Seven candidates will contest the January 30th by-election for the seat left vacant by former leader of the opposition Reuben T. Meade, who officially retired on November 2, 2016 when so advised the Governor, having made the announcement at the recent sitting of the Legislative Assembly Tuesday, October 25 and to his party two weeks earlier.
The contesting candidates were duly nominated on Tuesday, January 17 at the St. Patrick’s Co-Operative Credit Union hall in Brades, on Nomination Day. They are in no particular order, Emile Duberry, on a Peoples’ Democratic Movement (PDM) ticket, and Dr. Samuel Joseph, representing the Movement for Change and Prosperity (MCAP). Independents are Jermaine Wade, Victor James Sr.. Keithroy (DeBear) Morson, Winston Ponde, and Charlesworth Phillip.
Six of these contested previously in General Elections (Charlesworth Phillip in 1996 the other five in September, 2014) representing as presented above, with Keithroy Morson being the only new-comer, but who claims that he is familiar with the runnings of politics, being a calypsonian for well over 20 years.
There has not been a by-election in Montserrat since 1979. Come January 31, 2016 there may well be some rather surprised candidates who will wonder why they were not the choice of the electorate, but would be surprised to learn they did not cover some simple well established campaign basics.
In 2014 just over 3800 voters were eligible to vote in nine candidates. This time the same number of voters will be eligible but each voter will have only one vote, making strategies similar to voters voting in one constitution with several candidates. This makes it possible a candidate capable of winning with approximately say 600 and upwards. The speculative assumption that the candidates are viewed nearly equal by the electorate and assuming a near 100% turn-out!
ZJB reports speaking to candidates after nomination Victor James Sr.: “I have proven myself already I have served in the Legislative Assembly before and of course I heard some people talking about debate like debate is the only issue of course is not, its only part of your role and let me say here once you’re elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly you can hold any office including the Premier so it’s not just going there to debate or not its leadership qualities that is required people with vision and people of action and not people who waiting for help from somebody else to come there to you, you can’t help the people.”
Charlesworth Phillip: “I want to see something happen in Montserrat and I’m putting myself out there as a candidate who can bring change and to get things done right away. …I am standing out there I know that the government presently is in dire need of assistance and I want to be able to help them immediately to get some of the projects that they need to get going start up and running, and I also want to bring some of my new fresh ideas…”
Keithroy Morson: Regards himself as the “Voice.” “Watchdog, justice to advocate for justice. I am not here to contest who is the best debater in Parliament. I hear some of them talking about oh they can debate in parliament and they can bring this to the debate. I am not interested in no competition to debate in Parliament. I’m interested for the justice of the people…If you’re not looking after the people there is where I come in and there is a lot of people out there right now are getting injustice and they need a voice they someone who is going to fight for them not afraid to go to the premier or whoever…”
Samuel Joseph: “The opposition should have two roles, one of the main roles is to keep the government accountable to explain to the people what’s actually going on in our parliament and in government etc. And the other role that I see is that there is certain skills that I believe I have that I could contribute to the government, to the country and to help the country moving forward…”
Emile Duberry: “If elected I will be putting my full support behind the Premier and his Ministers like I’m doing now. I’ll be able to get a program going on community development that’s where my focus will be because if we develop our community we surely will get our island developed at the same time. Focusing on community development will be my main goal going in to government plus pushing along with the Premier and the Ministers to ensure that we get proper facilities at the harbor, for example the break water harbor that is high on the agenda and working on salary increase for the Civil Servants Association and the new hospital…”
Noticeable is that whereas there were five females with two successful in the 2014 General Elections, there are NO female contestants in the upcoming by-election.
