Dominica’s Skerrit to address nation on December 12
Dominica’s longest-serving prime minister will address the island on December 12, following his party’s victory at Tuesday’s general elections.
Prime Minister Roosevelt is expected to reveal the composition of the new executive of government as well as key appointments at his address.
Speaking about the snap elections, Skerrit said he was “heartened” at the results considering the pandemic and the disasters that challenged his leadership in the last seven years.
“I am especially heartened that in the midst of contributing factors such as the ongoing pandemic and natural migration of residents as a consequence of the social and economic fallout from various disasters, our party still received approximately 87 per cent of the votes secured in the 2019 general elections in the 15 seats contested,” Skerrit said during his swearing-in ceremony held at the State House Conference Center on Wednesday.
In keeping with his efforts to unify Dominica under “one people, one vision, one Dominica”, Skerrit has met with one of the two independent candidates who won their respective constituencies. On Friday, the Prime Minister met with Marigot Constituency Anthony Charles, who expressed his willingness to work with Skerrit’s government.
“Prime Minister Skerrit has stated that he and his Government are willing to work with the opposition. It is a good step. Once he is willing to engage us, and based on the ideas and plans the government already has in place, once he works with us, we will work with him to get the Marigot Constituency moving,” Charles said in an interview.
Jesma Paul, the other independent candidate who won for the Salisbury Constituency, was invited to attend Friday’s meeting.
Skerrit also reached out to candidates who questioned the 2022 elections, including the opposition leader, Thomson Fontaine.
Skerrit’s government has been keeping its promise to build back a better Dominica, with several infrastructure projects geared towards climate resiliency being built throughout the island.
His government partnered with MMC Development Ltd. to deliver on these projects fully funded by the island’s Citizenship by Investment Programme.
To date, the private developing company has accomplished more than a dozen housing developments throughout the island to provide better lives to those affected by by Typhoon Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017.
MMC Development Ltd. also oversees several more projects in the educational and healthcare sector, as well as the much-awaited Dominica International Airport.