Anthony Charles Releases Names of Two Senators; Jesma Paul Keeps the Suspense

New independent Marigot MP, Anthony Charles, has released the names of two opposition senators to work with him in the national House of Assembly. Charles, who won Marigot in the December 6 snap elections, chose Delbert Paris and Lorraine Henderson-Reid as his senators. Paris is a civil engineer and Henderson-Reid is a marketing officer with CCCU.

Charles, who will alternate as opposition leader with independent Salisbury MP Jesma Paul-Victor in 18-month cycles, expressed confidence in the ability of Paris and Henderson-Reid to serve opposition functions satisfactorily. “I am very confident in their abilities to provide constructive feedback in the house,” he said. “I know that together, we will be able to get things done.”

Paul-Victor, who was sworn in as opposition on Tuesday by President Charles Savarin, said she will release the names of her two opposition senators after presenting the names to the president for endorsement. She debunked rumours that she chose attorney Clara Shillingford-Marsh and former DLP Press Secretary Sean Douglas as her choices. “To be very honest, someone just called me on that very same issue; and neither Sean Douglas nor Clara Shillingford is true,” she stated.

Paul-Victor said she is familiarizing herself with the Dominican constitution and how things are done in the House of Assembly as well as tabulating the major needs of the people of Salisbury. She said she is ready to work with the DLP government to be able to bring major development to the Salisbury Constituency and the country at large. She agreed that there is no way to bring home the dividends of democracy if she works against the current administration.

“I believe that if we want anything for our constituency, we need to work together with the government,” she said. “We can’t get anything by ourselves. Therefore, I am prepared to work with them so we can get things for our constituency and moreover the country.”

Paul-Victor, who called Dominica’s first female prime minister and opposition leader Dame Mary Eugenia Charles her role model, said she will follow in the footsteps of the late national leader. “She was an Iron Lady [who] had a good principle, and I would like to continue that way,” she stated.

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