ROSEAU, Dominica, Oct. 31, 2014, CNS – The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) Wednesday said it does not expect there will be a change of government in Dominica following the next general election constitutionally due by March 2015.
CADRES said the “significant political observation” of its latest political opinion survey conducted earlier this month “is the projected political swing of minus two per cent away from the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) or a plus four per cent towards the United Workers Party (UWP)”.
“The variation between the two projections is a result of the fact that the CADRES projection tool relies on the electoral history of both political parties and on this occasion the Dominica Freedom Party’s (DFP’s) historic support remains unallocated.
“Notwithstanding, the direction of the swing is consistent in both instances and consistent with what would be a normal trend in the case of a fourth-term government in the Caribbean.
CADRES said the national survey in which 48 people were polled in each 21 constituencies, was conducted between October 17-20. It has a margin of error of minus or plus five per cent.
In the 2009 general elections, the DLP won 18 seats as compared with three for the UWP.
CADRES said the survey found that 43 percent of respondents indicated a preference for the DLP, while 30 percent promised to support the UWP.
On the issue of leadership respondents were asked to comment both on the performance of leaders individually as well as which of the two they would prefer to lead the country at this time.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit received a rating of 6.4 out of 10 while UW leader Lennox Linton was given an average of 4.7.
CNS/db/2014
