Today is the nomination day for the Grand Bay by-election coming up on November 25, 2021, but major political parties have steered clear of the contest. Chief Election Officer Ian Anthony said the nomination will hold from 9am-4pm at the Grand Bay Youth Center. He said willing contestants should submit their nomination forms to Returning Officer John Roach alongside with a $500 fee and six nominators.
Anthony said a by-election will hold on November 25 if several candidates emerge for the post after the nominations. He warned that COVID-19 pandemic protocols such as wearing of face masks, hand sanitization, and observance of six-feet distancing will be observed.
Dr. Vince Henderson, a former minister and diplomat, will be contending on the DLP platform; and Julius “Handbag” Gabriel, a bus driver in Grand Bay, will be contesting as an independent candidate. The bus driver said he may be an illiterate as speculated by many people, but he is going to bring a lot of changes that top-educated folks cannot achieve in record time. He said he is going to work on the agriculture sector as well the cultural sector where the adoption of native Kweyol language is concerned.
The UWP refused to field a candidate for the by-election but called for everyone to support Gabriel. The DFP said it will not be taking part in the election because the ruling party has failed to implement the long-awaited electoral reforms demanded for Dominica. The APP also said it has no interest in fielding any candidates because electoral reforms have not been implemented, and that it is putting structures in place to vie at the coming general elections.
This article is copyright © 2021 DOM767
