Look out for early elections

LOOK OUT FOR AN EARLY POLL

Only God and the Prime Minister’s wife knows exactly when Dominica shall next go to the polls. The prerogative to name the date belongs to the Prime Minister who has now ordained that elections will be called in the next 100 days.

His large and electrifying Laplaine Rally tells the story that time is much nearer than we think as his party supporters are now ready to cast their ballots for the Labour Party he leads.

Roosevelt Skerrit is a skilled tactician. He has already been there in 2004, 2009, and 2014. He knows that he must call the date for the polls to be held no longer than 90 days from the date of the first sitting of the last Parliament. He also knows that he cannot risk the popularism that comes with bruising political calypsoes in the season to come. And he will want Dominicans to enjoy the Christmas Season free of the political rancour that has split even families. He will invariably call it for a Monday leaving time for a huge last national rally on the Saturday and a national motorcade on the Sunday after church services in thanksgiving of a good campaign. That’s on the outward band of the 100 days!

Next weekend is Creole in the Park; the following weekend is World Creole Festival, and then we have the National Independence Day weekend. There is no Sunday available for any Melissa Rally. That leaves Sunday November 10 as Melissa Sunday, out will come the ‘pink shoes’ and the school bell! It is my bet that the date will be called on this occasion one month in time from yesterday. 

He will likely announce Nomination Day for either November 18 in which case General Elections will be held on Monday, December 2; or Nomination Day as November 25 in which case General Elections will be held in Dominica on Monday December 9!

If I were my beloved friend Roosevelt I would want to hold Elections on a nice even date and not keep supporters waiting too long.

My bet - MONDAY DECEMBER 2.

But as I said at the outset, only the PM, God, and Melissa would know. 

Herbert Volney