A mere five months since announcing his new party, the National Progressive Movement (NPM), Donaldson Romeo is teaming up with his former party the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) to contest the upcoming elections.
Earlier today, PDM’s leader Paul Lewis, Leader of the Opposition along with former Montserrat premier Donaldson Romeo announced the merger on ZJB Radio. The two parties will run under the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), led by Lewis, to contest the upcoming 2024 General Elections on October 24th.
“Both parliamentarians outlined during their radio address, that the decision to come together reflects their deep commitment towards unity of purpose, which they consider to be essential to take Montserrat forward,” an official release stated. “By coming together, the parties have seen it in the best interest of Montserrat’s development to pool resources, ideas, and strengths to build the next government that truly represents the desires and aspirations for progress of every resident and citizen of Montserrat.”
Romeo said in the radio announcement that he had no problem submitting to the leadership of Lewis and that he wanted to model what he believes the entire nation needs to do which is work together.
Lewis said that many of their views aligned, and it was also the will of their supporters that they worked together.
PDM was formed in 2014 to contest the general elections. Romeo subsequently left the party and ran as an independent in 2019 after he was voted out as the party leader. To date, the former premier announced only one member on his NPM slate. Debra Lewis last week, announced she had left the NPM and would run as an independent candidate in the elections.
The party is expected to start announcing the party slate on Tuesday and plans to launch its public campaign on Saturday September 7 in Salem Centre.
Listen to their merger announcement here: https://on.soundcloud.com/SAwvRGbZEVWKU7dMA
