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Volume No. 1 Issue No. 69 - Tuesday May 10, 2005 |
UWP Supporters Protest Election Results
 by Thomson Fontaine
Responding to a call from their party leader Edison James, about a thousand UWP supporters rallied outside of government headquarters in protest of the election results.
Party leaders would not have been encouraged by the low turnout since they had billed this protest as a last stand against Dominicans losing their fundamental right to vote freely.
The rally heard several party leaders who vowed to keep protesting until the results of the elections are overturned.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skeritt was sworn in on Monday as the country's seventh Prime Minister since attaining independence in 1978. Ian Douglas was also sworn in as the Attorney General with the rest of the Cabinet expected to be sworn in on Thursday.
Addressing hundreds of his supporters in Castle Bruce who had come for a rally in support of free and fair elections, and where the DLP won by one vote, Mr. James told the crowd that his party was cheated out of victory.
According to Mr. James, he had written to the President of Dominica to protest that five of the twelve seats won by the Dominica labour Party (DLP) were because of irregularities at the polls.
In a stunning statement, Mr. James then detailed that he could not expect any help from either the courts nor the President of Dominica or the Bishop of Roseau. He told his supporters that they were the only ones who could defend their rights and was therefore calling on them to come to Roseau in protest.
Mr. James also informed the crowd that no permission was needed to assemble in Roseau and that he was calling on them to stand up with his party to ensure that the new government is not sworn in before his concerns are addressed.
The UWP is accusing government of paying the airline tickets of hundreds of Dominicans to return to vote in the elections using funds from money laundering activities.
The accusations have been firmly denounced by Prime Minister elect Roosevelt Skeritt who accuses the opposition of trying to ferment unrest after been decisively beaten at the polls. The DLP won 12 seats; the UWP won 8 and an independent candidate sympathetic to the DLP won the other seat.
See Also
Protests as Dominica PM is Sworn In
Dominica's Ruling Party Returned
CONSTITUENCY |
WINNER |
DFP |
DLP |
UWP |
OTHER |
Total Votes (%) |
|
1,121 (2.96%) |
19,686 (52.03%) |
16,594 (43.8%) |
425 (1.12%) |
Castlebruce |
DLP |
|
799 |
798 |
|
Colihaut |
IDP |
266 |
|
235 |
397 |
Cottage |
DLP |
|
923 |
116 |
|
Grand Bay |
DLP |
|
1409 |
294 |
|
La Plaine |
UWP |
|
648 |
770 |
|
Mahaut |
DLP |
|
2044 |
1807 |
|
Marigot |
UWP |
|
210 |
1031 |
|
Morne Jaune |
UWP |
|
477 |
617 |
|
Paix Bouche |
DLP |
|
1077 |
296 |
|
Petite Savanne |
DLP |
|
1136 |
392 |
|
Portsmouth |
DLP |
|
1173 |
151 |
27 |
Roseau Central |
UWP |
945 |
|
1086 |
|
Roseau North |
UWP |
|
1414 |
2028 |
|
Roseau South |
DLP |
|
2184 |
1519 |
|
Roseau Valley |
UWP |
|
692 |
728 |
|
Salisbury |
UWP |
|
470 |
910 |
|
Salybia |
DLP |
|
921 |
840 |
|
St Joseph |
DLP |
|
1101 |
985 |
|
Soufriere |
DLP |
|
1195 |
915 |
|
Vielle Case |
DLP |
|
955 |
304 |
9 |
Wesley |
UWP |
|
772 |
858 |
|
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