{"id":294961,"date":"2022-11-26T08:30:56","date_gmt":"2022-11-26T12:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=294961"},"modified":"2022-11-26T09:04:28","modified_gmt":"2022-11-26T13:04:28","slug":"tud-leader-promises-to-be-a-servant-to-the-people-other-candidates-present-their-plans-for-their-constituency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/elections\/tud-leader-promises-to-be-a-servant-to-the-people-other-candidates-present-their-plans-for-their-constituency\/","title":{"rendered":"TUD leader promises to be ‘a servant to the people’; other candidates present their plans for their constituency"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TUD candidates (l-r): Rolle, Jno Baptiste, Peters, Charles, Fontaine and General Secretary Alex Bruno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unity leader of the sole opposition party to contest the upcoming December 6 general elections, Carlos Charles has given his assurance to the nation that if elected into office, he will be a servant to the people of Dominica.<\/p>\n

Charles made his remarks when Team Unity Dominica (TUD) formally introduced to the public to its five candidates who will run in the upcoming snap elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appear here to remind us that politicians are servants, not masters,\u201d he said. \u201cI present myself as your servant and I pledge to stand by and with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c I don’t claim to have all the answers to all problems, but I am willing to work with you on solutions. As unity leader my main task is to help lead the spirit of unity, that has eluded the players in the opposition fraternity for the past couple of decades,\u201d Charles added.<\/p>\n

In a recent study his team performed, he revealed that almost 50% of the Dominican population felt generally unenthusiastic about casting a ballot in this election.<\/p>\n

The unity leader, however, cautions that boycotting the election would mean the end of Dominica’s democracy.<\/p>\n

Charles underlined that voting is the most important form of participation in any democracy.<\/p>\n

“Our government could descend into authoritarian, dictatorial tyranny if individuals\u00a0of good conscience don’t vote.”<\/p>\n

He gave the nation his word that he and his team will lead a \u201cclean and issue-oriented\u00a0campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo please forgive us if we do not respond or dwell on the failed ideas from the past. It is time to build our nation with a strong and untied political collision.\u201d<\/p>\n

With agriculture being a primary concern for the movement, the Marigot candidate stated that if elected, he will campaign for repair of the feeder road in his area, which he feels will revive the industry.<\/p>\n

His other aims include fostering and developing Marigot’s fishing industry and securing the completion of the promised healthcare facility for the local populace.<\/p>\n

Clivian Ian Rolle, the candidate for TUD in the St. Joseph constituency is another member of the movement who aims to prioritize agriculture and fishing.<\/p>\n

“Growing up in an agricultural village in the 1980s, I witnessed a Dominica where people\u00a0were getting things done and being rewarded for it”, the Belles native said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFarmers were able to sell their produce, which generated money. In Dominica, all I see now is people voting for a living rather than working for a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the record number of candidates who have availed themselves for the positions, Rolle declared that he would be the best choice as he has lived and worked in the community his entire life.<\/p>\n

Chairman of the La Plaine village council, Jason Fontaine who is also the TUD\u2019s representative for that constituency says that his entry wasn’t a decision made by him, but more so by the people of his community.<\/p>\n

He states as a result that, if elected, he will solely support the proposals made by the residents of his constituency. He further emphasizes that attention will be paid to road infrastructure since this presents a significant problem for local inhabitants during inclement weather.<\/p>\n

The La Plaine contender also plans to build a fire station for the people of the East, as well as expand the local sporting community.<\/p>\n

Fontaine, who spoke at the Electoral Reform Coalition’s (ERC) “No reform, No elections” event less than 24 hours before nomination day, now claims that he no longer agrees with that idea and is urging voters to cast ballots for TUD and the other independent candidate on election day.<\/p>\n

While the party’s Roseau Central representative, Jason Jno Baptiste, stated that entering politics was never in his plans, he made clear that the stagnation in the city was what ultimately drove him to take such drastic action.<\/p>\n

Jno Baptiste, a sports enthusiast at heart, declared that if he wins the election on December 6, one of his key priorities will be the athletic industry. Along with improving important locations like the Botanical Garden and Windsor Park Sports Stadium, he also plans to revitalize the Roseau cultural community.<\/p>\n

Given that Grand Bay is one of the cultural centers, Lyndon Peters, TUD’s representative for that constituency, declared that, if elected, he will work to enhance culture in the South more broadly.<\/p>\n

In addition, Peters wants to establish a suitable playing field for the local athletes and make use of the skills of the young people in his district to give them work opportunities or help them start their own businesses.<\/p>\n

Adding his voice, General Secretary of TUD Alex Bruno, expressed confidence in his new team’s ability to provide the electorates with \u201cmuch-needed change\u201d as he believes that Dominica\u2019s politics needs a restart.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is time for newness and freshness. And that’s what TUD is about. We are the fresh voice of Dominica’s politics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re about building a new conversation which is necessary in Dominica. We are ready for progressive politics. And we’re asking people to join us as we continue to work. We have five candidates this election, next election you never know.\u201d<\/p>\n