There is a growing sense and evidence that lies, darkness and trickery in public life have taken a strong- hold in our society and for a long time kept most of us from seeing the “dark money’ in circulation.
Nonetheless, over the past years, we have heard and seen plentiful corruption, particularly in our general elections.
We have had showers of dishonesty surrounded by secrecy and deception in the governance of the Commonwealth of Dominica; for those of us who care, such perception has been based on objective truth.
Sadly, but truthfully, many Dominicans have overlooked such dishonesty or permit a culture in which honesty and truth are not placed at the top of the values pyramid, we say, that too is coming to pass.
As an example, some of us have allowed mouth pieces of the Dominica led government to spin and execute lies, half-truth, selective truth, and self-truth, which have put many of our less enlightened citizens into an intellectual and political trance. We have had many of these deceivers on the mountain tops attempting to murder truth, but truth has not been murdered, and placed in the tomb, it is alive, though not celebrated in its kingly character, but it is on the rise in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
In respect with the above, in recent weeks, we have had mountains of deception crumbling in the Commonwealth of Dominica. We are learning that the Dominica Labour Party and some of our government operators’ unexplained wealth may have been financed by international criminal suspects-this is no lie! or untruth, but a-fact- that a number of wealthy persons associated with the Prime Minster of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit have either been arrested or detained for questioning in connection with money laundering, fraud and embezzlement of billions of dollars.
We have had a number of such characters inclusive, Diezani Allison Madueke, Francesco Corallo and NG Lap Seng-all of whom were at one time holders of diplomatic passports issued by the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica. But the most damaging of the international criminal suspects is Alireza Zibahalat Monfared, and Iranian fugitive who is accused of involvement in Iran’s biggest-ever corruption. The said Monfared appeared to have received protection in Dominica while being pursued by his native land, Iran, on suspicion of committing a major oil and money scandal.
But the most damaging of the international criminal suspects is Alireza Zibahalat Monfared, and Iranian fugitive who is accused of involvement in Iran’s biggest-ever corruption. The said Monfared appeared to have received protection in Dominica while being pursued by his native land, Iran, on suspicion of committing a major oil and money scandal. The one Alireza Zibahalat Monfared resided in walking distance from his friend and associate Roosevelt Skerrit at Morne Daniel in the Commonwealth of Dominica while he was evading the Iran Government.
A million questions descends into our thoughts, but for the purpose of brevity, I respectfully ask, would it be that these named international criminal suspects did in fact provided millions of dollars to the Dominica Labour Party and its leadership? We have had strong reasons to believe that the Dominica Labour Party has been involved in day light importation of voters, delivery of bribes, and hosted many internationally acclaimed concerts to feed the ordinary and barefoot Dominicans in its quest to simply buy general elections. In other words, the Dominica Labour Party leadership has used its financial prowess to maintain the status quo. But what is most alarming in the situation is that the government of the commonwealth of Dominica has dirty hands, for it has used state agencies and institutions to machinate the web of under-table revenues for the sole use and benefit of the Dominica Labour Party, and certain individuals and operators.
And the allegation that the government of Dominica is involved in the sale of diplomatic passport has not been successfully refuted except for our Prime Minister’s public denial and the lame explanations given by weak mouth pieces of the Commonwealth of Dominica, simply, there is no evidence on public record to negative the bold assertion that the government of Dominica has sold diplomatic passports. The onus is on the government of Dominica, as the servant of the people to come clean, provide us with the documents showing that due diligence were conducted on the named international suspects and that it was an innocent error on the part of leadership.
We reject the notion that our government has been innocent in all of these international diplomatic schemes and muddle. In the most recent national address on February 24, 2017 by our Prime Minster of the Commonwealth of Dominica, we heard some implied remorse for the indiscretion and corruption by the government of Dominica, but this is not enough to stop the demand for a change of government on the Nature Isle. Further, I firmly hold that we must raise the call for accountability and transparency in our governance and elections in the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Caribbean by extension.
The Dominica Labour Party has had unexplained millions of dollars for its campaign, such that in our last general election, it is alleged that they used over XCD$30, 000,000.00 (thirty million dollars) in election campaign. It is for reasons like that, we propose campaign finance regulation as a necessity in such a system where there is no law to force political parties to make public disclosures of their donors. One does not have to do rocket science to know that with such monies mean sweetheart deals and under-table favours or paybacks to the donors. For even in the absence of campaign finance regulations, the present legal framework to challenge an ordinary citizen to account for his/her unexplained wealth should equally be applied against our political parties if we are to stop the dying integrity and fairness in our election process and to safeguard our democracy.
The campaign finance abuse, dysfunctions and distortion in our governance must be abated. The “truth” is that if we are to limit corruption from the head-down, we must legislate laws to force disclosures and accountability in governance and campaign finance to name a few. Election finance may be considered to be the main driver of “black money,” and undeclared cash income into our country. But we also need to overhaul our Citizenship by Investment program to squeeze out any money laundering and irregularities which may be used to drive “dark money” into our country.
It is time for us to take hold of ourselves, for the attempt to murder truth can only hurt us, let us stand for truth, let us keep fighting for accountability and transparency in government.
Opinions expressed in this commentary are not necessarily those of Dominica News Online or its advertisers.
I need my doc.
Me dayba. Me twarkah. So much dark money and no electoral reform and you still win Ambroseeeeeeeee I wander how that miracle happen . Wosh I guess it had no labourites from harlem areas of overseas . EnGAGEment money was SHAKESing in envelopes man in that place light tower. The BEAST not playing . Who fooling who ? Man u just have to chill out. Not one case or evidence to support your twisted blablabla like the column of the PALESTRINAion a past carnival exotic quickly moment written in the Georginian Victorian calender.
Yes for election reform and no to wild assumptions . The conclusion is based on factual evidence and the proper application of the law. Clean hands. DNO loves clean hands.
Bonjai ebeh look it ! But where I be there nuh. Mister reigning nuh ? To me is Karessa Minor Key that won the Crown . Man take hold of yourself . Your Education beating you. Dont make it worthless . Take treatment and counsel . Politics left you already . Our Linton and our team is better without you. Stop confusing us. Your commentary needs a structural injection.
Exceptional commentary. This regime have yet to publicly refute the fact that they have sold diplomatic passports to criminals. Ignore the character assassination by recipients of the RED CLINIC and members of his cabal,and let’s stay focus on the real issue which is the passport scandal.
Joshua man you have too much guts. You in your own world. What you trying ? Chill out. You are losing points. Youre not a Saint. It is not personal but both blues & reds are no longer into you. You have flipped flopped for too long. JOSH you embarrassing your own party. You hardly make sense and Dominica small . You talk too much.
Man you think Team Dominica stupid. Lennox them do not have memoir poule. Streeoopes! Man go and rest yourself .
JJosh you have enough on your plate to deal with. Mind your own family business before its too late. Your political life is over. Nobody listens to your rambling anymore. You’re a fake and a has-been. Listen to your father-in-law because he’s hurting. Josh retreat and shut up before its too late.
Why all this ambiguity, it shows paranoia. Joshua is preparing for his second career as a conspiracy theorists.
Joshua, what are you trying to prove? Who are you trying to impress? It looks like you have lost it. Now you are at the throat and on the back of the PM. What a change. You will have much to prove. Wrong move. More hot water for you. A legal suit is pending.
Joshua i am putting it to you that the DLP only spent a little over $4M on the campaign and not $30M as you so boldly stated!!!!! I have the privilege of seeing all the receipts and bills, now tell us how much your party uwp spent and seeing that you son strongly believe in transparency why don’t you blaze the trail and disclose your campaign financiers and the total spent……
You fake people never ceases to amaze me!!!!!!!!
Joe,
Please publish these receipts. Additionally, since you are big on transparency and privy to receipts, can you please tell us more about the CBI money?
One thing, you forgot to mention the millions your party received for promising to give diplomatic passports to certain persons who we know nothing about.
Joshua go and wash your foot!
Poor fella! Because Lenox Linton commanded you to write against The PM, you chose to do a childish pedestrian hatchet job. You write about ethics and morality – issues that appear to confound you. Politicians raise campaign funds the same way they gain votes – by making promises. And you got elected the same way, promising to represent the interests of the people, then You turned around and immersed yourself in a salacious scandal that all but nullified your ability to fulfill your duties. You are a hypocrite and a sycophant.
Do not shoot the messenger take heed to the message the Island is a waste land so all able men and women must speak truth to power. Give the brother a chance to redeem him self
Take heed to the message ,don\’t shot the messenger,for I say if Joshua made a mistake he should be able to redeem himself,you all let Skerrit run a mock for 20 years and now the island is like a waste land. So every able man must stand up and speak truth to power.
How many crimminals are currently evading the law and living in Dominica on the west coast, north coast, east coast and south coast? Those who know them should report their names to the media……
Mr Francis you have not been healed of your many wounds and thus lack proper representative capacity . Please do yourself a favour and distance yourself from politics. Your over ambitious experiment for leadership of our Uwp has failed . Media masterbatory exercises cannot be a medicative substitute but it furnishes our perceptive reality with an illness evidence .
Do focus on :Deepening your relationship with GOD the rebuilding an adversely infected imagery, development of family life ,improvement in progressive career outcomes .Your once promising political experience has definitely strained every aspect of your life.You have inflicted irreversible damage to your reputation and your continuation in politics will only exacerbate your Mt Diablotin of serious problems .
You are fooling your very self. People know what people know.News travels ! While gossip dies not but we are fully aware of what conduct constitutes normalized conduct .Your posts on social media do not represent…
We have to demand good governance practices from the people we elect. Opaqueness and secrecy in government are synonymous with corruption. Accountability, transparency, fairness and truth are all hallmarks of good governance. Can we honestly ascribe any of these attributes to the Skerrit’s regime? Instead of engaging in vitriolic attacks against the messenger first examine the message. If we don’t question a government’s shady dealings or believe everything that flows from the Ministers’ mouths, then we are creating a culture of mendacity. We have to raise the level of social and political discourse instead of resorting to poisonous, disparaging and personal attacks when we don’t like the message or the messenger. Bad governments are elected when good people don’t vote. Many good citizens don’t get involved in politics for fear of being excoriated and demonized. Stop the scorched-earth politics!
Hold on Josh. Very well written piece. Tony will respond in a little while…wait for it! We need electoral reform and campaign finance legislation to safeguard our democracy. It will happen. Keep advocating for this change. I support you 100% my brother.
1 divided by 3
Can someone please put up a link to where one can read the Dominica constitution?
Thank you
MISTER needs help.
Joshua dont worry with what ppl say keep speaking if something went wrong you chave asked God to forgive you .But Skerrit sucking dominic ablood right left and centre and them hyprocritic supporting him so we the blues will support you . The labourites who is commenting . SKERRIT BLUNDER NOT ONCE NOT TWICE BUT A BILLION TIME.
Go get Dem Sikiree.
Go get them Joshua!
I hope you all remember every water project was done by someone from morne dainiel under de uwp!!
that was not corruption that was helping us!!
Whre are u sending him
The bottom line is that this is a very corrupt government and Dominicans have turned a blind eye because of political affliations. It is very sad.
Boy all you fellas really have time…bro, your hands did not get tired from all that typing that crap? Eh? I got tired reading !! fell asleep halfway…!!
I wholeheartedly agree with the statements made by Mr. Francis about the sudden wealth of some of these government operatives. I wish he would stay away from the allegations. Allegations are just that, it is not proof of any wrongdoing. UWP has to do some digging to find out or point to wrongdoing.
I just wished Joshua was more wholesome and had a higher moral standing to speak to these issues. I really once believed in this guy and thought of him as very level-headed. I thought he would have been the one to lead us out of this DLP death spiral, but unfortunately that was not to be.
While what he Joshua has written is the truth,but Joshua himself has failed the people who loved him so much,during the time he was deputy leader.He never seem to have been a solid team member.
Joshua Francis is going Co,o Coo. I cannot believe he would stoop that low. His moral is also low level. I am disappointed in him..
OBJECTIVE TRUTH ( O T )
Oh Joshy I don’t know whether you are living in a fools’ paradise . You have attempted to embark upon a dangerous self-imposed distractive illusionary ploy. We in the UWP wont be fooled by your deceptive Public Relations ‘ attack dog ‘ rhetoric . We have read this script before. Good try !
TEAM DOMINICA is not as vulnerable or gullible and defective of intellectual capital as you may perceive us to be. The Objective Truth is that you have brought our Party into disrepute which led to you being cast aside as leader having refused to resign. You still pretend to be faultless. Everybody including Mr. Linton is wrong but you. I am not a typical BLUE hence my mind will be quite expressive. We don’t have to be a rocket Scientist to know that there was public evidence of an irrefutable riotous episodal meltdown on the 7th February and beyond.
I stood @ Silver Lake and listened to you shower DLP praises and went on to go as far as breaking ground with…
Joshua is neither here nor there. He is a confused man.
http://bvinews.com/new/fahie-drops-bombshell-about-bvi-airways/
This is all over the place and poorly written.
Joshua please enough already. You have lost all credibilty in my eyes. You need to take a long break.
For a lawyer, your grammar is too poor for me to take you or this seriously!
He is a lawyer, What are you?
Great some one has seen the light homes million dollars and much more trump won’t hide th em
Eb bien look it sacré gace all you have KILOS PAPA. I Danziger was in communication with someone strange on the 7th of February, 2017 in Roseau BARE FOOTED. I think I forgot my shoes at home.
Mathamatics, 75 cannot go into 14!
Yes it can. 0.18666666666666666666.
you need to go buy a calculator. u just too dunce 75 into 14 is 0.186666667
please go learn some maths
0.1866666666666667….seriously get a calculator and try it