(DNO) Supporters of the United Workers Party (UWP) in Salisbury and Marigot are being advised to boycott by-elections in these two constituencies.
Senor Counsel Anthony Astaphan said strong messages should be sent to Edison James and Hector John for their failure to represent the people.
“The time has come for this absolute delusion that the UWP and their supporters are suffering from should come to an end. They seem to believe that they were cheated out of the election and they still cannot tell us where the 4,000 votes that they had in the last election went to,” he said.
Astaphan said the people need to send a clear message to the UWP that “politics is for men and not for boys with toys”.
He said the supporters and people who voted for them should boycott the by-elections.
Dominicans are expected to go to the polls sometime in July following announcements that the Marigot and Salisbury seats are now vacant following the failure of their representatives to attend parliament
This dude looks scary. Y’all sure this picture is real?
I think he said that just for sport — to get all the “Skerrit is the antichrist” people all hot and bothered. It seems easy to do.
The way the UWP has been conducting and portraying itself since the last general elections,to me, has reached a pathetic stage. From the onset, the UWP has claimed that the electoral process in Dominica is corrupt, the subsequent basis for boycotting parliament and also the pending lawsuit. Dominica is now at a croosroad where bi-elections are emminent in Marigot and Salisbury. These bi-elections have put the UWP in a very delicate situation; a situation from my perspective, it wishes it was not part of. Why should the UWP take part in the bi-elections? The bi-elections will take place under the same conditions of the electoral commission; there are no ID cards, no new voter list, etc. It will be the same conditions that the UWP used as their premise for the boycot and subsequent lawsuit. Participation in the bi-elections by the UWP will demonstrate hypocrisy on its part; a facade, which evidently cannot be seen by its supporters. I would like a rational response from anyone for the reason why UWP supporters in Marigot and Salisbury should be toyed with by the representatives of their party. Hector John is contracdicting himself by saying that the people of his constituency should exercise their democratic right to vote. Hector, these people were given their democratic right to vote in the general election. They voted for you hoping to get representation but you back pedalled. The people of Salisbury are now given a second chance to get representation by boycotting you or anyone from the UWP because a vote for you will be a waste of time. Voting for the UWP will be seen as a comical cycle which will cost the people of Dominica wated time and money. On a different note, the decision of Prevost to take his oath in parliament can influence the high court’s decision on June 18th. Prevost’s action demonstrares that finally the present government of Dominica is legitimate and worthy of recognition
To all the UWP supporters that have been nimbling their mouths before they pause to understand the standard (ENGLIH) spoken by Mr Astaphans!!
Note that, Mr Astaphans did not ask the electorate of Marigot and Salisbury to boycott the bar elctions in their constituencies,but that the supporters of the UWP who were highly disrespected by Mr James and Mr John,whereby failing to respresent them in the poeples parliament,that they should express their dissatisfaction by boycotting the (UWP)at the polls.
Well done Tony!
tony da people should boycot jastaphan
Who’s in that photo? is it our Jr.counsel or SHREK???? lol
The way the UWP has been conducting and portraying itself since the last general elections,to me, has reached a pathetic stage. From the onset, the UWP has claimed that the electoral process in Dominica is corrupt, the subsequent basis for boycotting parliament and also the pending lawsuit. Dominica is now at a croosroad where bi-elections are emminent in Marigot and Salisbury. These bi-elections have put the UWP in a very delicate situation; a situation from my perspective, it wishes it was not part of. Why should the UWP take part in the bi-elections? The bi-elections will take place under the same conditions of the electoral commission; there are no ID cards, no new voter list, etc. It will be the same conditions that the UWP used as their premise for the boycot and subsequent lawsuit. Participation in the bi-elections by the UWP will demonstrate hypocrisy on its part; a facade, which evidently cannot be seen by its supporters. I would like a rational response from anyone for the reason why UWP supporters in Marigot and Salisbury should be toyed with by the representatives of their party. Hector John is contracdicting himself by saying that the people of his constituency should exercise their democratic right to vote. Hector, these people were given their democratic right to vote in the general election. They voted for you hoping to get representation but you back pedalled. The people of Salisbury are now given a second chance to get representation by boycotting you or anyone from the UWP because a vote for you will be a waste of time. Voting for the UWP will be seen as a comical cycle which will cost the people of Dominica wated time and money. On a different note, the decision of Prevost to take his oath in parliament can influence the high court’s decision on June 18th. Prevost’s action demonstrares that finally the present government of Dominica is legitimate and worthy of recognition
Dominican should boycott everything or any business which got astaphan in their name. PETER PAYING FOR PAUL. We do not boycott in D ominica mr astaphan. wrong country. Give your mouth a rest .
When will that fool stop barking? He need a padlock on his sewer trap. This man yap at everything,even when a baby cries. I think this guy have major marital problem. He need to visit a psychiatric to check his brain.
Tony, you got a real cunning eyes !
marigot people stay strong and do not give up the fight
astaphan is typically one of the leaders that do not have no vision as to where dominica needs togo ‘and generaly have no love for the people who live there.
Is Tony Astaphans an animal, a person, a place or a thing?
Edison James is a mega thorn in these people,s very sensitive flesh:: They will not rest, they will have no peace until they see the utter destruction of this man. The Demons in them hate Mr James with perfect hatred. Every evil person i know on the Island just hate Apostle James, They have absolutely no justifiable reason for spewing out such venom. But when u are influenced by evil forces, you are then driven to do and say according to their dictate.
TONY, you are insulting these same supporters that you are appealing to by accusing them of ” suffering from absolute delusion”. Are you OK Sir/Madam???
Tony Go Be A Real Lawyer And Stop Rob The Country!!!
The UWP on principle should refuse to participate in this by-election. But if they participate the people must vote as it is their right as citizens to put an end to this nonsense, and if the people vote for any representative then they must go and represent the people and put an end to this nonsense.
Tony go ensure that your electrical fence is working and that your dog did not escape..
GOD BLESS THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ROOSEVELT SKERITT AND THE DLP, IF MARIGOT AND SALISBURY DON’T WANT TO MOVE ON, THEN THE REST OF DOMINICA WILL STAND BEHIND YOU. MAJORITY RULES.
LEAVE THEM TO EDDISON JAMES AND HECTOR JOHN AND MOVE DOMINICA FORWARD, NO REPRESENTATION FOR THESE TWO CONSTITUENCES WILL MAKE THEM FINALLY WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BUSH TEA.
where are you leaving? under a rock in the mountain tell me where u see da moving what’s wrong with u people all u still leaving in the 50’s and 60;s letting people fool u wake up get out from under that rock and work for the future of our beautiful country
who are you tony to tell dominicans how to execise their rights.wake up we are not in the dark days when your family used dominicans check your background your roots are not from dominica.check your history dominicans and see the truth behind tony,so surprise at you pm.tony your day wiil come.
TONY WANTS TO PLAY BRER RABBIT.
When UWP supporters do not turn out to vote, De FOX thinks he will grad the two remaining
seats!
Awa! We are more than you Compere !!
who is the prime minister of Dominica? is it Astaphan or Skerrit????????
why your mouth aways have to open first when your company astaphan have domonican working like slave clean your back yard tony before you try to clean someone else yard UWP SUPPORTERS should boycott shopping at astaphan then tony would know what is BOYCOTT (THE BOY THAT LOOKS LIKE A TOY)
DLP WANT MARIGOT BADLY WELL YOU WILL NOT GET IT SO TONY ASTAPHAN TAKE YOUR ADVICE AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT BECAUSE YOU A NOTHING TO US THE PEOPLE OF MARIGOT YOUR SUDDEN BRAND OF CARING IS LIKE A SHEET OF PLASTIC TAKE IT AND COVER YOURSELF BUT NEVER EVERY TRY TO TELL US WHAT TO DO .
MR.JAMES WILL STAY AS LONG AS WE WANT HIM TOO SO ACCEPT IT AND ANOTHER THING TONY HE IS JUST TO EDUCATED FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTY SO STICK TO BEING A LAWYER AND STAY OUT OF POLITICE.
I LOOK AT YOUR PICTURE BROTHER YOU LOOK LIKE A PIT BULL UNFORTUNATELY YOU GOING AFTER THE WRONG PEOPLE KEEP YOUR ADVICE TO YOURSELF FROM NOW ON..
WHY DO YOU THINK THE DLP WANTS MARIGOT? THEY ALREADY HAVE AN ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE. YOU FOLKS ARE DELUSIONAL. I HAVE NO PARTY AFFILIATION. WHAT I DO HAVE IS A MODICUM OF SENSE AND INTELLECT.
THE ELECTION IS OVER, UWP LOST BY A WIDE MARGIN. ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THERE WAS BOBOL IN ALL THE PARISHES? AS I HAVE PREVIOUSLY STATED, HOW CAN YOU TAKE A PARTY SERIOUSLY WHEN THEY COULD NOT PRODUCE THEIR MANIFESTO UNTIL A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
EDDISON JAMES NEVER GAVE UP THE LEADERSHIP OF THE UWP. RON GREEN WAS JUST A PUPPET WITH NO LEADERSHIP STYLE AND QUALITIES.
Well i know i in atlanta so eddo i cannot come down again
President Liverpool of Dominica had that to say in a speech to Parliament, entitled ‘Voting in Dominica.’ Here are some excerpts for your consideration, in light of Tony Astaphan’s backwardness, trying to fool people into not exercising their basic right to vote for the person of their choice. Tony Astaphan advised Salisbury and Marigot people to boycott the bye-election.
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA
HIS EXCELLENCY DR. NICHOLAS J.O. LIVERPOOL, D.A.H.
ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE SEVENTH PARLIAMENT ON WEDNESDAY, 18TH JULY, 2007
Madame Speaker, Honourable Members
The Right To Vote
Suffrage is defined as the civic right to vote or the exercise of that right. The legitimacy of modern democratic governments is usually measured by, and considered to derive primarily from suffrage. Suffrage is not an end in itself. It is a right which, when exercised, makes it possible for the public to participate in the selection of a government. Universal adult suffrage means that the right to vote should not be restricted by such qualifiers as ownership of property, gender or literacy. But there are certain legislative requirements such as citizenship, age of majority and residence.
Voting has been an essential element of democracy since the 6th Century BC, when democracy was introduced in the Greek city state of Athens. Today in most democracies, the right to vote is granted as a birth right, without discrimination with regard to race, class or gender. Voting privileges are extended in some countries to citizens of other countries with which there are close links; for example in Dominica in certain circumstances we extend the right to vote to all Commonwealth citizens. Elections are held to the ideal of “one individual, one vote”, meaning that every vote should be counted with equal weight.
Securing the right to vote freely by the black population was also a major goal of the American civil rights movement.
The right to vote, and as a consequence the right to determine which political party or group of persons is to govern the country during the next parliamentary term is one of the most important rights in a democratic society. Although the importance of this right is almost universally recognised, for some reason which has not been sufficiently articulated, its status has not been elevated to that of a fundamental right such that it is protected as a specific right and guaranteed under the provisions of Chapter 1 of the Dominica Constitution. It is, however, a deeply entrenched right and it may not easily be tampered with by the legislature.
The Constitution provides that every person whose name is entered in the register of voters in any constituency is entitled to vote in an election of Representatives for that constituency.
Certain categories of persons are disqualified from being registered as electors even if they possess the necessary qualifications. These are persons who have been declared to be of unsound mind, or who are patients of an establishment which is maintained for the treatment of persons who are suffering from mental illness; persons undergoing a sentence of imprisonment in Dominica; and persons who have been sentenced to death or who are under sentence of imprisonment exceeding twelve months in any part of the Commonwealth.
Elections
An election is a decision making process in which people vote for preferred candidates to act as representatives in government. This is the usual mechanism by which modern democracies fill offices in central legislatures and local government.
In modern political theory, the authority of the government in democracies derives fundamentally from the consent of the governed, and the principal method for translating that consent into governmental authority is through the holding of free and fair elections. While openness and accountability are usually considered to be the cornerstones of a democratic system, the act of casting a vote, and the content of a voter’s ballot constitute important exceptions. The secret ballot is now considered to be crucial to a free and fair election as it limits the possibility of intimidation.
The nature of democracy is that elected officials are accountable to the people, and they must return to the voters at prescribed intervals to seek a mandate to continue in office.
The Holding of Elections
The vote has been described as the most powerful force for change in a community. The requirements set out in the Dominica Constitution supplemented by the election laws such as the House of Assembly (Elections) Act, the House of Assembly (Disqualification) Act, the Registration of Electors Act, and the Regulations made under those laws specify the procedures for the holding of elections.
Registration of Electors
Voter registration lies at the very heart of the democratic process, and for that reason and like other components of the electoral process, the method by which voters are registered must be measured in terms of its contribution to the electoral system as a whole. The system of registration must be beyond reproach. But although the list is compiled and kept secure by the Chief Elections Officer, the initiative, is left to the citizen to decide if he or she wishes to become a registered voter, and indeed, having been registered whether he or she wishes to exercise the right to vote.
The process of registration of voters is intended to provide electoral registers that are accurate and comprehensive throughout the country. It is subject to a very high level of independence from outside interference. The Chief Elections Officer is responsible for administering the process of registration, and any persons who are appointed to assist her must comply with any general or specific instructions which she may give to them.
.
Madam Speaker, Honourable Members
Conclusion
There appears to be general disenchantment among voters, including young voters despite the increase in educational facilities and opportunities. There also seems to be a serious lack of knowledge and understanding of the electoral process.
The downward trend in the pattern of voting is illustrated by the following official figures. In 1951 at the first general elections held under the principle of Universal Adult Suffrage 75% of the electorate voted. The statistics reveal that at the general elections held in 1980, 80.21% of the registered voters cast their ballots, and at the 1985 general elections 74.56 % of the eligible voters voted. This figure was reduced to 66.64% at the general elections held in 1990; 65.18% in 1995, 60.17% in 2000, and 59.09% in May, 2005. This represents a 21% reduction in the percentage number of voters who have cast their ballots in the last 20 years.
There may be several reasons for this disenchantment, and we should seek to discover what they are. I would therefore like to propose that one of the many ways by which this problem can be addressed is by introducing simple courses in Civics at our schools and colleges starting at the primary school level.
The electoral office could also redouble its efforts in carrying out programmes of education and information to promote public awareness of the democratic process. This may be done in two ways, first by highlighting to the public the mechanics of participating in the democratic process, and secondly by mounting a massive education and inspirational campaign to try to persuade more registered voters to get involved in the process.
While the President is advocating for more persons to exercise their rights to vote and Civics again introduced in schools to sensitize people from an early age, Tony Astaphan is advising that people should boycott bye election if called so that his DLP could grab the seat. Tony is a guy that no right thinking person should listen to, given his aggressive and irresponsible behaviour.
he reminds me of a character in batman movie,
its a shame how the camera makes you look like that.
i saw him 2 weeks ago and i was amazed that he looked so young and vibrant.
james and john… hmmm.. what is going on.
lol! YES the penguin…..I wonder if tony does/can do his ‘homework’ boy…..maybe he getting help with de ‘science’ lol…….
In stead of asking us marigot and salisbury people to boycott the election. Why didn’t u tell the speaker of the house to hold back on her decision? Then skeritt will have more time to make money to buy us. Oh Oh i forget marigot and salisbury people cannot be bought come with another strategy. As for u ASS-taphan the people from salisbury that working for u they not from salisbury,which means they cannot vote there. And in my mind set they are the only one u can convince to boycott the election.
Time Tony, Time…
But wait awhile, Mr. Aphan is what again?
trust me tony they wont give u that satisfaction. sorry to disappoint u
hahahahahaha….that’s call I can do when I read that nonesense
…” Thank God for Skerrit… Dominica will soon be his… no need for elections again… he moved D/ca to another level
WHY CAN’T THIS PEOPLE PUT POLITICS ASIDE AND JUST MOVE ON TO BUILD A BETTER COUNTRY. I AM A UWP SUPPORTER BUT THIS IS SHAMEFUL AND I LEARNED ALOT FROM THIS.
DO WHAT’S BEST FOR WE THE PEOPLE OF DOMINICA MR.SKERRIT
u damn lie……u red like skerrit dimples a self….there is nuthin i hate more than ppl pretending to be what they r nt
in truth….son of a self pretender.
Tony, for practical purposes you make v ery little sense, the presence or absenceof the opposition in parliament is academic. The opposition has very little say on matters in the house particulalry where they are in such small numbers, futhermore the committees in parliament are almost dysfunctional. Is not anything special hapening in the house. UWP embarked on a political strategy which must have an end, but I highly disagree that anyone suffers except the speaker of the house who is missing them to verbally toy with.
“The time has come for this absolute delusion that the UWP and their supporters are suffering from should come to an end. They seem to believe that they were cheated out of the election and they still cannot tell us where the 4,000 votes that they had in the last election went to,” he said.
Tony is so correct. This is the crux of the matter. They have been unable to respond to that.. The UWP are seeking to take shame from their eyes in what is a pointless set of exercises since the last election. They are a huge embarrassment to our nation and people. With no chance of forming the government — even if they win ALL their court challenges — the UWP are merely on a huge, pointless frolic. What a shame! What a waste!
Tony Astaphan never advised his PM and GOVT. to consider the plight of the Salisbury and Marigot people, not before certainly not after December 18th,2009. Those communities are experiencing more and more poverty as a result of the rapid decline in and the deterioration of the Agricultural sector. The GOVT has failed the Agricultural Sector. A policy of institutionalizing handouts is in operation. Encouragement for hard work ‘ BY THE SWEAT OF THY BROW THOU SHALL EAT BREAD’ has been buried.
To add insult to injury, three Sittings of Parliament were hastily summoned with the expressed purpose of putting the representatives that those communities voted for, overwhelmingly in the elections, out of Parliament. In none of those sittings did the people of those communities hear discussions or plans to improve their living standards. No discussion on how to deal with the rising unemployment situation, especially among the youth. Nothing in those sittings regarding plans to put agriculture back on its feet and to increase production. That would be more in the interest of Marigot and Salisbury as agricultural communities than the wickedness that’s going on,with Tony Astaphan and his GOVT fighting for absolute POWER. Almost five months have passed since the elections, yet there is still a stubbornness, an unwillingness by Tony and his GOVT to even talk about ELECTORAL REFORM so that future elections could be free and fair as compared to all those irregularities and actions against the Law. Bribery is one of those acts that is surely against the law. People were given free plane tickets just to come down to vote. They were induced with plane tickets and cash so to do. Every Dominican are aware of that. In fact, Tony Astaphan cannot deny that $22,000,000.00 was the amount budgeted for use in the elections. Plane tickets, money, money, money was extensively used to manipulate. No ID cards so that voters could be properly identified, bloated voters’ list (67000 registered voters out of a population of 69000) with names of dead persons on it, no equal access to the National radio Station. The PM afraid to debate one-on-one on pertinent national issues with the leaders of the other political parties. He first accepts an invitation to debate, then cowardly doesn’t show up. Ask Tony Astaphan why he and the PM or the DLP cannot take Linton to court for disclosing all those secret dealings or actions re. use of public office to amass massive wealth. In fact, the present Health Minister in Parliament advised Inland Revenue to investigate those who seem to have acquired huge assets that their income cannot afford. He should also have alerted the CID and IPO.
Who stalled and disregarded the decision of Parliament to produce ID cards? Tony Astaphan is even more powerful than an entire parliament. No money was released to do the job, although Parliament, made up at that time of DLP and UWP politicians, agreed for ID cards to be produced for the elections. The Chief Elections Officer had recommended ID cards almost six years ago to facilitate their work for the elections. Who was supposed to release the money, surely it was not the opposition politicians?
Dominicans must ask Tony Astaphan, who seem always ready to cuss anybody who has a different view from his, how many hundreds of thousands of dollars, or millions, has he made since the DLP came to office? While the people of Marigot and Salisbury are catching hell because of the inability of that GOVT to boost the economy and create much needed jobs, Tony astaphan is making plenty $$$$$$$$$$$$. Tony Astaphan lacks all moral or ethical authority to now tell the people of Marigot and Salisbury what best to do. Why do those persons like Tony harbour so much hate to their own fellow men and women. In the first place DLP and its supporters voted and did everything to have all of the opposition politicians lose their seats. Why the crocodile tears about they not being in parliament and crying blood to see them in parliament. The reason is not for GOVT and their supporters to listen to good advice and input from the opposition in parliament, but to belittle, chastise and demolish them with all kinds of derogatory tongue lashing. While in parliament, Norris Prevost proposed a BUSINESS INCUBATOR where the old boys’ school was. Norris and others brought all kinds of reasons why such a project would be good for the people of Roseau and environs. The people of Roseau would have benefited big time. Govt, cast him and the feasible proposal aside and gave the place to a Foreign owned school of medicine.
Tony Astaphan gave good support to the Antigua Labour Party in challenging the irregularities in the elections of 2009 there. The ALP filed petitions and the court ruled in the favour of the ALP. Tony was elated, jumped for joy, boasted about the victory for ALP. However, that same Tony, with his NARCISSIST behaviour, wants to tell Dominicans that it was madness for the opposition here to file petitions in court. He and DLP and supporters dismissed the opposition as greedy for power and they should just accept the defeat without complain. But while Tony Astaphan is assured of his BIG BUCKS from GOVT, the ordinary people become more and more marginalised, poverty increases and unemployment continues to be on the rise. Crime and violence has become the order of the day. Dominicans you cannot be fighting for Tony Astaphan to become richer and richer, while the majority of us become poorer and poorer. In what book is that written? Tony Astaphan will never succeed in fooling all the people all of the time. He continues to allow his Narcissist ways to predominate over his spiritual faculties.
Its easier for the supporters to boycott your nonsense than to boycott the UWP. This will only happen if the two representatives so direct their people.
It is our Human Nature and Man Himself, as it is said that “Satan is always near and inextricably interwoven with Man” It is only the question of that Power being Latent or Active in us.
The Prime Minister and his party had the opportunity to have taken the High Moral Ground on this and completely undermine the UWPs’ boycott by simply ignoring it, and govern in a way that unites the country instead of divided it any further.
What is it that the P M is incapable of doing now that he would then be able to do with all 21 seats? and can someone tell me how by calling Bi – elections guarantee victory for DLP?
It should be clear to anyone with a little common sense that the Prime Minister here is being vindictive, petty and unprofessional; it is almost as if this whole seat thing is just a case of I will show you guys who’s boss! and has nothing to do with the people of those constituencies.
Like a kid, the Speaker of the House could not wait to show off her hand, proving my point that they operate totally emotionally and lack the necessary discipline to be servants of the people.
If fraud succeeds and reaps a golden harvest, all the blame does not rest with fraud. A person stupid enough to be deceived, and waiting with open purse for some fantastic personality to come along and fleece him, is certainly a party to the crime.
People fundamentally honest, in either material or spiritual matters are not easily fooled. It is the streak of dishonesty in human nature that makes fraud profitable, People desiring something they have not earned are almost certain to lose in their effort to get it. It is stupidity and cupidity of millions that sustain corruption in every department of society, and religion cannot remain pure and undefiled while the men who make up the belief are in themselves corrupt.
There you have it, if it should ever be proven that any of the allegations made against the P M, be made to show truth, all that remained silent knowing the truth should and will be held party to the crime, and should face the same fate as the accused. So Mr. President, The elders of the Labor Party, members of the current government… What’s you all next move?
Delusion is not the word! UWP leaders say “we are not going to the House, because going says we agree that the election was fair”; then one of them goes and two others send love letters to the Speaker asking for leave from the same fraudulent House. Supporters see that and with a straight face try to justify obvious double talk, flip flop and contradictions. Think about it, if they truely believe what they are saying(the election was not fair), then why not stand on principal? Supporters and non- supporters would respect them and say, say what you may about them, but they were men of principal. Like the presidential campaign in the US where actual flip flop was handed out by the Bush campaign to supporters and wave around in the air as a powerful symbol against Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry, so should the DLP do in the upcoming byelection against the UWP.
i AM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS PENGUINE
WHAT A DUMB SUGGESTION .
Dont listen to that man, go out and vote its your democratic right, Dont let no Foreigner tell you what to do, Remember he was the one that said he will do anything to keep the uwp out of office, and he is trying, You are not fools, go out and vote, for who you want, He knows if you dont vote lanour will win, Dont let him fool you like he been fooling Dominican for years, They say MARIGOT people are not Dominicans thats because we are not fools.
No! This is out of order. Two wrongs do not make a right. You may wish to advise the electorate to vote for another party – if you are genuine tell them to vote for any other party – but please, do not teach Black people to boycott elections. Too many people died for us to have a vote. Too many struggles were fought along the road to decolonization and independence. All that suffering by our ancestors towards universal adult suffrage and our independence could not have been so that one day a Black man or woman would boycott elections of who should govern over him/her in his/her own country. Do you ever hear ‘white’ people teaching this nonsense to their people! Everywhere around the world people are encouraged to participate in the electoral process – this is what gives democracy its credibility – “Government of the people by the people for the people!”
Now, I know the Dominican massive will rush to partisan conclusions on what I have attempted to express here – please do not politicize my observations – let it be known that I support no political party in the Commonwealth of Dominica. But as a young Black proud Dominican living in the UK who has tried to empower and encourage young Black despondent British males to reengage with the political system because we can only change it from within, I know what political apathy can yield.
We seem to have perfected the art of escalating problems in Dominica. Sometimes people need to just stand back. I repeat, for Dominica, as I would for any democratic community anywhere in the world, especially for Black communities – engagement with the system is the only way to effect real change. Do not surrender your right to vote – too many people died over the past hundreds of years so that you could express that right. Whether you are a Black man/woman in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Salisbury or Marigot! Express your right to vote – and if you want to punish one party vote the other – but vote – for the love of God, country and all your dead ancestors who died trying to get you that vote – vote! DO NOT TEACH BLACK PEOPLE NOT TO VOTE!
Is TONY BLACK??
Gerald you are basically telling the people of Marigot and Salisbury that they should go vote for these two individuals who have no intention of representing them in Parliament. And in so doing play the race card on Tony of accusing of he telling Black People not to vote.
Are you really a Magistrate of just another UWP in foreign???
Tony are you from Marigot ? NO
what do you have to loose in Marigot? NOTHING
What is your problem with Mr Edison James and the Marigot people ? YOU DON’T HAVE A CLUE
Well Tony no one f rom Marigot is a FOOL so take your boycott and shove it.
Your problem is that you have no respect for anyone , somebody FOOL you good but it was’t a Marigot person.
mr astaphan ,you said that before .what you care about that ????????????????
why don’t u say boycott this govt