Opposition leader Lennox Linton said the UWP will not recognize the new DLP government because the elections were rigged. Linton said there must be a fresh election because the government allegedly sponsored 8,000 people from overseas to boost their chances of winning the elections. He said the UWP legitimately won three seats in parliament, but there is no way the DLP could have won its 18 seats without fraud.
The opposition leader accused the ruling government of bribing at least 8,000 diasporans with ferry and airline tickets as well as physical cash in USD to vote for the DLP. He contended that when you deduct the 8,000 votes bought from the total 23,300 votes won by the DLP, then you have a true figure of 15,300 which is below the 16,300 votes actually won by the UWP.
“Do the Math: 23,000 people voted for the Dominica Labour Party in an election where 8,000 of them were bribed to leave their overseas residence locations to come to Dominica to vote in elections, a clear violation of the law,” Linton alleged. “When you take that 8,000 out of the 23,000, you’re down to 15,300; less than the number of people who voted for the United Workers Party…living in Dominica.”
Linton said the DLP won the elections because of people who were arranged from overseas to return home for the elections. He said his party wants a fresh election and that they will not recognize the new government.
“We need now to demand fresh elections and as far as we are concerned, this illegitimate results render elections null and void and it renders the Government null and void,” he said. “We’ll not recognize this government because it was the result if a stolen election.That’s where we stand.”
Meanwhile, PM Roosevelt Skerrit thanked Dominicans for voting in the DLP again, saying the government will not disappoint them.
“The people of the Commonwealth of Dominica have spoken and I want to thank them for giving the Dominica Labour party a resounding victory and returning us to office for another term as the next government. Our citizens have made their choice. We must all now respect that.”
Skerrit said his new government will address a lot of things within the first 100 days of national administration. He said he will form a new cabinet soon and also set up a commission to look into certain allegations made by the opposition. He said the commission will consider electoral reforms among other urgent needs that must be rectified by the new administration.
“There is no doubt that there now social rifts, economic damage and reputational concerns which have to be addressed as a matter of urgency. This will be the first order of business for the new Labour party government,” Skerrit said.
The prime minister further stated that “The work of that commission added to all the previous consultancies and electoral reports from various international organizations, together with the decision of the courts, will inform the shape of Dominica’s electoral reform. Public hearings will be held throughout the country and all Dominicans will be able to appear before the commission and give their views.”
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