Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has stated that since 2016 the government has engaged in the services of a “well-qualified consultant” to independently review diplomatic appointments.
He spoke last week in light of allegations concerning the processes and issuance of diplomatic passports and positions.
Skerrit said that the consultant will review and make recommendations to the government relative to gaps or inconsistencies in terms of appointing diplomats or other consular persons to ensure that a better policy and system is implemented.
“We engage the consultant to provide this independent assessment in order for us to have a more transparent process, a more open process, a clearer process, so anyone who wants to see how we arrive at the appointments of these people can have a copy of this policy which will be made public, which will be on the government website,” he said.
He said that the entire Dominican population of 71,000, both in Dominica and overseas, will be able to have access to such a copy of the policy.
“The 70,000 of our citizens who reside in Dominica and those who reside overseas would have access the copy and be able to determine, in the future going forward, whether the government has breached any of the provisions of that policy,” Skerrit stated.
Skerrit hopes that very soon he will be in a position to make some important announcements on the process of diplomatic appointments.
“The work is nearing completion, the other countries that have systems in place, the other countries who do not have systems in place, and we are starting to see also to what extent we can adapt or adopt some more of the policy frameworks, the policy positions of the government,” he remarked.
The government has refused to make public the amount of diplomatic appointment it has made.
In recent time people who were appointed Dominican diplomats have found themselves on the wrong side of the law including Chinese billionaire, Ng Lap Seng; Iranian, Alireza Zibahalat Monfared and former Nigerian minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
“The 70 000 of our citizens … to determine … whether the government has breached any of the provisions of that policy.” My question to you dear sir, is what will be the consequencies, if any, of said breache???
HOTEP!
Mr.PM in light of all nefarious characters who ended up with our diplomatic passport, in an effort to clean this saga up this is what you should tell us the citizens.
1. Full Inquiry into the CBI program and Diplomatic appointees.( date/time using outside Forensic help)
2. Recall of all non Dominican with diplomatic passports.
3. Go to parliament immediately and implement change to law that all diplomatic appointments should be brought to parliament for vetting….not done by One Man!!!!
4. Lastly name the credible firm which was appointed to review diplomatic appointees so it provides transparency to the citizen who can also research the firm. Time they started and the date for completion as I would expect would be set in the contract.
SMH!!!!!
Mr Skeritt when will you stop taking us for idiots maybe your supporters are because they swallow every bull….you say.Do you need a consultant to tell you that you issue criminal with
Why Mr. Skeritt not be transparent?
lol give me a break. Zor tebe uwpwi
The noise must get louder that its time for you to go..I have blogged several times before today,that you Skerrit,was never in my view Prime Minister material..I continue to be vindicated..It is shamegully frightening the manner in which you keep taking some Dominicans for fools..Nothing else on the overthrow???OMG!!
Who is the well qualified consultant?????
Sounds like a good and plausible way forward.
We call for an Independent Commission of Inquiry of all allegations.
why only now telling informing ?Its like dominicans if you never make noise you will never be informed of what is going on.
Is Skerrit out of his mind or what!!..How much more foolishness will he attempt to feed Dominicans? You had such a robust due diligence system and the incidence of crooks holding DPs was never alarming till the UWP started putting pressure on the process..Now instead of admitting that wrong was done, he is superficially engaging an un-named “consultant” to advise gov’t on Diplomatic appointments?
How were DPs assigned and appointed before under previous administrations and never were the incidence of crooks so alarming. Never was there a need for a consultant to advise Gov’t on that..what Volume of DPs that you’all issuing that necessitates a Consultant to Advise or create a policy that wasn’t set forth in the procedures on diplomatic appointments before?
Dominicans must blame themselves for continuing to allow Skeritt to run free after deliberately taking them for fools..Sickening!!
So what is so hard in adhering to the guidelines set up in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). Why is it so hard, that time and time again we have diplomats that are being caught up in criminal activities – Monfared, Madueke, Corallo, Lap Seng?
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961)
http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf
You have failed us, the damage is done. It is time for you to go!
Wait when cock grow teeth.
Our problem is our public servants..they too depraved..if everybody do their job ethically then politicians cannot rig the system.Our civil servants must protect the ministers from themselves.Every government department is a yes sir,yes sir mentality.You are the expects they must listen.They do not have to like you,,but they will respect you.
That is another bit of waste of time, another bit of Skerrit hogwash! what consultant is needed to tell you it is wrong to illegally sell the nations diplomatic passports to criminals for gain! In the first place Dominica seems to have more diplomatic officials around the world, than the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom combined!
Skerrit is a joke who has not taken this thing seriously; with a population of less than sixty thousand people with nothing to trade with the world, and absolutely no majority of Dominican born residing in the nations where Skerrit has all these diplomatic personal posted; what purpose are they serving Dominica, when they are all foreigners with bought diplomatic passport in the pockets. Skerrit is so ignorant and lie he believes the crap he is talking is true!
He creates his lies speak them, unaware they are his lies, when he hears his own lie it is believable to him.
Why you don’t go up as a MP. IDIOT comment
Boy shut up, you dunce sot: You ( chupett), in Wesley that means you are stupid, that’s broken English, also mean in patios you sot!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Who tell I want to be a member of parliament in Dominica, if that is I would have gone into Dominica politics when I was much younger. Besides I do not have the nerve and stomach to thief, so Dominica politics do to interest, I do not want to become a thief in me old age oui!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
If I joined the Cabal maybe boy Skerrit might have set me up to run in Wesley and Woodford Hill, and I would have won. Because I am much smarter than his choices in recent years leaving out cousin Gloria. The problem, is I would win, and tempted to become a thief!
So, as they say in Dominica ” we doh want it.”‘ I doh want it.’
Skerrit I just want to remind you that I am praying the words of Elijah the prophet, over you everyday. His word were in a letter to king Jehoram found in 2 Chronicles 21:12-14
14. Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
I rebuke that Spirit in you that would cause those words to leave your heart and to write such.
What’s the matter with you? It’s in the holy Book, isn’t it. I love these zealots who are champions of selective quoting, no on reflection I do not love them but pity them.
What about rebuking Elijah that penned it? It’s there in 2nd Chronicles 21
The damage is already done. Time to get out.
Although the latest publicized number was DP0000450 giving rise to a possible 450 active diplomatic passports, here are some of the holders of Diplomatic passports from the Commonwealth of Dominica:
Alireza Zibahalat Monfared,
Bobby Jones,
Bobby Wahi,
Christopher Thomson,
Christos Vardkos,
Claude Skalawski,
David Shiu,
Didier Vidal,
Diezani Alison-Madueke,
Eric Torner,
Francesco Corallo,
Frantisek Savov,
Graeme Christopher Thomson,
Jonathan Brown,
Leroy Parris,
Ng Lap Seng,
Paolli Zampoli,
Rebecca Chang,
Roman Lakschin,
Rudolph King,
Serge de Thibault de Boesinghe,
Susan Oldie,
Timothy Cornwall,
Vladimir Antonov.
At an average of US $100,000 each, the math is elementary.
Although Mr Skerrit continues to reiterate that no Diplomatic passports have been sold, he must realize that once one’s credibility becomes questionable, his every word thereafter becomes subject to scrutiny.
You got it wrong. It is US $ 100 000 for the regular passport. On the other hand the diplomatic passports can sell for $1000000000000000000. Since they don’t have to account for It. Because as the PM says it is never sold. As for me I also believe in leprechauns and fairies.
You forget Omar Murtizaliev, a Russian oliarch from Dagestan, who was appointed our commercial attache at the Dominica High Commission in London when Francine Baron was in charge there. And how about Gilbert Torner (…yes, another Torner!) our Hon. consul to Swizerland in Zurich.
OMG
all that 
THIS is ridiculous… this is GREED to its MAX !
This cannot go un-notice .. Mister in more trouble than he thinks …
CIA in reality we are talking about a meager $2, 400,000 dollars or there about! Should a country reputation be tarnished for in my terms that little bit of money?
Even if that was to converted into US currency, it would still represent a meager amount of, shall we say peanut change!
That paltry sum buys lots of real estate in and out of Dominica.
I hope is a non bias from CARICOM Secretariat , so they will now know the truth of what is happening in Dominica.
DNO, could your investigative journalists find out when in 2016 did Roosevelt hire “the well-qualified” consultant to review diplomatic appointments? Was it sometime in December 2016 or much earlier in 2016?
I myself want to know exactly what Roosevelt means when he says “SINCE 2016” because I find that phrasing kind of weird. That phrasing sounds like jokes people does crack on January 1st of every year when they say is since last year they took a bath.
Roosevelt we want to know the exact date or month last year when this consultant was hired and we want to know who is this “well-qualified” consultant. Tenks.
That still does not stop us from asking for an inquiry into the selling of our passports to crooks, criminal and vagabonds and the rest who have them. We want their names,
We have been assured for the past years that all C.B.I. applications are processed with DUE DILIGENCE by reputable partners?Now all of a sudden we are informed that a CONSULTANT had been appointed in 2016.No name,no date of appointment.The PM is down to the last dregs in the barrel.Time for him and his cohorts to go.
So laughable Mr PM. Now tell us who is the consultant? Hope is not Clarence Christian…….
Since 2016… Like December? So the opposition was right all along. Swallow your pride skerrit and agree you guys been fu….Up. you don’t have to exaggerate your expression. That’s the biggest character of a liar and a crook. Let the document and actions do the talking.
PM Skerrit all of this is just to late you have damaged the ISLAND to badly so return the Island back to the people give them back their dignity and peace , you have disrespected the people much to long and you have lost their respect the river is muddy much too much, people are hurting and you a causing much of that hurt., look at the attendance at the different carnival events people are afraid to go out and those events are suffering the joy of the art form is slipping away.
Publishing this document will not change what has been going on for so many years and why not released the well qualified consultant name, agency or firm , we have very educated and qualified individuals in our nature Island that can do the same work but of cause you refuse to put bread on the tables for Dominicans at home. PM too late is the cry.
Since 2016? How long have you been engaged in the sale of diplomatic passports? We want to see list of the ones that have been issued. Not a copy of your so-called new policy. Your disregard for the rule of law and the constitution have brought you shame on the world stage, and now you’re fighting for your own political survival.
Okay!!!! Let’s see how once again SKerrit is attempting to pull wool over our eyes….
1. Even if a policy is made public for persons to use in determining whether or not the Gov is indeed adhering to the policy…if we do not know who are the persons holding passports, how many persons holding passports, when they applied, and the process in which they applied… HOW ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH ARE WE TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT YOU ALL ADHERED TO THE POLICY?????
2. I realized you kept saying “the consultant”…. Is there an issue or a reason as to why you did not reveal the independent and “well-qualified” consultant’s name.
You are talking about making the process more transparent, yet you start off this process by what???????? BY NOT BEING FULLY TRANSPARENT YOURSELF
3. Based on what you are now saying, it comes to light that there was much issues with issuance of passports…SMDH after you and those on your payroll denounced Linton and UWP, saying they trying to destroy…
Some say the Antiigua Government was reviewing their CBI to make it better and you guys were pleased with that. Dominica is reviewing theirs and you guys are not pleased, calling it pulling wool over the eyes of people. SMH
The government has no idea what a person will do after they have received a Passport. Look at the actions of UWP Parliamentarians in Guyana would you have expected that from them? Has the UWP denounced it?
Did anyone impersonate an individual or did he make up a fictional person to impersonate. How can the PM be responsible for what a person does after they receive a Diplomatic Passport.
The UWP said a meeting, where they incited the crowd to disobey the Police saying the Police cannot tell them when to start or end a meeting yet saying they are not responsible for the actions of the Rioters.
Who is responsible for the irresponsible behavior displayed by the UWP in Guyana who are holders of Diplomatic Passports? Alas Dominique!!
When ANU Gov said they were reviewing their CBI program, this is what they did or said they are about to do…
1. recalled all diplomatic passports (DP)
2. release the names of ALL the holders of their DP
Skerrit saying he has hired an independent, “well qualified” BUT anonymous consultant can by no means stand next to what the ANU Gov is doing to revamp the process to make it transparent.
Now, I don’t know the level of your understanding or your ability to thinking logically or independently but geezzzzz are you that gullible? You mean to tell me your entire recount of the events in Guyanya are purely based on what Skerrit and his loyal supporters have been pushing through the airways…or no, maybe you were there…so if you were I am truly sorry for ASSUMING that you were just regurgitating what was said.
NOW IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO REALLY REFUTE MY COMMENT do not comment under my post!!!
Daddy Chess warn you all Labourites!!!!
It looks like u swallow Skerrit’s line whole.
“The government has no idea what a person will do after they have received a Passport.” ” How can the PM be responsible for what a person does after they receive a Diplomatic Passport.”
Idiotic thinking.
Lap Seng was known to be bribing UN officials long before he was given a diplomatic passport. Monfared was known to compliance officers at least a year before he was given a diplomatic passport. Why did the Nigerian ex minister flee Nigeria? And she was given a diplomatic passport after she fled.
It’s called due diligence and it appears none were done on the three above mentioned cases. Also note, the three are rich, super rich.
If proper due diligence was done, none of these three should have our diplomatic passport. So the government should be held responsible when people ran afoul of the law and they have our diplomatic passport since these people did not wake up one morning and decide to break the law after…
@just Passing Through. Diplomatic Passports are NOT for sale! You MUST be employed by the Government and working in a foreign mission, contrary to what Skeritt is doing.
@ Just passing through, when you finish passing through please stay out, or better yet pass out because is none sense you talking.??
@ look it
Maybe the consulting firm is not real ?
But at last he agreed that the whole program is a mess.
What a joke
Leadership use to be a position people admired
Oh come on! What gross disrespect to a people. How can a leader of a country so blatantly insult the intelligence of its people and treat them as fools?
I listened to this crap as a news item on radio and just looking at the headline here makes me want to puke. Something is terribly wrong with Dominica when the Prime Minister can secure press coverage for such a blatant lie.
Who is the Consultant hired, what did the consultant have to say about the long list of criminal diplomats?
I better stop here. DNO do your readers a favor, run a piece on all the criminals who have diplomatic passports, that you know of.
It’s a blind date where one does not know the other and does not know where that blind date will end. One thing that we know for sure is that NO RAT SETS A TRAP TO CATCH HIMSELF. It’s a blind date
What a joke. Most amazingly is the fact that Laborites will say hooray. Really for 16 years your government has been selling out diplomatic passports and you now tslking aboit a procedure when for many years Skerrit allow Tony to tell us thst due diligence on these dodgy diplomats have been clean.
i dont believe Skerrit at all-forgive me the man is a,stranger to the truth. After the 60 minutes report nothing was said about this consultant. Instead Skerrit and his appologists took to crucifying Lennox Linton. The PM had an address to the nation and again nothing was mentioned about the consultants. The PM also had a chance to tell parliament that his cabinet had hired a consultant to review the diplomstic assignment procedures but he and Francine chose to tell us that it is not our business.
What we are witnedding in Dominica is the fruits of our deliberate and convinient blindness
good move my pm.
Skerrit we need the name/names of the consultants/consulting firms/firms, there addres etc, also want to know if there were any due diligence made before hiring your so called consultant, hope it is not one of your cronies. Also why is it only now you are disclosing this to Dominicans. Skerrit as a matter of fact it is too late now, you said that some firm did due diligence on all the criminals, fraudsters, money launderers etc who were and are still holders of Dominica’s Diplomatic Passports, if so why is it that they are deing caught and in jail some fasing lifetime in prison, so even death penalty. Skerrit you are a corning compulsive liar, now you are being caught with you fiery pants down, you are still trying to fool some Dominicans, Skerrit man up, your days are numbered and it is time for you to go, when it is all said and done tony astaphan and all those who were putting kaka in your head will be enjoying life on their patios drinking their vodka laughing at you
Who conducted due diligence on the consultants/consulting firm?
Pray, who is this consultant or is that a state secret also and none of our business? Hopefully is not someone we habitually employ to write environmental impact reports that invariably favour the applicant.
Hmmmmmmmmmm, very interesting reading here – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39043117
Now, who else can spot certain interesting phrases and occurrences in the link above?
When I see certain phrases in that article such as “…….the victim of a political smear campaign”, as if I recall hearing & reading such statements in recent times in relation to………(hhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm…….)
Somebody screeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are as transparent as the P.M. I’m afraid.
This is just laughable…why is Dominica such a Pride less Caribbean island..
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relation of 1961 which is well detailed for everyone To see, must be adhered too…
The DLP Regime does not follow the rule of laws as previous Regimes of Freedom and UWP never had a issue with…..”DIPLOMATS”
But the average Dcan isn’t thinking thus every aspect of their governance falls apart..
The blame has to be laid fully on the Public Servants and Institutions for this breakdown
Dominica has brought shame to itself, due to the carrying of the Ignorance Cap!
Because since 1978 we have Governance in Dominica after independence so what’s the issue with all these loop holes in Governance…
But it sums them up as the Poorest and Slowest Economy…it’s a backward crab like place Called Dominica…they are struggling and will continue to their foolishness they Embrace….give them a loose music rum,fry chicken and bakes and u have them trapped.
Since 2016 and now you saying that. And why the heck do you need a consultant to tell you something is wrong?
THERE YOU GO AGAIN, WASTING TAXPAYERS MONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!
PM should give the job the Dr. Thomson Fountain and we would know all what is wrong with the CBI program and the funds that suppose to be in our Treasury .
Thompson Fontaine? And u expect an objective report. Obviously u think Skerrit also did not graduate from high school!
Garcon that is not your private business. Who is the “well qualified consultant”? AND TELL US HOW MANY DIPLOMATIC APPOINTS HAVE BEEN MADE FROM 2000 TO TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Consultant is a respectable, well qualified Chinese named Fan Chew Dom Nick
Stupes!!!!!!