Linton on his Lips

Overkill.

What Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit did not say about opposition leader Lennox Linton, as he launched Gregory "Karessah" Rivière as the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) candidate for Marigot, he probably forgot.

This was not character assassination on a political platform -it was a massacre.

"He is too damn arrogant and lazy, ladies and gentlemen," Prime Minister Skerrit told hundreds of his supporters who gathered at the Marigot Fisheries Complex on Sunday 10th August 2019. "Sakwé Fenyan!"

In his 45-minute address Skerrit said Linton was not qualified or educated or emotionally connected to people enough to be Prime Minister and that several of his DLP candidates were "ten times" better qualified than Linton.

He suggested that voters of Marigot should ask Linton, the parliamentary representative, what has he done for them lately.

"Before you renew Mr. Linton's contract as parliamentary representative you must evaluate Mr. Linton's job performance", Skerrit said.

Skerrit accused Linton of asking the people of Marigot to vote for him because he may become Prime Minister someday, something Skerrit said he has never done in Vielle Case.

"I won the Vielle Case seat because I was there for the people," he said. "This man is about one person and that person is Lennox Linton".

Effusive about Riviere qualification, the Prime Minister said Marigot's voters should vote with their conscience and not with their emotions.

"By any measure Gregory Karessah Riviere is far superior to Lennox Linton in any department and any compartment other than arrogance and selfishness," Skerrit said. "Politics is a serious business. Politics is not a scratch-scratch game; it is about the future of your children."

Skerrit's speech followed an address by the parliamentary representative hopeful, Gregory Riviere, the four-time Calypso King of Dominica. And that aspect of his experience was reflected in his speech. For example, he punctuated a recital of his community work and achievements with "where were you" and challenged Linton to present his report card so that the people could decide who is more qualified to lead them.

There's no doubt that Rivière is a supremely qualified candidate and probably the DLP's best candidate ever for the Marigot constituency.

But Riviere has a steep mountain to climb if he is to win Marigot for the DLP, a party that the people of Marigot have accused of punishing them because they have voted overwhelmingly for the United Workers Party (UWP) over the last six consecutive elections.

Thus Skerrit's overindulgence in his attempt at destroying Linton's character, demeaning his personality and mocking his work ethics.

Whether Skerrit succeeded only "time will tell", to quote the late Roseau Central politician Masterlyn Labad.

By the way, Skerrit said at Marigot on Sunday that the next major DLP rally will be held in St. Joseph on 25th August to be followed by Salybia on 8th September 2019.

"Time is running out," Skerrit said. "We are going to quicken the pace. We are on the home stretch".