Dominica’s Prime Minister Announces General Elections for 6 December 2022
by Karen Rollins Nov 7, 2022
Dominica will hold a snap General Election on Tuesday 6 December 2022, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced.
In an address to the nation on Sunday 6 November, Mr Skerrit said he had asked President Charles Savarin to dissolve the current parliament immediately, and nomination day will be on Friday 18 November.
Mr Skerrit’s Dominica Labour Party (DLP) won an unprecedented fifth term of government in the 2019 elections by a convincing 18-3 margin. The United Workers Party are the main opposition.
While calling for a national reset, Mr Skerrit confirmed that he does not intend to stay on as Prime Minister past April 2025.
He stated: “You have given me a mandate that allows me to remain in office until April 2025. I don’t intend to go beyond that date. I have run my race and I intend to finish the course with Dominica safely back on the road of sustained progress and prosperity. That is why I am calling for a national reset.”
Prime Minister Skerritt said he will preside over a peaceful and dignified transition of Prime Ministerial duties to a leader chosen by his party but wants to start 2023 with a new mandate and with a new team who can handle major issues such as managing the post-COVID 19 recovery and climate change.
He said: “This current Dominica Labour Party administration was elected in 2019 with a particular mandate. We outlined policies in pursuit of a dynamic Dominica. We set ourselves goals, within a specific time frame, that cannot now be met because of the unforeseen global circumstances.”
Mr Skerrit added: “The reality is that our country was paralysed for months. Things we wanted to do we could not do. Some things we started, have not yet been finished. This is not a game of juvenile rounders. Running a government and a country is serious business. We have to operate in the realm of reality and practicality. We have, as a nation, to press the reset button.”
