to come
This guy can only fool fools with his foolishness.Recently he said UWP is bigger than Thompson Fontaine,bigger than John Brown he never said UWP is bigger than Lennox Linton,Edison James,Brian Linton ,Clement Marcellin or any other person he knows does not support him That is the sign of a coward leader,a leader who knows his party is broken,a leader who knows he is standing on thin ice.He know his party is not united and being eaten on the inside.UWP cannot win an election in Dominica not even if all political parties unite against DLP.The good doctor has a history of dishonesty and lying.
@Lin Clown
@Lin Clown
@Lin Clown
Do you know what is a mirror Lin Clown?
Go look at it and you’ll know who is a FOOL.
I do hope that you understand what i mean, because you are the biggest half illiterate clown on DNO.
Londunce you know nothing about Dominica.No where in the Caribbean is there a housing revolution like Dominica.Do you know thousands of people who could never build or buy a house,are now living in $250,000,$300,000 and $400,000 mansions?In a population of 72,000 there are over 42,000 registered vehicles.Dominica is the best,go do some reading and research.You are another blue ignoramus.Do you think if Dominicans were suffering they would vote DLP over and over again?The same Dominicans who are voting DLP over and over again are the same Dominicans who KICKED UWP out of office in less than 5 years.Boy you must have come from a Jacka glory.
Dr. Fontaine, if your main emphasis is on electoral reform and revitalizing your party, you are surely in a deep political slumber. Dominicans are more concerned about the economy, education, housing, health security and all those activities that will bring value to their lives.
@Point
No.
Dominicans are also deeply concerned about electoral reform
Which Dominicans? The few who have been duped by Linton? The UWPwee won its election and its successive seats using the exact rules and electoral system that we have today. So, most Dominicans are not convinced that our electoral system is suddenly so bad that it needs the kind of reform that Linton et al have screamed about. Most Dominicans know that this cry for electoral reform is a red herring and a strategy fomented and delivered by a UWPwee that is afraid to look into the mirror to see the real reasons why Dominicans are not interested in them at the helm.
Point you are surely on point with this post. Your comments for this post cannot be refuted.
Please allow me to add to your list new and better network of roads, modern sporting facilities for the youthful population, improved schools and educational facilities, better social programs and services, a cleaner & greener environment.
Let’s commiserate with the good doctor for not being cognizant of these things. He only come to Dominica to visit occasionally.
Doctor Fontaine….hope u realize skerrit break a wood in his ears already…both ears.. but keep the pressure on….for is have a lot still looking for their free house….he has make them so lazy…..soon will be given kool out while Dominica matching backwards….this man can in as a gentle man…but now he has pass a corn artist…..Dominica cannot be compared to no other Caribbean island….just look at our christopher Columbus port…. I hope he show bardouille England port…..wasting Dominica money…..
feller! forget that reform business. all you not even opposition anymore because all you boycott the last nonsense election. FOCUS ON GETTING QUALIFIED RESPECTED and KNOWN REPS FOR ALL CONSTITUENCIES. ENSURE THEY ARE ALL WORKING ON BEHALF ON THEIR COMMUNITIES FIRST AND THE PARTY SECOND. the people need to know they have REPS they can trust and are seen working on the ground.that is the only way u can begin to win an election called by roosevelt skerrit or even get a few people in parliament. dominicans know is nonsense dlp doing but insist on better choices from the opposition. Or else is skerrit they foolishly choosing. forget about chasing reform until all you have a strong say in parliament. until then focus on what’s attainable and important. year in year out is reform all you chasing but not a nothing all you getting.
THANK YOU
I stop saying that again. We need good candidates who are willing to represent the people on the GROUND doing their work.
And yes electoral reform is 100% important. But please we need people on the ground.
Biden or trump? SleepyJoe or ?
Dr Fontaine is trying to sound positive but truth is nothing that’s divided can be united and right our party is so damb divided that we don’t even know what uwp party Dr Fontaine said is united.
So doc are you referring to the uwp that formed the government in 1995 or the UMp those boys building? is it the uwp of Dr Fontaine or UWP of Mr Parris and the Marigot possie? Right now we are all left crushed, embarrassed and confused. So doctor please fix now
To the good doctor I say, stay focused and remain as relentless as you are with changing the UWP from within. There will always be nay-sayers and those who flat out don’t understand the reality on the ground even if they mean well in some of their deliberations. The old concept of UWP being a Marigot Party and should be continuously lead by the “Marigot Click” must not be tolerated since it will make the party stay in opposition forever.
The party has to change and with that comes tough decisions which you are quite capable of handling. If Dr. T could take a leadership role in J-MEC in S.Sudan and bring bitter enemies to a common understanding putting country first, then why should we even doubt his abilities. I don’t care much for Mr. Z. Lloyd, but he said it best when he seconded Dr. T as the next Dcan leader.
Stay focused Thompson and clean house from within. It cannot be that such a promising party allows itself to be hijacked by a few NE folks. Period! Change is a MUST!
” If Dr. T could take a leadership role in J-MEC in S.Sudan and bring bitter enemies to a common understanding putting country first … .” Yea, he also made you believe this BS, right? I bet he told you that he rescued the St. Kitts economy, and you believed him too instead of conducting your own Google search.
Special kind of koonoomoonoo, you all are! Ah real special kind.
The good doctor may be a good economist but a good leader he’s NOT! Can you or anyone else clarify for me what the good doctor has done since his elevation as leader?
The UWP, at this present time, is weaker and more unprepared for any surprised national election. The good doctor is the best gift Roosevelt and the DLP have received in the last two years.
Dr. Thomson Fontaine’s leadership thus far is enervating, lackluster, baffling, rudderless and haphazard. His leadership is contributing to voters’ apathy.
“A vote for the good doctor is a vote for the status quo to continue. In my humble opinion, Dr. Fontaine has done nothing to galvanize support from the voters.”…
@Ibo… I have always applauded your comments here because you are generally straight on point and honestly a breath of fresh air. However, this time I strongly disagree with your opinion. However, I do understand you have an opinion like everyone else.
The voters know the good doctor is a dishonest and lying mam.He said he had left his job with the IMF to save Dominica.He was made a Senator by Lennox Linton,no sooner he got a job in South Sudan he resigned and left.Every Dominican know about the missing $25,700us that was withdrawn from DASS account by the good doctor without the knowledge of DASS board if directors.
Any party can have lofty and noble goals. These won’t mean anything unless efforts are made to make them become reality.
Politics is a matter of addition if you are to win government when you are in opposition. Dr. Thomson has been leader of the UWP for approximately two years. Let’s be forthright. Has he done anything to cause a groundswell of support for the party? No!
He has fumbled the ball. Drop the catch. In fact, he has very little presence which has only served to cause the supporters and electors to become disillusioned.
The UWP needs a charismatic leader who is quite articulate. Someone who is prepared to go down in the trenches and do the hard work to convince the majority of the electorate that the UWP is a much better alternative to scandal scarred, self enrichment DLP.
A vote for the good doctor is a vote for the status quo to continue. In my humble opinion, Dr. Fontaine has done nothing to galvanize support from the voters.