DECISION DAY: Dominicans vote in general election

Since the opening of the polls at 7AM Friday, Dominicans have been going out to vote.
Since the opening of the polls at 7AM Friday, Dominicans have been going out to vote.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was Friday predicting that his incumbent Dominica Labour Party (DLP) would win at least 15 seats, as Dominicans continued voting for a new government in this Caribbean island.

But his main challenger, Ron Green of the United Workers Party (UWP), said he was upbeat by the turnout of voters so far and that an upset was on the cards.

“I think people will eventually come out to vote. It is very promising,” Green told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) in the La Plaine constituency, which he has represented for a number of years.

But Skerrit, speaking with reporters after casting his ballot, said that “we are very optimistic and I have no doubt that the people of Dominica will return the party into office”.

The DLP is seeking a third consecutive term in government and Skerrit said judging by the large crowds that attended the party’s rallies since the date of the election was announced last month, he was optimistic of winning 14 to 15 seats.

In the last general election the party won 12 seats but that was increased after two legislators, including the UWP’s founding member, Julius Timothy, crossed the floor.

“They have clearly indicated to us that this party remains in office and continue the work we have done,” he told reporters, adding “all indications, both scientific and the support of the people at the rallies show that we should increase our present mandate in the Parliament”.

Voting began under cloudy skies and intermittent showers and Green said while he had not yet cast his ballot, many people in his constituency were doing so.

He said he was aware that the ruling party was targeting his seat, which he won by less than 200 votes in the May 2005 general elections, and as a result had been inducing Dominicans residing overseas to come home to vote.

“We are aware that there are a number of illegal voters coming in…this constituency has been the targeted constituency,” he said, indicating however that he was heartened that not as many “overseas-based Dominicans’ had turned up.

“So far we have not seen that many,” the UWP leader said.

While a record 62 candidates representing, representing five political parties and a number of independent persons, are seeking the nod from the 67, 200 voters, political commentators say the contest is a straight fight between the DLP and the UWP.

The DLP is the only party contesting all 21 seats at stake, while the UWP is fielding 17 candidates; with the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) putting forward representatives in 11 constituencies.

The 249 polling stations are expected to close at 5.pm  and so far there has been no report of any irregularities at any of the polls.

The election here is being monitored by teams from the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Chief of the OAS Observation Mission, Steven Griner, said his team has observed only a few hiccups.

“The vast majority of the polls opened on time. Those that opened late opened only about 10 minutes late. We have seen party agents and candidate agents at every single one of the polls in all of the communities. The materials arrived on time and they were complete,” Griner said.

He said some voters were complaining that their names were not on the official list “but the presiding officer, the police officers, everyone; they were very accommodating.

“They would take the voter to the other polling station and more often than not that person’s name would be on that list,” he stated.

“We have also been receiving a lot of calls from the agents, citizens, asking about what they should do, where they should go and we are maintaining good contact with everybody concerning the conduct of the elections,” Griner said, adding that the return of overseas Dominicans had been a recurring question to his group.

“But it is something that Dominicans need to look at as far as legislation and the legality of such action. But I think what is more important than concentrating on issues like that, I think, is to concentrate on the five hours that are left for Dominicans to vote,” Griner said.

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27 Comments

  1. s.j
    December 21, 2009

    if you cant pay your in the us i can

  2. Unity
    December 20, 2009

    Just talking about skerrit will sell us for chavez, how many of u sell ur souls to marry man/ woman for green card and turn all u back as soon as all u get it. Divorcing and making so much mess. Isn’t that not more messy? check u all selves b4 al u talk. Some say oh their door open wide for us to shelter when we ready to run, cant even afford to pay their rent in the US but they want to give ppl shelter. Some live at people’s home and they saying they have their own home, hi bondier tan…

  3. Unity
    December 20, 2009

    Hello people its time for unity, one flag, one blood, one people. Election is over y still blue vex. By the way all u people in the US just putting curse on the country, those who are asking for bad things to happen, but there is a god above. U all live in the america and see what happened with the world train centre. So please dont ask for curse for ur homeland Dominica, especially those without a piece of paper just running their mouth, some of all u cannot even come down if there is a death in ur family. Immigration will more hunting all u down that ppl who have papers that came down to vote, they r more secure than u guys living there illegally, Just praying for bad things to happen oh sh*** man stupessssss

  4. Catherine Posto Laborite in St. Thomas
    December 19, 2009

    Pm Skerit we;come back home in the Name of the Messaiah.

  5. Catherine Posto Laborite in St. Thomas
    December 19, 2009

    I’m very happy with the result of the election. Slow and steady winns the race, We know that all who runs run in a race but only one winns the price and the prize goes to the DLP. God determins the election. Let’s work together for the betterment of the Country.Skerrit is on the Dominica throne. Let’s work with him and not against him. God bless and save Dominica.

  6. onlooker/Boston
    December 19, 2009

    Congrats!!!!!!!!!! Labour is in the house

  7. sharma
    December 18, 2009

    I PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS ON DOMINCANZ AND DOMINICA
    LORD SEND YOUR ANGEL TO GUIDE AND PROTECT THIS LOVERLY ISLAND
    PLEASE OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN AND LET IT RAIN WITH PROSPERITY
    MAKE ALL THE NATION LUV EACH OTHER AS THE WAY U WOULD WANT IT TO BE
    LORD PLEASE GIVE SKERRIT WISDOM THAT HE WILL LEAD HIS CONTRY IN THE RIGHT WAY U WOULD LIKE.ALSO PLEASE LET THE UWP /DFP AND ALL OTHER PARTIES TO COME TOGETHER AND UTHANK U GOD AMEN

  8. sweet
    December 18, 2009

    DNO IT’S NICE HAVING YOU BACK KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROPEROUS NEW YEAR. MUCH LOVE TO ALL. 1000% DOMINICAN TO THE BONE.

  9. sweet
    December 18, 2009

    Well let me say congrats to the DLP THE PEOPLE HAS SPOKEN… Let’s put color aside and work together now for the betterment of our COUNTRY… On another serious note it’s sad to see how we DOMINICANS have to suffer in ANTIGUA AIRPORT to get home, and our GOVERNMENT doing nothing to easy our pain. But when it’s ELECTION TIME WE GETTING DIRECT FLIGHTS INTO MELVILLE HALL FROM WHERE WE ARE. MR. PM am praying you will look into this. IT’S FRUSTRATING. WE DON’T ONLY WANT DIRECT FLIGHTS WHEN IT’S ELECTION TIME, LET’S GET IT 365X5.

  10. sharma
    December 18, 2009

    SHERRIT DECLARE MONDAY IS A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
    GIVE GOD THANKS AND DONT GO CELEBRATING IN AWAY GOD DONT LIKE

  11. sharma
    December 18, 2009

    MERRY CHRISTMAS TO SKERRIT AND THE DOMINICA LABOUR PARTY
    HATER S DONT BE HATING.. AS MICHEAL JACKSON SAYS LIVE LABOUR ALONE
    STOP TALKING THEM AROUND…JUST BEAT IT LABOUR TILL THE END OFF THE WORLD
    DONT U ALL SEE JESUS IS NEAR….ALL D/CAN REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED BEFORE IT TO LATE
    THE END IS NEAR

  12. Labourite
    December 18, 2009

    All the way with the labour part. Big Bannan u hit the nail on the head. I stayed away from dominica for some years and i went back home recently and i was pleased to c the way the country was doing. Who workers vote for Ron Green or Edsion James? THEY lucky they get 4seats i was only expecting two. Watch somebody going to cross real soon. Skerro we want. Talk about illegal voting, who will refuse a free ticket to come and decide who running their country. All you acting like is DLp alone that doing it. Workers slick so u dont know what they doing.

    Only God can decide when is the last election, and the good thing is they won so hush about stuff and come and celebrate.

    Boy I love my country it looking well red to me.

    Happy HOlidays
    Merry Christmas.
    Come hell or high water Skeritt is the Pm and he sexy to eh.

  13. sweetness
    December 18, 2009

    Lol..@ Big banan you’re so right ain’t no lie…lol that was funny but i’m putting on my serious face… Congratulations are in order for the DLP coming from a UWP supporter. I am not going to be a hater the ppl have spoken, but if that’s who you feel in your right mind will lead the country on to new levels, well you have spoken. I didn’t say he was the right one, Ron may have not been but we need a new breed of honest, transparent, respectful politicians who put country first. I have just one of the many questions I have. How come y’all ppl say d/a is so developed well I guess from where it was 20 yrs ago. But the last time I visited d/a honestly I was disappointed a bit…the airport, the hospital, how come family members are sick at the hospital and I can’t reach them with a phone on the ward/room. If d/a is so wonderful don’t come to the US to have y’all babies to gain citizenship and then go back home…illegal. But otherwise let’s just wait to see what happens and don’t be fool guys please don’t I know y’all smarter just say we’re party bias, but don’t expect change in the first 100 days. Dominicans need to know this by history of promises made by past/former politicians. But my prayers are with the Dominican ppl to soften their hearts to work together as one to bring peace and unity and then we can talk about moving forward.
    P.S. DNO happy to see y’all back online I had a feeling deep inside that y’all website would be hacked…the way things were heating up…thanks for keeping us esp. those abroad informed.

  14. s.j
    December 18, 2009

    This is the last last election for D/A i hope the labourites know that

  15. samai
    December 18, 2009

    Congrats Mr Skeritt, and the D/ca people, let’s take D/ca to another level. God Bless our land

  16. pink
    December 18, 2009

    well to bad james we did it again the only thing am sorry about is that we didn’t get the la plain seat and am so so so mad about that but there’s alway a next time we’ll make it as long as we keep petter there welcome back to ur seat my pm you look better on it…………

  17. Chien Zombie
    December 18, 2009

    Ron how dare you call me an illegal voter ? Boss i am a born and bred son of the soil and you and others like you can never prevent me from participating in yhe democratic process in my homeland. All political parties are asking us to contribute financially and in other ways but you want to deny us of our rights as citizens. How dare you? Take what you get..

  18. didi
    December 18, 2009

    LABOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LABOURITES LET US GO CELEBRATE IN POSSIE!!!!

    C U DERE!!!! :D

  19. terror
    December 18, 2009

    LABOURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  20. Big Bannan
    December 18, 2009

    James by the time We relize how much of a dictator Skeritt is it will be too late. If you know us Dominicans we are always the last to know. I went to a theatre in Dominica during the independence and there were several people speaking loudly on their cell phones during the movie and disturbing others. One guy on hes cell phone was even wondering why was the sound on the theatre set was so loud and that they needed to low it down so people can take their calls during the show. We are always the last to know. In developed countries this is such an insult you’de be lucky if you made it out the theatre alive. We are late and ingnorant.

  21. JAMES
    December 18, 2009

    DOMINICANS CAN’T YOU GUYS SEE THAT SKETRRIT IS A DICTATOR.

  22. ROBIN JAMES
    December 18, 2009

    THE DLP STEALING THE ELECTION. DOMINICANS RISE UP.

  23. amy
    December 18, 2009

    i praying for skerrit to win. lease let skerrit win

  24. mig
    December 18, 2009

    great job DNO, welcome back. despite the odds you were able to get back online before the results are in………

  25. Big Bannan
    December 18, 2009

    Well if Skeritt wants to be Prime Minister maybe he should win the elections at least once. May the best man win.
    DNO what happend, did you get hacked?

  26. Back2Basics
    December 18, 2009

    Whoever wins, let’s just move on as one people please.

  27. Welcomeback
    December 18, 2009

    welcome back DNO! finally. Hope you continue to do a good job! we missed you

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