Dominica PM Denies He Is Sick; Calls Statements “Malicious Rumours”

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, on Tuesday, described as a “malicious rumour” reports that he is sick. He assured nationals that if he had been hospitalised, a formal statement would have come from the competent authorities.

“I can say to you that I have not been to any hospital, I have not been hospitalised. I am not ill, I am not sick, I am very, very well,” Skerrit said on the state-owned DBS radio.

There had been widespread speculation on social networks, as well as in the local media regarding the health of Skerrit, 42, who last December led his Dominica Labour Party (DLP) to victory in the general elections.

But he told radio listeners that “it is unfortunate that there are elements in our country who would engage themselves in such evil practice.

“Because why would you want to call on somebody’s illness if the person is not sick? And even if the person is sick, why should you want to celebrate it?

“I have even been hearing rumours; several people have been sending me text messages and literally coming to look for me because they heard that I have been hospitalised. This is really a malicious rumour,” he added.

“I will say when you ask for something on somebody, you will very well get it before the person gets it. I can say to you that those who are calling for my illness will fall ill before me and those who call for my death will die before me.”

Skerrit said that over the past few weeks he has been focusing on the mandate given to him by the voters in the last general election.

“I have taken this mandate very seriously and I wouldn’t want to disappoint the people in any way. So I have been focusing a lot on completing projects, moving where there are stumbling blocks…So I have been focusing heavily on project implementation,” he told radio listeners.