Bouyed by a massive victory in the Soufriere by-election, Political Leader of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP), Roosevelt Skerrit, has called on Roseau South MP, Joshua Francis to step down.
Francis is facing similar allegations as Ian Pinard which led to his resignation as MP for Soufriere and Public Works Minister, paving the way for the by-election.
The DLP won the by-election on Tuesday in a landslide victory with candidate Denise Charles amassing 1,342 votes while her competitor from the United Workers Party, Higgs Adam, taking 560 votes.
At a victory rally in Soufriere on Tuesday evening Skerrit called on Francis, who was booted out as Deputy Leader of the UWP based on the allegations, to step down as early as today, Wednesday.
“This party and this political leader are coming straight for the Roseau South seat,” he stated to thunderous applause. “I tried not get involved in this matter, ladies and gentlemen but I am calling on Joshua Francis tonight to resign tomorrow morning and make way for by-elections in the Roseau South Constituency…”
He stated that the DLP is on a mission to take all 21 seats in the next general election.
“And you the people of the Soufriere Constituency, you have sent a clear message to the rest of Dominica and this is a clear message to the United Workers Party that Labour Party is the best and only party for Dominica at this time,” he noted.
Skerrit said the results of the poll show that the people do not want the UWP or its Political Leader, Lennox Linton.
“We do not want them in this constituency and Dominica,” he stated. “We have rejected hatred in Dominica, we have rejected division in Dominica and we have rejected the UWP and Lennox Linton for all their bad manners and the bad way in which the represented the interest of the people in Dominica, ladies and gentlemen.”
But why uwp contesting election if they claiming there is need for voter ID cards and a clean electoral list… All u those uwp people to greedy and sot… Find other ways to remove the man from power.. Like protesting voters ID cards … PAPA GOD don’t nominate any one for elections until there are ID cards and they clean the votes list… All u uwp not seeing all u too stupid to think all u can win a man with all that money and all that comess electoral list… Then again is eddison all u uwp people have as all you advisor… Edison still in the party giving advice.. Popa gaddd… Awa man… Anyway the new party coming and remove skerit for all u
Both parties are from Dominica are proclaiming that their are intelligent, bright and educated people and want better for the people of dominica and the country yet they keep fighting like little children. If both so love for the better of the people come together as one through the divine spirit of the Creator and work as a unity IF they so proclaiming changes for the better. Most of their times are bashing each other while the real issues are not being address
I am very dissapointed in Joshua Francis. I do believe that he should do the right thing and resign.
So now we can look forward to yet another divisive period where NOTHING gets done in the country? All money and effort going to win 21 seats because the PMs ego demands 21 SEATS! All hands on deck don’t worry that the ship is leaking from below!
God help this country although we don’t deserve it. The man calls us divisive and haters? Well at least he stopped calling us traitors. He once said DOminica needs an opposition party, I guess that was before he was a dictator.
Labour all the way
Dominica really heading to dictatorship. I hope the deal jushua will get from skeritt to join his camp of lies hope its worth it.That was long in the making Jushua always look fake/ confused politician . God is not a police go on skeritt use every power you have to bribe people.
We are walking on thin ice in Dominica, it’s cracked and leaking and we are not even aware. Our bodies are in up to our necks in the freezing water but because our heads are still above the water, we think we are on solid ground. Our bodies are now numb and we keep on walking since we cannot feel below our necks so we keep going until we are completely submerged. After our brains are frozen, it will be too late to figure our what happened.
Sad, very sad, wake up Dominicans, why cant we see we are going down the wrong road.
Why should the opposition keep fighting to defend Dominica when Dominicans do not want to change, give Skerrit all the 121 seats and let us see what else he will want.
i am strongly advising lenox and the rest to resign and give him all the seats, for in vain you poor guys are struggling.
O Father God Skerrit has ruined and distroy our lovely
Country with his gutter politics please Lord I ask u put a
Hand and set a watch over this country I take authority
Over every works of darkness all that is evil will be
Brought to light in. Jesus name
well calling on Francis to resign is not wrong at all because UWP is bashing Ian where as Francis is still on their team. LInton as long as Francis is a UWP Rep. bashing others for child abuse is pure hyporite.
I fully support the PM. this is wrong who ever is involve should step down and if you are cleared of all charges then this will prove your innocent to the country clear your conscious and resign.
Tell Linton to behave and then Dominica will settle down
Yea man we want to teach Lenox them a lesson. We want to make them understand that we are the champions for ever. Labour is champion. Roosevelt skerit is an undefeated champion. You are not ready for politics linton so get out. Politics is for political champions not political dynasaurs
Labour power!!!!!
He and the DLP have been champions for close to 17 years and what can he show for it again?
I wonder what Skeritt will sound like when he reaches the age of fifty. The man won the seat, yet he is still angry. Does Skeritt know what it is to be thankful to God for what he has achieved. Can you imagine had Skeritt lost that seat, it is very scary. I don’t know what difference twenty one members in parliament would make, because right now the ayes always have it. This dictatorial behavior will not work. I cannot wait for the FBI to conclude their investigations concerning Ng Lap Seng or all the pass ports he has been selling would fall in the wrong hands. Skeritt always keeps to his promises whether if takes one year or five years, therefore when he tell Dominicans he is going for all twenty one seats in parliament, the only thing to stop him is an act of God.
UWP show them Labourites how all you dunce. UWP campaigned for the protection of our children and right in their party is Parl. Rep. Joshua Francis an alleged and charged child abuser. We will see if they are smart enough to used the same theme for their campaign in Roseau South. Leadership is everything!
Politics destroying my country.. Smh.. Day After day more division and less nation building.. As a young person, I feel so ashamed at my leaders who set no example.. Be it the govt or the opposition.. I don’t support any of them as none behave any different from the other. It’s all gutter politics to me.
Look who’s talking about hate. Remember your words? “GO TO HELL.”
The political recipe is simple:
1. Keep them poor and jobless then as soon as an election is called
2. Distribute much needed cash, food and building materials to the voters.
This will get the uneducated and poor to vote for you and in Dominica, in most constituencies, this demographic is in the majority.
So how do you beat this deliberate political strategy if the educated and or middle income voters are in the minority?
You can’t.
No one held guns to thier heads to vote. If UWP had won it would be okay. Why can’t you all give peace a chance. You seat in NY putting your two cents. Did you witness that these cash was given for votes?
Dear God… when will my country settle down and be a normal productive country again? Since Labour in power is just one issue after another. What have we done lord to deserve this curse on us? TELL US LORD..-
Is always those that think their ego bigger than the world that have bad things to say about the DLP. If you do not ask for help how do you expect to get help? SKERRIT just suppose to automatically assume everybody need help and give everybody in the country 10,000 dollars?? When you uwp people just sit and talk without knowing what’s going on with the DLP and their supporters if you all were in government same thing would happen it’s a never ending cycle all Parties give handouts ALL you all don’t have money now so you doing like something so bad. Allu saying we will suck salt at least we will leave on that and their handouts because they never say no. But if UWPWEE come in power allu will suck stone by the road. Stop hating
let’s give both parties equal opportunity and resources under campaign financing laws and trust me the results will be different . If someone can convince me otherswise there is no doubt in my mind that the 2014 and now this by re-election was won by bribery, handouts ,and propaganda. One has to explain and convince me that monies and resources used by DLP for both elections were legitimate and provide us with the proof. I am almost sure no one will volunteer to answer genuiely. The easier thing the DLP members will do it that situation is to tell me ‘it is not my business go to hell’. Because that’show their leader has taught them to speak. Meanwhile the corruption, cheating, and crookedness continues to flourish in this country.
Mr Francis should resign so we the could teach them a serious lesson. To teach them that the Dominica Labour Party are the champions. Undefeated champions!!!!!!!!! Labour power!!! Labour power!!!!!!!!!! Labour power!!!!! Lead by the greatess political champion honorable DR skerit!!!!!!!!! Labour power
All 21 not enough, you doh want 25? Cut up some constituencies and create new ones and win them with rum, bribes, plywood and cement.
the country is yours skerrit, you in charge.
That movie in Dominica there must finish one day.
this man says that the U W P is spreading hate . Who was the person who told the nation from st joseph ”when you see them in church supermarket , in their car ,in the street call them TRAITOR . Meanwhile the same people he is talking to is sucking salt while he and his gang are running to the bank. I stood on the street at wesley watching this woman going crazy when the DLP trucks went by during election time , her shanty was decorated with DLP FLYERS but her daughter had to drop out from college because SHE cannot pay the school fees. if laba taika twavy she would not need the cheap plywood and her daughter wood be in school .
Skerrit stop your nonsense about the people do not want UWP or Linton…Who are these people?Do you know that without the overseas voters UWP would pull the same number of votes as DLP in the 2014 election…It’s only the overseas voters that caused this corrupt DLP to get more votes than UWP?So stop the stupidity!!!!
I 1000% agree with PM Skerrit.
The UWP is displaying double standards.
Allu find allu taking out Mr. Francis from allu party because he allegedly involved in some scandal involving a minor yet allu still want him to represent allu in parliament. You all know very well that if he resigns from Parliament and there is going to be a bi-election for this seat that you all will not win the seat again.
AH MAGWAY SA. Make him resign
they could not make him resign from the party; they had to follow the law of the party and vote him out. The same way they cannot make him reign; he has to. And judging by his stubbornness and former influence of LABOURITIE – I suspect the laws of the land with again have to force him out!
I salute linton and the uwp for sending a clear message, when the other side was hugging their own and calculating political points, for kicking mr francis out of the party and not seeking to score points at the expense of the real victims in this sad situation!
I am with you on that…He Joshua thought that the labourites loved him..All they wanted to do was to use him as a conduit to forment trouble within the UWP.
I am a UWP supporter,and as I have stated before, I do not see mysdf suoporting DLP.I think that this DLP has crippled the country in numerous ways,to the extent that we do not even have an economy….I think that Joshuas weakness and immaturity was exploited excellently by the DLP.First they implanted into his mind that he is the leader of the UWP..The more they told him so, the more he elieved..HE THOUGHT THE DLP labourites loved him….STUPID!!!! He needs to go/resign and make way for a by election!!!! I DONT SUPPORT CHILD ABUSE!
The more he believed.
myself supporting DLP
The timing is great. That’s how a seasoned politician operates. Francis is not wanted by the UWP, and will not do the DLP any good; so all he has to do is leave the UWP and declare himself Independent. We do not want Ambrose George back on the scene, so resign from the party Joshua!!
Become an independent, Joshua
Joshua never knew where he was.He was like a rolling stone,playing , playing UWP…Thats why the labourites used him like a wind ball…Now the same Labourites are asking him to resig….I AGREE WITH THEM!!!These are the same ones who used to make him believe that he was bigger than the UWP!!!!!Politics is not for weaklings like Joshua..
We really need to pray for DA
Tanto, tanto Skerrit
UWP you campaigned on ‘protection of our children’ but the DLP Parliamentary Representative with ‘serious allegations of inappropriate behavior’ against him have long stepped down as PR. However you the UWP still have a seat in Dominica’s Honorable House which is held by a person with similar allegations. If you all UWP are really serious about the ‘protection of our children’ you all must correct this. Do not worry about losing a seat in the House, instead think about our children and do the right thing. DLP has already done the right thing now it is up to the UWP. We cannot have healthy arguments in the Honorable House to improve legislation to protect our children when the UWP has a member in the House that has ‘serious allegations of inappropriate behavior’ against him. Remember you even campaigned on the theme ‘protect our children’ now lets see some real action before the end of the week. Do not let down our children.
Well said lady/gentleman.
This one is brilliant! That’s how hypocrisy gets exposed, by thinking, analytical people! We should not use good platforms for our political convenience and think that people do not see through them.
The Labour leader is criticised right left and centre (well deserved some of the time) but his motives and modus operandi do not leave much to the imagination! Those who wish to replace him must function on a higher plane and respond to a higher calling if they are to convince me. Don’t insult my intelligence as if I cannot look beyond what I see and on that premise present yourself as being the better choice! Come on people!
The fact that Dominicans are being cussed out everyday and being described as dumb, gullible, backward, beggars, you name it does not, by that fact, make them so. They may very well be much more astute than you people think and that may be why the majority of them see beyond the words and posturings and respond…
You have zero intelligence to insult…If you had, you would have known that the party cannot force him to resign…Stop playing smart when you are in mans land…
THAT WAS THE PLAN FROM THE GET GO!!!!!!!! IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MIND GAME!!!!! Joshua is a lawyer and he knows by resigning is pleading guilty……HE WILL NOT RESIGN BECAUSE HE IS NOT GUILTY
The UWP did the right thing by asking Francis to resign as an executive member of the party but respecting his right to be a member of the party. But here is the DLP double standards they claim Pinnard did the honourable thing by resigning from parliament and from his seat and they claim he did that on his own accord the P M did not ask him to resign a d therefore he is a hero. However they want UWP to ask Joshau to resign. Why should the DLP not want the same for Francis. give him the chance to resign on his own accord just like Ian did. Now if Joshau resigns from parliament and from his seat and UWP uses him like DLP used Ian as manager for their campaign then they would be just as hypocrite as the DLP. So JDavid please the two situations are not the same . But that’s the problem with laborites they can’t analyse issues.
Give him a chance to resign on his own STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Hmmmm How much longer he needs? You are a special kind of duminican
Skerit who think u are making such a statement. You win the soufrier seat by ill means feeding the hungry and desolate people whom you have bought to this situation..
when you all will realize you all is not wanted in Dominicas politics. nou pa vlay zor.
I wonder what have u accomplish in your life under the DlP Governemnt… tell me u idoit?
DNO that is not all he said; this diabolical politician referred to the leader of the opposition and his party in all kinds of names in the most despicable terms and tones. He was the same man who just a couple of days ago called on his supporters not be tempted to go down road of hatred etc. I am really waiting on the AG to make a comment in the context that he the AG is on public record saying he is fedup of people using such language under the disguise of free speech.
Skerrit must own Dominica, man. He even giving the MP an ultimatum to resign.
Joshua Francis found himself embroiled in a scandal with a member of the opposite party and one of their biggest advocate and associate. How is that possible? Why did he choose to be in the company of these men rather than in the company of his own? Now, his “new friends” are turning on him and coming to take his seat in Parliament. Quite frankly, it is quite possible that they WILL find a way to remove him and paint his constituency red as they rightly should. The DLP majority in Parliament will now be 16 to 5 because of Mr. Francis and I honestly believe that this is exactly what he wants. I will continue to pray for you Sir!
Excellent!!
Anyway anyway all you jokes in that Dominica there. Mr PM you said that UWP was throwing Joshua under the bus now you asking him to resign so that we could have another by election. I wonder who we care about the politician or our innocent children. Watching with interest as to how this unfolds.
Matt Petltier was very presumptuous this morning insisting that he wanted to wish “happy Birthday to our P.M. on behalf of all Dominicans. Well, he certainly does not speak on behalf of this Dominican, who rejects Satan. Matt….. wants to sit on the wall like Humpty Dumpty. I do not curse the P.M. for winning an election, that is the people’s choice but I condemn him for the division he continues to sow, the vulgar disrespect for his opponents, disregard for our constitution and breathtaking sense of entitlement. He appropriated the labour party and turned it into a vanguard of greed and self-interest. If Yoshua wants to resign that is entirely up to him. Should he be found guilty of the misdeed he alleged to have perpetrated he would have to resign anyway but it is not up to Roosevelt Skerrit to make that call like a noisy cock, who has smelled blood and wants to control the whole roost. Democracy is not a fowl yard. This Dominican will not be cowed!
Mr. Francis should have resigned a long time ago. I just don’t understand! Mr. Francis, you cannot continue to decide for the people, you have erred, and so, you must step down. This is long overdue!
eh-behn
Linton doe push Josh out already nuh?
Another easy seat for DLP to win
But how they going to get Josh to resign dere nuh?
Dat I have to see!
Pm get a life
YES I PM! My sentiments exactly!What’s source for the goose is source for the gander! Make way man, make way. RESIGN JOSH!
“sauce”
skerrit need to give you a dictionary next time for your vote. Source? or sauce. Allu seeing how those labourites bright? hahahahaha