NDP activist dismisses CADRES poll as ’propaganda’

The recent CADRES poll which shows a five per cent swing in favour of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) has been dismissed as propaganda by activist for the New Democratic Party (NDP) Douglas ‘Dougie’ DeFreitas.

Defreitas, managing director of NICE Radio, made his feelings known on Wednesday morning when he appeared as a guest on the “OMG” morning show on BOOM FM.{{more}}

“He said he didn’t poll the Grenadines because he say it’s a stronghold of the NDP, but the stronghold of the ULP is Ralph Gonsalves constituency and the bordering constituency; how come you poll those?” DeFreitas said.

The political opinion poll was conducted on mainland St Vincent between Friday, November 20 and Sunday, November 22, 2015.

Director of CADRES Peter Wickham, who had called in to the show earlier that morning, had, among other things, stated that the North Leeward seat is one of the weaker seats for the NDP.

“You had to belong to the mental asylum to speak to that. I will tell you, Patel Matthews (representative for North Leeward) would have a 100 per cent increase in leading in the votes coming out there,” DeFreitas said.

The outspoken activist also projected that ULP candidate for West Kingstown Deborah Charles will lose her deposit against NDP incumbent Daniel Cummings.

“I am not being derogatory. I am a respectful person. She may be a good person, but she in the wrong party, in the wrong time and Daniel Cummings has worked extremely hard. He’s one of the most popular persons, him and Major (St Clair) Leacock [of Central Kingstown] when it comes to their constituency.

“NDP is going to win all the Leeward seats. They are going to have the Grenadines and the three Kingstown seats and right there is government,” DeFreitas declared.

At a public meeting of the NDP at Sion Hill on Wednesday night, party leader Arnhim Eustace also rejected the Wickham poll and said that a poll conducted by his party showed that they will win 11 of the 15 seats.

The NDP narrowly lost the 2010 general elections, seven seats to the ULP’s eight seats.(KW)