Austrie, PM Skerrit rip UWP for lack of progress on electoral reform

Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, and his deputy Reginald Austrie have blamed the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) for the lack of progress in implementing electoral reform in Dominica.

Earlier this week the Concerned Citizens Movement held a national consultation on the need for electoral reform. The Dominica Labour Party (DLP) was a no-show.

Commenting on the matter on a recent radio program, Austrie said that calls for electoral reform in Dominica “is a call in the wilderness” since the ruling DLP is already moving forward on the matter.

“It is unjustified, it is unnecessary because the process is already moving,” he said. “So if the process is already moving, then what are you calling for? If you want to say it will be split up, it’s another matter. If you want to say it is going too slow, it’s another matter but you are the one holding up the process. You are the ones who went to stone parliament during the passage of the legislation to move the process of electoral reform forward.”

In May 2017, protests were held near Parliament in opposition to matters that were being tabled by the government including amendments to the House of Assembly (Election) Act. The protesters said the amendments would legalize treating and bribery, which are electoral offenses in Dominica. Debate on the matter was subsequently adjourned without further considerations.

Protesters near parliament in May 2017

Austrie blamed the UWP for the protest and said it should have been condemned by unions such as Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU), which also has been calling for electoral reform.

“I am not sure if Thomas Letang (General Secretary of the DPSU) has ever commented or condemned the action of the UWP supporters on that day when we were going to begin the process of passing legislation,” he stated. “It seems to me that the government is and more proactive in the process of electoral reform than the UWP. But you know what the problem is? Every time the UWP makes a roadblock, everytime they try to move against the government with some foolishness and they have nothing else to say or do, they are falling back and beating up on this dead horse called electoral reform.”

Austrie said the government has agreed to proceed with electoral reform.

“And to say that electoral reform will prevent dead people from voting, it further demonstrates the laziness of the UWP and the fact they don’t want to do no work, not even for the protection of their political selves,” he stated.

Skerrit has similar sentiments when he spoke on state-owned DBS Radio on Friday morning.

“In respect to electoral reform, the citizens of Dominica will recall that this government took a bill to parliament to do just what the opposition and others have been calling for,” he stated. “What happened in the parliament? The parliament was stoned. The police were stoned by the opposition.”

The parliament and the police were actually not stoned, although protesters did at one point try to storm barricades around the building, prompting the police to fire a warning shot.

According to Skerrit, the UWP under the leadership of Lennox Linton “is not interested in anything constructive.”

“They call for something when it is given to them, they do not want it,” he said.

He pointed out that the UWP is only talking about electoral reform and not about people wanting roofs over their heads.

“They are not talking about the reconstruction of this country,” he remarked. “They say they want to be consulted and when they are invited to sit with the citizens of Dominica and the international community who are assisting us in rebuilding, they turn down the invitations. We would have dealt with the legal aspect of the electoral reform long before the hurricane. So these people are just looking for ways to undermine the security of the country and the economic prosperity of the citizens of this country.”

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45 Comments

  1. Remaining true to party and country
    May 1, 2018

    One word. RUBBISH.
    Get these useless ministers out of government and vote the UWP in.
    These guys MUST GO. Period.

  2. Cow bite man
    April 30, 2018

    No election without election reform,..

  3. Cow bite man
    April 30, 2018

    So these people are just looking for ways to undermine the security of the country and the economic prosperity of the citizens of this country…. really???? :-?

  4. April 28, 2018

    Skerrit must goooooooo
    Austrie must goooooooo
    Charlo must goooooooo
    LABOUR must goooooooo

  5. Zandoli
    April 28, 2018

    More BS from the PM and his deputy. DLP has an overwhelming majority in parliament. They don’t need the support of UWP to pass legislation. To blame UWP is spewing a whole lot of nonsense.

  6. April 28, 2018

    “Out of the mouth of Babes” i’m sure this is a quote that has been heard before and can be equated to these two morons. These two lying insects will continue to spew what they are famous for and its the focus of their party affiliation (DLP) = Deception Lies Propaganda; Austrie has never contributed positively to the Political development of this country and the Punjab PhD continues to exhibit why he received his fake degree; they have offered absolutely nothing on their so called “moving forward with electoral reform” Yes guys “birds of a feather flock together” and “show me your company and i”ll tell you who you are” are so true and are reflected in the utterances of these two intellectual and political dishonest sorry excuses for politicians and the governance of our country.

  7. Mark
    April 28, 2018

    The PM needs an empty barrel to make noise for him.. That’s all Austrie does.. Just the same way he said the roseau central pal rep could not run a business not he has to eat his vomit because he is sitting amongst them now..Austrie if you don’t have anything substantial to say just shot your big mouth.

  8. Joe Budden
    April 27, 2018

    So it just so happens that whenever there’s a protest that the time the reform is going to be passed. You guys must be the unluckiest. Don’t understand how this is supposed to fool anyone.

  9. Ibo France
    April 27, 2018

    Are the leader and his sycophant serious with their frivolous accusations? The obvious reason Dominica is so bleak and dismal is due to the lack of intelligence and foresight in the government. Dishonesty and habitual lying are intrinsic traits of these ministers of government. There is e-government but this present administration is a F-government: Failed, Fraudulent, Frivolous, Farcical , Feebleminded,, Filthy, Flawed, Foolish, Foul, Fake, Futile, Fuzzy, Frustrating, Frightening, Frail, Forlorn

  10. Man bites dogs
    April 27, 2018

    PRIME MINISTER SKERRIT, should not discuss any electoral reform on till long after the election campaign.The government main concern now is getting people homes repaired electric and much more,That guy Linton has a big nasty problem with his self and anyone else, for a start Linton is talking about my Dominica, who is this Sycophantic fooling apart from his self, to be honest Linton is is just a door mat.

    • FloridIan diaspora
      April 27, 2018

      Are you angry that people are waking up? Are you retarded ot are you hungry? You that man that like to bite dog should be given some dog chow and a new leash because when you speak like a dog you should get treated like one.

    • In the first place Mr. Dog Eater the word is “until”; not on till!

      Secondly, I know Lennox Linton, and I assure you he is no doormat; at least we know his name, it is Lennox Linton, Known all over Dominica, and the rest of the Caribbean. We saw his face while working at Marpin Television hosting a program called “What About.” His English vocabulary was perfect, and is still impeccable!

      We heard his voice on Observer Radio in Antigua, and throughout the rest of the Caribbean; nevertheless, not one learned person ever criticize his vocabulary, and intelligence: And you see this word here: “sycophantic” that suite you much more than Lennox, since you are the one self-seeking servile flatterer.

      If psycophantism was in Lennox plan, he would not burst wide open the trash bin corruption, and caused more than half of a million dollars they had already stole to be returned to the government treasury. In any event I suspect you intended to say Lennox  is a psychopath, since you…

    • Ibo France
      April 27, 2018

      @Man roasts dogs. Stop cursing and learn to spell and construct your sentences much better. Must commend though for some gradual improvement.
      on till — until
      His self — himself
      By the way, the Electoral System is the heart of our democracy. If the heart is bad, the rest of the body will malfunction. If the electoral system is bad then there will always be deep-seated animosity, disquiet, palpable tension in the country which eventually can lead to political unrest and mayhem.

    • Man bite dogs
      May 1, 2018

      @ Francisco, Floridian Die as poor, and Ido, Three of the nastyest on this page, and I recommend that all three of you should take a good bath in disinfection water.

  11. Man bites dogs
    April 27, 2018

    LENNOX LINTON, is a con attice this guy is evel and don’t care about anyone else but his self,he is a ….piece of work and all who follow this ….. idiotic person must be stupid and mad as a broom stick.

  12. Jonathan Y St Jean
    April 27, 2018

    How can Joseph Isaac go and associate himself with this level of hyperbole.Lies and more lies.There was no stoning of parliament.There was an attempt to try and legalizing bribery at elections, there has been a long drawn out sham by the government and it’s operatives on the electoral commission to fool the masses that they are doing something when all they are doing is playing games and abiding by Tony …-ta- Phan and Alick Lawrence warning to Skerritt that it is madness to clean the voters list.All eyes and ears are on Joseph Isaac from now to see his reaction to this tone and tenor of politics of lies and division

  13. The accursed thing
    April 27, 2018

    One day Dominica will be free again and all liars , deceivers and hypocrites will be on the run rather than being on the loose lying and deceiving the people. I have a dream that one day our country will be governed by righteousness and truth again instead of the usual lies and deceptions. I have a dream that one day the church in Dominica will rise again and start the condemn unrighteousness. The church will start to preach against adultery especially those in authority. Not only that but the church will start to teach that God’s plan for marriage is for husband and wife to live together and not for husband to ship wife abroad so that he can drive in tinted cars at night with all manner of women. I have a dream that one day the church will stand up against all those evils on our land. I have a dream sir and mom, brothers and sisters

  14. Roosevelt, you had better come out and say you do not want any electoral reform! You know very well you are the Dominica god; and unless you want something to happen it will not happen. UWP now anyone else can say let’s start today; it all boils down to you!

    You are simply wicked: Here is a situation in Wesley, Maria smashed up Wesley, we have a neutral Village council, we have Bazil who is the parliamentary representative, representing the people. The world at large has donated money and and building material to give to people for free!

    You are victimizing, rather than you giving  materials or whatever to Bazil  or the Neutral  village council to distribute to people who need, you give things to my cousin Athena Benjamin, a …… to play politics. She is not giving anything the people she know did not vote for her.

    In Wesley we know Athena is your puppet, and she has a bad reputation, from school where she beat a teacher, nobody is going to vote for her!

    • Man bites dogs
      April 27, 2018

      Francisco, please you are not stupid i know for a fact you are not, Wesley is not the only place in Dominica,Please stop that stupid losers idiotic small talking nonsense especially from you i expected must better than that….

    • John victor
      April 28, 2018

      That guy sounds like a toddler in his mid seventies.

  15. Sammy Ettiene
    April 27, 2018

    A Bajan friend of mine who left Dominica a few days ago was surprised at the amount of houses still under tarpaulin. A few minutes ago, some bajan friends was telling me about the amount of money Barbados sent to us after maria…what they know is that that money was pocketed and is seating in banks all over the place…and the list how’s on…

    Our leaders not yet shame! Shame Shame Shame!

  16. Faceup
    April 27, 2018

    Lennox Linton i had a dream that you if elected would be the worst dictator the world has ever seen.

  17. April 27, 2018

    While you pointing one finger, four pointing back at you
    After 18 years and spend billions, with nothing to show for it
    Blame allu failure on Lenox, and UWP
    I give Skerrit and his gang an F- :-D :-D

    • Man bites dogs
      April 27, 2018

      Pennez you idiots prat you saying it backwards,be honest with your self for once tell me one good thing Lennox Linton, has ever done for you or anyone else of Dominicans apart from his self?????

      • viewsexpressed
        May 1, 2018

        Too numerous to mention….and in office more will be done.

        If you can’t get, or have not gotten from you corrupt Skerrit Leader then that you problem. You are in the wrong camp…its corrupt.

  18. Mishie
    April 27, 2018

    This is ridiculous. Just accept the criticism and push the reform forward end of story. CHupes.

  19. Channel 1
    April 27, 2018

    “In respect to electoral reform, the citizens of Dominica will recall that this government took a bill to parliament to do just what the opposition and others have been calling for,” he stated. “What happened in the parliament? The parliament was stoned. The police were stoned by the opposition.”

    Parliament was stoned where? In Skerrit’s deluded mind?

    And what were the SPECIFICS of that bill which Skerrit & Co took to parliament then?

    • viewsexpressed
      May 1, 2018

      Skerrit , shut up. If the people were protesting, they have every right to do so, then you shut up with excuses and stop complaining and just “sine di” parliament and meet the next day. What happen are you illiterate to Parliament proceedures or you would like Hon Linton and his team to assist and advise you and your failed Cabinet and back benchers?

      Skerrit Go

  20. Roy Williams
    April 27, 2018

    No one is listening to either Roosevelt Skeritt or Reginald Austrie voices in the wilderness. They were invited to the Concerned Citizen movement consultation, had they attended, this would have been an opportune time, to tell Hon. Lennox Linton he was responsible for the lack of progress. According to Dice, he fraid, he fraid, de leader of the opposition. Now , they are crying like children. I have always said, Roosevelt Skeritt is afraid of Lennox Linton, when it comes to politics. If you don’t believe me, ask him, why is it for five years, he has refused to have an official debate with Lennox Linton.

    • Faceup
      April 27, 2018

      Take that comment and dump.it in the Boushurie Roseau river mouth.. LENNOX LINTON IS NO LEADER..

    • Roy boy, it is not very often I commend peoples opinions, but on this one, I commend you for your courage in tell it like it is: Roosevelt is always blaming everyone for all his blunders, and the destruction which he caused the country!

      Even if there was no Erika, nor Maria, Dominica would be in the shape it is in right now. As long as clowns as Austrie, and Roosevelt in running Dominica there is no hope, after eighteen years, if there are people in Dominica who still believe that God gave Roosevelt to Dominica as his estate, therefore n one else can serve our people and do better.

      Then I suggest all the people who has now discover that Roosevelt accompanied by Austrie and the other clowns in the regime are nothing more than a wast of time frauds; they should leave Dominica to Skerrit and his puppets, and immigrate to other countries and seek refugee asylum.

      To reelect Roosevelt is self punishment, and disregard for personal welfare!

  21. FloridIan diaspora
    April 27, 2018

    Doctors say that a human being can only use 1/10 of their brain but the fake Dr from punjab think that his plastic degree made him wiser than king salmon and he is the first human capable of using the other 9/10 l. that skeritt there think he smart. All cat and know that he is firmly against electoral reform. I don’t know if is to call it reverse psychology or evil science but this man saying that the DLP (Dominica lazy pary) has made great progress on the matter is like he telling the public that people should pray to the devil to forgive them for their sins.

  22. Bee
    April 27, 2018

    I would like to dedicate this song to dear old skerrit.
    Take a listen.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYkqMT6HKD0

  23. mine
    April 27, 2018

    Pictures worth a thousand words, this is the protest when they were in parliament for the reform, so what is wrong with these desperate people.

  24. LifeandDeath
    April 27, 2018

    Reprehensible!!..This is the first perfect Government I see, the proof is in the number of nurses flying away regularly, the number of Farmers turned construction laborers, the increase in delinquency at the AID bank..

    Kudos to Skerrit and Austrie, the undisputed poster twins for dismal economic performance in an ever regressing island state..

    Dominicans should cease from all this complaining, PM got ya, PM knows best!!..and with such a ‘creative’ sidekick, Batman and Robin ain’t got dung on these ‘God’ appointed fellows.

  25. BREAKING POINT
    April 27, 2018

    P.M Skerrit do the honourable thing and organize for electoral reform and stop misleading the people of this nation with your lies and propaganda. We all know who is going to believe your story ; so stop that!!

  26. Hemmed in
    April 27, 2018

    DLP are mad for excuse. They eat them for lunch and cough them out whenever they can. The most humourous one was the ‘coup’ one… Lol

  27. Concerned citizen
    April 27, 2018

    Stupz government in Dominica is a bunch of dog eat dog. Instead of fighting against one another come together and figure out solutions to better the country. Thats why allu in power in the first place!

    • prophet for a profit
      April 27, 2018

      If you listen to both parties, they both want unity, but in the same sentence they will chastize the other. Unity for each party is for the other side to join them. for example, Labour want uwp to cross over like Joseph Isaac. UWP want the same. But yet they want peace and unity, then calling the other side names.

    • Man bites dogs
      April 28, 2018

      Concerned, Are you real or a Robot which one is it?

  28. De Boys and them
    April 27, 2018

    PM Skerrit and Austrie should also blame UWP for the 2010 Christmas morning fire bombing of the house of GON Emmanuel; they should blame UWP for blocking the 43 counts of alleged crimes that somehow saw GON Emanuel gone to the grave without any sense of justice. Austrie and Skerrit should blame UWP for causing the Venezuelan government official to announce at the UN that the government of Venezuela forgives and cancels the $100 million debt that Dominica owned to Venezuela. The should even blame UWP for the inability of Skerrit, Reggie, and the government to tell the people of Dominica what happened to that $100 million dollars. There are many other issues the government should blame UWP for but time does not permit me now

    • KID ON THE BLOCK
      April 27, 2018

      Skerrit and Reggie don’t need your advise. Take your advise to LENNOX so he can continue to brain wash you and the other boys like you.

      • viewsexpressed
        May 1, 2018

        Kid on the block, when you big bigger people taking n the block, go change your diapers please and go read your ABC. At this stage of your age you are poor in comprehension and bind to corruption. Good luck,,,,get lost

  29. prophet for a profit
    April 27, 2018

    they say, the time government was going to pass the reform, police find a bag of stones behind DOWASCO. so they couldnt pass the legislature. That is their excuse. A bag of stones.

    • viewsexpressed
      May 1, 2018

      What a LOL…LOL…LOL…LOL….

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