Dominica to elect new President today
Dominica’s Parliamentarians will meet today for a special sitting of the National Assembly to elect the island’s new Head of State.
The parliament will consider to nominations of Sylvanie Burton and Anette Sanford.
The sitting is set to start at 10 am.
The election of either candidate would be historic as it will be the first time that a woman and a person of Kalinago heritage is elected to serve as President of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Burton, who is the government’s nominee, is the current Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environmental, Rural Modernisation and Kalinago Upliftment.
Sanford is a registered nurse by profession and is currently a clinical instructor at the Dominica State College. She also served as an opposition legislator between 2020-22.
Burton is expected to become island’s ninth president and replace Charles Savarin as Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit has the majority need to confirm her appointment.
Savarin, who served two terms as head of state, will demit office on October 1.
The Government Information Service said the successful presidential candidate would take their oath of office on October 2.
During a recent radio appearance, Skerrit lamented that the government and opposition could not agree on presenting a single candidate.
“It is unfortunate and I see this as a repudiation of a woman and a repudiation of a Kaliango…the people who first came to our country, who defended our patrimony that we could have a Dominica to call our home,” he said.
“She has stayed in Dominica all of her life at the service of the Kalinago people, at the service of Dominica. Every developmental programme and project which has been pursued in the Kalinago territory over the last 40 years, Mrs Burton has been involved one way or the other, preparing the project document, soliciting funds or overseeing its implementation.
He added: “I can’t understand any good reason why the Leader of the Opposition would have come to her conclusion, but I guess her advisors would have a different view and would so advise her.”
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