COUNTDOWN TO ELECTIONS 2014: Day Seven ...Arson suspected in major airport equipment and Dr. Benjamin endorses rockstar candidate. The election fever continues to reach astronomical levels as the two main partys juxtapose for the top spot. With each passing day it would seem that the path for the leadership of the country is getting clearer and clearer. The two parties are so far apart on some of the issues that the job of selection is no longer a math equation. Today the talk on the island surrounded the endorsement of UWP candidate in the Roseau South Constituency and new comer to the scene Joshua Francis. The endorsement would have gone largely unnoticed had it not been for an incident which happened days earlier, when candidate Francis stopped in Newtown, his constituency, to have a conversation with opposition voters who were clad in their shocking red outfits. As circumstance would have it, a DLP card bearing member and psychiatrist Dr. Griffin Benjamin was in the area and stopped to have a conversation with mr Francis. The incident was photographed unknowing to Joshua and placed on social media and in other outlets and intimated that Mr Francis was attended to for mental health issues. Dr. Benjamin opted to take to the radio station to clear the air on the matter and took it a step further and announced that although he was a card bearing and financial member, that he would no longer support the ruling DLP and even went further and revealed that he was now a supporter and endorser of both Joshua Francis and Team Dominica. The revelation brought shock-waves through the island, especially when Dr Benjamin made the point of mentioning that the writing was on the wall that the DLP would lose the next general elections. The clip was played on Q95 repeatedly for the remainder of the day. It was also the source of conversation where ever two or three people were gathered. The other activity of note was arson involving the airport equipment. CEO of the Dominica Air and Sea Port Authority, Benoit Bardouille, indicated that arson was suspected in the fire which destroyed a building that houses major airport equipment about two miles from the Douglas-Charles Airport. He said the damage is “in the region of $1-million.” The Communications System Center, which houses major air traffic control equipment. “I can confirm that air traffic controllers reported a fault and upon investigations it was discovered that the building which housed major equipment was destroyed,” he said. Just yesterday Bardouille said tight security will be enforced at the airport. The police are are said to be investigating the matter.There are a number of conspiracy theories surrounding the incident. Now for my take away of the day: the persons who have been silent bystanders are coming out of the wood work one by one to make their positions known. This is commendable and encouraged. From where I sit, there seems to be a movement of change and momentum on the part of the opposition. How far will that momentum take them will be determine in just a few days. in the meantime, not even all the icepop can cool the burning temperatures.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 01:51:44 +0000