Accusations hurled at House Speaker

House Speaker Alix Boyd-Knights as she arrived for yesterday's sitting of the House of Assembly

Members of the United Workers Party (UWP) have accused the Speaker of the Hosue of Assembly Alix Boyd-Knights of using her power to push for by-elections.

Norris Prevost, parliamentary representative for the Roseau Central constituency told a press conference on Thursday after taking his Oath of Allegiance at the House of Assembly, that the speaker of the House along with other members of the Government, are only seeking to push their agenda in turning Dominica into a one-party state.

“It is important to note that it was in the hands of the speaker of the house not to put the country in that position. Because the speaker was informed of the inability of the two members to attend and the speaker has the power, she could have excused them or not excuse them,” Norris stated.

The UWP conducted a parliament boycott two consecutive times following the December 18, 2009 general elections- first on February 04, 2010, and the other time on March 2010. In an announcement at Parliament yesterday, Boyd-Knights said she received letters from elected UWP members Hector John (Salisbury constituency),  Edison James (Marigot constituency) as well as Prevost, acquainting her with the fact that they would not be attending this sitting of the House of Assembly.

“Understand it, the power this morning was in the hands of the speaker to push Dominica closer to by-elections, push the fight for the one-party state or to pull back and allow Dominica’s democracy to begin to come back, by excusing the two members. So we have to understand who is pushing for by-elections and the reason why we all understand; it is an ambition that exists within this present Government to have a one-party state in Dominica and Dominicans cannot stay by and allow this,” Prevost said.

Meanwhile,  president of the UWP Edison James supported Prevost, stating, “A letter was sent to the speaker and she read it this morning [Thursday] in the Parliament, which said ‘in accordance with the provision of Standing Order 15.1, I hereby acquaint you to attend the meeting of the House of Assembly to be held on Thursday 29 April, 2010’. That is precisely the wording in the Standing Order.

He accused Boyd-Knights of not granting them leave for the second sitting of the House.

“Last meeting, the speaker, in response to a letter from us, she wrote and she gave the reason for not giving us leave … what was that reason?- ‘Since you did not ask for leave the leave is not granted’, but the Standing Order does not require us to ask for leave … But the reason that she gave for not giving leave is that we did not ask for leave,” James added.

By DNO Correspondent

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32 Comments

  1. Observer
    May 5, 2010

    what a mess!!! Dominicans in total darkness. Thy fail to be shown some light in order to see what might be lurking ahead.

  2. Conflict of interest
    May 3, 2010

    The only countries where the speaker is openly biased are:
    Venezuela, cuba, Russia, lybia, china, Iran, n Korea…..what do they all have in common?

    Those of you living your lives overseas and refuse to return to contribute arr you living in any of the above?
    Obama is a black man and so am I. Are any of the leaders of the above black? Well guess who is on the international media staying that the world should follow them? Did he get his. Citizenship for any one of these countries?
    Actions speak louder than words. If he is so confident in what he is doing to the country then walk the walk. But I guess you agree with him when he says “this country is to free”
    “its non of their damn busiuness” where the campaign $ comes from.
    “not even the constitution can stop….”
    Never forget where Baby Doc retired after destroying Haiti.

  3. Observer
    May 2, 2010

    Do your do Madame Speaker. You are within bound. These men are all about themselves. When they use to be in gov’t they did what they wanted in the house, now is pay back time. Pay back is a mudda.

    Don’t let them touch you, handle them.

  4. link
    May 2, 2010

    i hate that woman she is not a nice person she feel she has to much power

    • Observer
      May 2, 2010

      I tend to dis-agree with you on that. When Workass was in gov’t they did wost.

  5. May 2, 2010

    I am a middle age man who have leave out of Dominica for a while, yet I have been paying close attention to what happens in my beloved country. If I am to say the least, the UWP is the DUMBNESS political party that ever existed in the history of Dominica. They do so many thing wrong, yet they stick to their ground and say they are within the law. I can understand when you have a Dunce Lawyer advising you, that was referred to as don cee by the president of the UWP. I can just imagine.

    They contradicts themselves everyday. Imagine hours leading up the parliament they are their talking of boycott, then here it is honourable Prevost takes his oath, moreover, letters are sent to speaker, informing her that they wont be attending on this day 29/4/2010. Then they kept a press conference denouncing the same parliament that Mr. Prevost just from taking his oath, not forgetting that mr. Provost is very crafty by saying he took his oath of ALLEGIANCE to avoid Dominica, being a one party state. I am a to dissect Mr. Provost statement he will remain a laughing stock for a very long time, but in the interest of time, I will leave Mr. Prevost and cohorts along with their game of blame that started 22 years old.

    They are a bunch of JOKERZ. The carmel back has been broken by this stupid move by Mr. Prevost…I strong recommend that you all go learn modern politics. The train left you all down from the day Skerro won his case in the BVI. It would appear that you are still on the toilet sitting. Wake up men of arrogance, power hungry, lazy lies, lack direction, blame government for even a young man being stabbed, wicked selfish politician.

    You all were elected to serve..

    NB: If you all would have attempt to contest the by election if any at all, you all would be involve in even more pappy show. If you all vacate you all seats without cause, why contest. The people are watching…JOKEZRZ

  6. da lover
    May 2, 2010

    My lady do your job ok! these men should be out of the house if that how is hasto be ok! they are just fool

  7. Delices Man!
    May 2, 2010

    Why are these grown men belly-aching over everything? Does that say something as to why they are where are today? They are even complainig abotu their own decision to stay out of parliament – JUST SICK!

  8. Bagguyla
    May 1, 2010

    But these UWP parliamentarians are impossible. They refuse to attend parliament out of their own free will, they are well aware that prolonged absence would provoke a bar-election and now they accusing the speaker of pushing that agenda. Their refusal to attend Parliament is all over the media and then they send a note with some fabricated excuse why they could not attend Parliament and then they expect the Speaker to excuse them??!! Magway SA. They should just stop their foolishness and go to represent their people in Parliament. I am not saying that the Government is beond reproach but the strategy adopted by the UWP will do them more harm than good in the longterm because they are losing credibility.

  9. 100Fuegos
    April 30, 2010

    This woman is an embarrassment to women in Dominica…..Oh sorry. That’s the next level.

  10. xmxn
    April 30, 2010

    those good dominica men fighting for democracy in DA and all u skero dogs calling them all kind of names time will tell show me your friends i will tell u who u are if you guys not seeing whats going on take your head off skero underwear because soon you will not able to talk is jail skero will put all of u just read about CUBA VENEZULIA CHINA AND YOU ALL WILL SEE WHATS GOING ON come on dominican you all are not that stupid

    • May 1, 2010

      mxxn,

      democracy is when the mayority of the people speaks,well they did,they elcted a goverment,or did they not??? and for your info chavez was also elected by the poor in venezuela,cause he care for them,what he did for his people, the USA never reached that LEVEL as yet for there own people,except.sendt them to war and and send them back in coffins

  11. tete sote
    April 30, 2010

    Mr James and Mr John stop your bulls*** and accept your second defeat in less than six months. { you lost at your own game } Stop your endless ranting and raving against the honourable speaker of the house of Assembly. Pas feh hont , do like Mr Prevost go and take your oath of allegiance to serve your people. Kaille poule kwaze . You dug a pit for Mr Skerrit and you FELL in it.

    • tired of all this crap
      April 30, 2010

      your name suits you

      • Marigot
        April 30, 2010

        i second that old Goat!!

        • XTREM
          May 1, 2010

          Shut allu a…. Leave ma knight alone. Dem kooboo there like power. Cyah see Edison .

    • black
      May 1, 2010

      YOUR … !!! Basic understanding would tell you, just as skero have his right Mr. James and Mr. John have there’s to. Go support yr parties hoping for the red clinic to open in all u …..

  12. BELZBOB
    April 30, 2010

    Wow. That’s interesting. I think and I reiterate, Dominicans need to learn the laws that govern their country and try to understand what happens when certain things are allowed to take place. I will pray for my country. I think it needs more than just my humble prayers, but it only takes one to start.

  13. McCoy Tyner
    April 30, 2010

    This guys are such idiots. They boy-cotting but asking for leave…which is it man.

    Why don’t they ask for leave for their own pappy show parliament?

    What fools…having your souce and eating it too!

  14. April 30, 2010

    Ridiculous.

    Since when did it become a secret that the UWP is on a boycott?

    What really do these people want?

  15. WE ARE NOT STUPID
    April 30, 2010

    How can the speaker justify having them excuses when they PUBLICLY said they going to boycot Parliament??? Its like school boys on the streets day and night defiantly saying they not going to school and then expecting that the principal should simple accept their note saying they cant be at school? What example is UWP setting for our youth? rebellion, defiance, haughtiness and arrogance.

    • none sense
      May 1, 2010

      u more stupid them them fellas. U want one party just now is all u so Skerrit well sell to Chavez , Chinese cause u to sort.

      • Truth B Told
        May 1, 2010

        For the record, if the UWP parliamentarians would simply show up and conduct the people’s business in the House of Assembly, that would be the BEST WAY TO PREVENT A ONE PARTY STATE.

        Just because they lost the elections 18-3 is no reason for them to cry and complain that democracy is in peril in Dominica. The opposite is actually true DEMOCRACY IS ALIVE AND WELL, as evidenced by the elections were the majority of Dominicans voted for the candidates and party of their choice, it just happened not to be the UWP!

        Get over it and let’s get on with the important task of nation building!

  16. COMMUNIST
    April 30, 2010

    CANT UNDERSTAND WHATS GOINING ON

  17. Fed Up
    April 30, 2010

    How could UWP be writing to the speaker re any meeting of parliament when they made it abundantly clear publicly that the UWP has taken a decision to BOYCOTT the house. And the speaker would have been out of her mind to grant leave in the circumstances. Let’s stop these games and let the country move forward. If UWP keeps it up, it appears that they will remain in opposition for a long time to come. It is all about self and nothing about country. Dominicans and the rest of the world are looking on with DISGUST!

  18. Anonymous
    April 30, 2010

    I am really sick and tired of these UWP people. They seems to be blaming everybody else …

    This is absolutely ridiculous.

  19. last man standing
    April 30, 2010

    lol hope u knwo we have the speaker of the house in our pucket to the next level we go

  20. defense of what?
    April 30, 2010

    who owns the land that French man Gadakan is building the colas plant?

    how many Dominicans are being displaced from the Public works to pave the way for his getting yet another set of multimillion dollar projects?

    Is he not The French Connection?

    Are not all citizens of the SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF FRANCE AGENTS OF FRANCE?

    WHO ELSE IS AN AGENT OF FRANCE?

    • Sout Man
      May 1, 2010

      Bro, let’s ask Prime Minister Skerrit to make a trade. Send this… French contractor back to his country in exchange for ALL the Dominicans in Guadeloupe only. Be careful what you ask for! Despite my rantings about colonialism and imperialism, I understand the intricacies of international politics and globalization. Can our small-mindedness recall the names and nationalities of the road construction companies that rehabilitated the Laplaine and Grand Bay roads under the Dominica Freedom Party? Didn’t the Canadians build the Grand Bay, Laplaine, Castle Bruce, Goodwill and Vielle Case primary schools. It was their gift, their money. They hired whoever they wanted.

      I agree that we must insist on the hiring of locals on every project but we cannot begrudge foreign companies making large sums of money. Their tax payers may have donated or loaned us the money. I know from the hatred emanating from your post that you would rather see the country remain backward so you could claim that the DLP government did nothing.

      I am happy that Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Senator Savarin and Speaker Alix Boyd-Knight have come a long way. When we in Grand Bay supported Hon. Patrick Rolland John during his campaign for Dominica’s independence, these Freedom Party stalwarts were trying to prevent it by working against the inevitable flow of history. Today, they, along with Mr. Charles Maynard, are spearheading our relationship with Cuba, China and Venezuela. The seeds sown by the late Hon. Roosevelt Douglas is bearing fruits.

      That’s why I am surprised that “comrades” Para Reviere, Bernard Wilshire, Athie Martin, Ronald Green, Gabriel Christian,MC Kenzie Severin, among others, are on the opposition bench. They allowed a Young Freedom Movement psychology major to out-fox them. Now, they are reacting to his policies.I still have lots of respect for these comrades, so I am not going to call them reactionaries but I am disgusted. The P.M. needs checks and balances. That’s why I applaud Hon. Ian Douglas for hanging in there. Ooops!! I digressed!!

  21. who is she
    April 30, 2010

    speaker or politician?
    Trained to be impartial or trained as a defence lawyer?

    By definition a defense lawyer is trained to defend at all costs.

    what is she defending?

  22. NIKE
    April 30, 2010

    sorry for typos my people

  23. NIKE
    April 30, 2010

    But what am I hearing. I Prevost saying the Speaker could excuse Edison James and Hector John? They were not sick, nor out of state infact they were having a Press Conference the time that Parliament was going on. This is a damn joke. I would really like to see the letter. Let me read what was their excuse.

    Besides these elected members have said publicly that they will boycott Parliament, they have been said so every day so whay blame the speaker? .

    Come better than that.

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