SVG's Godwin Friday concerned about snap election in Dominica

KINGSTOWN,  November 18, 2022 - St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Opposition Leader Dr. Godwin Friday says he is concerned about the snap general elections called in Dominica, even as a commission's recommendations on electoral reform are yet to be implemented.

 

Dr. Friday urged the Caribbean to pay attention to the situation, arguing that it is "an unfortunate development in our region".

 

He said the matter is concerning since both opposition parties in Dominica have indicated that they will boycott the polls, and this would bring the government's legitimacy into question. 

 

Earlier this month, Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced that residents would go to the polls on December 6.

 

The announcement came three years after Mr. Skerrit led the Dominica Labour Party to an 18-3 victory in the general election of 2019, and two years before the next elections are constitutionally due.

 

Since then, the main opposition United Workers (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) have announced they will boycott the polls.

 

The UWP said it remained convinced that the electoral reform "as demanded by the Dominican population is needed to facilitate free and fair elections".

 

DFP leader Bernard Hurtault said the party cannot in clear conscience continue to validate a deeply flawed and anti-democratic election process.

 

-30-