Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit wants all four "Roseau" seats: All is mine

Like the Mighty Sparrow's "Smart Bajan" who sings "All is mine" in the Seventies Calypso as he grabs "all de coins in the fountain," Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is probably thinking of mimicking that smart Barbadian as he hallucinates about winning all four seats in Roseau- Roseau South, Roseau Valley, Roseau Central and Roseau North. All will be his, he dreams.

"I am expecting a clean sweep in Roseau," Prime Minister Skerrit said as he launched Joseph Isaac as the Dominica Labour Party's (DLP) candidate for Roseau North.

In the DLP's usual high energy, all red, carnival-like event, at the Lindo Park in Goodwill, Skerrit said his party aims at transforming Roseau beginning with the building of a modern cruise village and cargo port.

Skerrit said his government will break ground to signal the commencement of construction of these structures in October 2019, three months from today, in the heart of the general election campaign.

"We are not rebuilding Dominica; we are building a new Dominica", Skerrit said.

While delivering his address to his supporters on that sultry Sunday night, Skerrit also launched a vicious attack on Danny Lugay, Roseau North's current parliamentary representative and a leading member of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP).

"Danny Lugay is an embarrassment in the Parliament of Dominica," Skerrit said. "In fact Danny Lugay would be an embarrassment anywhere in the world. He has demonstrated that he has no testicular fortitude to stand up to Lennox Linton."

But Skerrit's candidate who is to contest the seat against Lugay in the next general election, constitutionally due in 2020, has an acute credibility problem.

Isaac, the Minister for the Environment and Parliamentary Representative for Roseau Central, has to convince voters in Roseau North that he left the UWP not for personal gain to cross the floor but as he says "to put Dominica first".

"Birds of a feather flock together," Isaac said at his launching on Sunday. "I have returned and I am here where I belong. L-A-B-O-U-R!"

Isaac added that one of his major plans for Roseau North, his new constituency, will be business development.

"I want to help you to be the next Egbert Charles," he said referring to the proprietor and pioneer of E.H. Charles, a successful hardware store on Goodwill Road. "Don't ask for a 'cool-out'; ask for a job or the next opportunity."

Before the rally ended, Skerrit added that he was welcoming back Dr. Kenneth Darroux, the Minister for Health and current parliamentary representative for Petite Savanne, as the DLP's candidate for that constituency.

In February Skerrit surprisingly named Marva Williams to replace Dr. Darroux as the candidate for Petite Savanne but a few weeks ago amidst much controversy he suddenly replaced Williams. Supporters protested by tearing down DLP election signs and posters in Pichlin.

"The people said they are not ready for him to go," was Skerrit's explanation for the recall of Dr. Darroux.

"Sister Marva has decided she is not ready to run," was his justification for shelving Williams.

Nevertheless, the DLP's political campaigning continues next week, Sunday, July 28th at the Fisheries Complex in Marigot when the DLP will launch former Calypso Monarch Gregory "Karessah" Riviere as its candidate to battle in the fortress of UWP support.

"We taking out Lennox Linton from there," Skerrit predicted.

As election fever heats up it seems Skerrit is also preparing to make more changes to his campaign team.

"We shall continue reviewing the slate of DLP candidates until it is as perfect as possible," Skerrit said.