19 independent candidates to contest in Dominica general elections
In a release by the Dominica Electoral Office, forty-five (45) candidates will contest in the December 6 general elections — nineteen (19) of whom are independent.
The independent candidates were nominated in the following constituencies were:
- Castle Bruce – Kelvin Cadette
- Grand Bay – Henry Shillingford
- Mahaut – Dunstan Maggie Peters
- Marigot – Anthony Samora Charles
- Morne Jaune / Riviere Cyrique – Kertney Matthew
- Portsmouth – Magdalene Heather Vidal
- St. Joseph – Tyani Behanzin, Ferdinand Marcus Germain and Dr Irving Pascal
- Roseau Central – Karshma Richards
- Roseau North – Sherman Hartford Boston and Tyrone Fred Nicholas
- Roseau South – Davidson Julien and Wayne Norde
- Salisbury – Jesma Paul
- Salybia – Vincia Massala Casey and Muta Justine Laville Matthew
- Soufriere – Tahira Blanchard
- Wesley – Clint Rolle.
Meanwhile, six (6) candidates of the Dominica Labour party have successfully secured their seats at the end of Nomination Day.
Incumbent MPs Roosevelt Skerrit and Irving McIntyre were nominated unopposed in their respective constituencies, along with newcomers Lakeyia Joseph of Paix Bouche, Roland Royer of Cottage, Daren Pinard of Colihaut and Jullan Defoe of Petite Savanne.
Prime Minister and DLP Leader Roosevelt Skerrit, who was nominated in his hometown, Vieille Case, for the 6th consecutive period, thanked his supporters.
“I am very grateful to the voters of the Vieille Case Constituency who reposed their confidence in me in 2000 at age 27, and they are all still standing strong with me today,” said Skerrit.
With six candidates unopposed, voting will only take place in the fifteen (15) remaining constituencies come December 6.
While three opposition teams — the United Workers Party (UWP), the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) and the Alternative Peoples’ Party (APP), have opted to boycott the election, citing a lack of electoral reform, Team Unity Dominica (TUD) decided to contest the upcoming election with five candidates.
The Team Unity candidates include:
- Marigot – Carlos Charles
- St. Joseph – Ian Rolle
- Roseau Central – Jason Jno. Baptiste
- La Plaine – Jason Fontaine
- Grand Bay – Lyndon Peters
TUD Assistant General Secretary Carlos Charles stressed that if citizens do not unite against imposing incumbency, they will continue to fight to utilise what he deemed as failed tactics and strategies.
Below is the full list of nominated candidates for Dominica’s upcoming general election:
CASTLE BRUCE
- Octavia Alfred – Dominica Labour Party
- Kelvin Cadette – Independent
GRAND BAY
- Vince Henderson – Dominica Labour Party
- Lyndon Peters – Team Unity Dominica
- Henry Morris Shillingford – Independent
LA PLAINE
- Jason Fontaine – Team Unity Dominica
- Cassandra Williams – Dominica Labour Party
MAHAUT
- Cassani C Laville – Dominica Labour Party
- Dunstan Peters – Independent
MARIGOT
- Anthony Samora Charles – Independent
- Carlos Keith Charles – Team Unity Dominica
- Gregory Riviere – Dominica Labour Party
MORNE JAUNE/RIVIERE CYRIQUE
- Kertney Matthew – Independent
- Gretta Bernadette Roberts – Dominica Labour Party
PORTSMOUTH
- Magdalene Heather Vidal – Independent
- Fenella Wenham – Dominica Labour Party
ROSEAU CENTRAL
- Jason Jno. Baptiste – Team Unity Dominica
- Melissa Poponne-Skerrit – Dominica Labour Party
- Karshma Richards – Independent
ROSEAU NORTH
- Miriam Alethea Blanchard – Dominica Labour Party
- Sherman Hartford Boston – Independent
- Tyrone Fred Nicholas – Independent
ROSEAU SOUTH
- Davidson Kenyatta Julien – Independent
- Chekira Lockhart – Dominica Labour Party
- Wayne Norde – Independent
SALISBURY
- Lynsia Frank – Dominica Labour Party
- Jesma Paul – Independent
SALYBIA
- Vincia Massala Casey – Independent
- Cozier Pius Frederick – Dominica Labour Party
- Muta Justine Laville Matthew – Independent
ST. JOSEPH
- Tiyani Behanzin – Independent
- Ferdinand Marcus Germain – Independent
- Darron Tevin Lloyd – Dominica Labour Party
- Irving Pascal – Independent
- Clivian Ian Rolle – Team Unity Dominica
SOUFRIERE
- Tahira Blanchard – Independent
- Denise Charles – Dominica Labour Party
WESLEY
- Fidel Grant – Dominica Labour Party
- Clint Rolle – Independent