DOMINICA’S ruling Labour Party has swept to a landslide general election victory, winning 18 of the 21 seats in the Caribbean island’s parliament.

The results, announced on Saturday, give Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s party an unprecedented fifth term in power. The opposition United Workers Party lost three of its six seats.

The Labour victory comes after weeks of political unrest, with Mr Skerrit accusing the Washington-based Organisation of American States (OAS) of plotting another coup on behalf of US imperialism.

Last month, he warned that OAS chief Luis Almagro was on a crusade to delegitimise his government as punishment for Dominica consistently voting against interference in the region, particularly the organisation’s resolutions against Venezuela.

With many Dominicans returning to cast their ballot on Friday, security was stepped up, with help brought in to the former British and French colony from its Caribbean neighbours.