BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 19TH 2009 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Hon, Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has congratulated his Dominica counterpart on sweeping the polls on Friday.
“On behalf of the Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, I extend heartfelt congratulations to you and the entire the Labour Party Administration for your resounding victory at the polls yesterday,” said Dr. Douglas in a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt.
Prime Minister Douglas told his Dominica counterpart: “Indeed there is no doubt that the people of your beloved country, that you have had the honour to lead since assuming the position of Head of Government, have reposed the confidence in you to take them through yet another term. Under your able leadership they have weathered the difficult years of economic decline and sense, with optimistic anticipation, the hope of a more promising and hopeful future of improved social and economic development.”
Dr. Douglas, who is also the Political Leader of the governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, gave Prime Minister Skerritt the assurance of the continued support of St. Kitts and Nevis “as we work collaboratively to strengthen our bilateral and regional relations.”
According to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), the Dominica Labour Party won 17 of the 21 seats that were at stake in the elections with the other four going to the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) that had ruled the island from 1995-2000.
For the second consecutive general election, the DFP, which once ruled this island from 1980-1995 under the leadership of the “Caribbean Iron Lady” the late Dame Eugenia Charles, failed to win any seat.
Opposition Leader Ron Green, 69, was just able to prevent newcomer Petter Saint –Jean from winning the La Plaine constituency that he had won by a majority of just under 200 votes in the 2005 poll.
Green received 727 votes, 12 more than Saint-Jean, while former prime minister and UWP president, Edison James comfortably won the Margot constituency, brushing aside a challenge from the DLP’s Dayton Baptiste with an 833 to 226 margin.
Justina Charles, the wife of the late prime minister Pierre Charles, who died in office in 2004, continued the DLP’s dominance of the Grandbay constituency in the south of the island, by polling 1, 355 votes, with her closest challenger only mustering 122 votes.
Among the notable casualties of the election was Dr. William Para Riveiere, who resigned as an executive member of the DLP a few years ago to form his own party that also failed to have any impact on the outcome of the election.
A record number of 62 candidates representing five political parties and five independents faced the electorate of 67, 200 and electoral officials said they were pleased with the smooth running of the polls that were monitored by observers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS).
In the 2005 general election, the DLP won 12 seats, the UWP eight and the other seat going to an independent candidate.
