Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced December 6 as the date of the general elections. To this end, Parliament will be dissolved on November 6; and nomination day slated for November 19. Skerrit made the announcement at a Labour Party Got Talent event over the weekend.
The prime minister had earlier revealed on October 12 that the general election would hold within 100 days. Many people doubted this and some believed a January date will be announced. And the December 6 date, a Friday, has surely caught many people by surprise. It is not only the timing of the elections that caught people by surprise, the venue and the event for the announcement of the date – Labour Party Got Talent – caught many people unaware.
Observers said the prime minister wore the pink shoes he said would indicate the announcement of the elections date.
The oppositions are yet to fully respond to the announced date, but its nearness will definitely shatter any hopes for the electoral reforms they had been clamoring for. The reforms they demand for include cleansing the elections list, introducing voters ID, and even the removal of Gerald Burton, the chairman electoral commission.
The opposition comprises of the UWP and the CCM among other political parties and civic groups. These have even taken their protests to President Charles Savarin and the commissioner of police among other top personalities in Dominica, calling for electoral reforms or the resignation of those in charge.
However, Skerrit told the opposition a few days ago that they are the stumbling block to the reforms they ask for, saying they have not ratified some clauses highlighted in the amendments by government. With December 6 given as the date for elections, it can be expected that some relevant announcements will still be made by the government to facilitate a speedy and smooth voting experience for all.
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