The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) said it will be holding a public meeting on Monday as the controversy surrounding the election of a new president for Dominica continues.
The deadline for submission of nominees from both the UWP and the government for the post is today (Friday) but Opposition Leader Hector John said his party has no deadline since it was made clear that the process so far is null and void.
The meeting is expected to take place in Lagon and its aim, according to John, is to educate the public on what has been transpiring so far.
He pointed out that the UWP is not trying to stall the process but he wants it to be done the right way. “We want to get the process back on track but in a proper way,” he told DNO on Friday.
On Friday, August 24, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit confirmed that the government’s nominee for president is Eliud Williams. “Government’s proposed nominee for post of president who will serve the balance of the term of his excellency the president incumbent hold on the post which will end in September 2013 will be Mr. Eluid Williams,” the Prime Minister said on state-owned DBS radio.
It was announced recently that the island’s current president, Dr. Nicholas Liverpool, is to demit office early reportedly due to ill health.
The UWP has demanded a letter from the president clearly showing his intent to vacate office but this has not been forthcoming. The party has also written to both Dr. Liverpool and Speaker of the House, Alix Boyd Knights, declaring the process for the election of a president null and void.
Efforts to get a comment from Knights proved futile on Friday because DNO was told she is out of state.
Meanwhile John told DNO late on Friday afternoon that he had received a letter from Knights on the matter in which she supported the Prime Minister’s position.
DNO is attempting to get a copy of the letter and will publish information when it becomes available.
Is Eliud Williams going to accept to be President of Dominica under this cloud of deception?
How can the Prime Minister expect the entire nation to accept a new President on his word? What is so personal in the letter from Liverpool that parliamentarians cannot see it?
Nicholas Liverpool is doing a great injustice to the people of Dominica, he knows his letter of resignation MUST be sent to the Speaker of the House and not to the P.M.
God Help Dominica and deliver us from the Evil doers.
IT was better under the UK, Emglant, ent it… fellowes u was all a laughing stock in the UK, ent that right, Elsa, my darling, I came back home and built my mansion in soufriere but alas it is regretable fighten for a president when we has the QUEEN of Englant, ent it, Elsa, darling. We are Commonwealth ent it, why are we trying to make Domanika a communism country with this bloody president rubbish… we should go back to become a colony, ent it
I have been living in Dominica all my life,since 1978 after Dominica become Independent we have had many ppl serve as president I have never heard all that confuesion about appointing a president why now the UWP have to make such a big deal about a president,what is wrong with HECTOR JOHN i’snt the government choice from his constituriency, should’nt he be happy that a president is going to come from salsbury? somebody help me please.
So your son come home with thousand of dollars, you are struggling to make ends meet and those thousands will make a hugh difference to the family’s living conditions. As a measure of gratitude you don’t question how he came by that money even though you know damn well that he doesn’t earn that much money. What great example for the youth, keep it up they will thank you for that.
What’s your point? Where does the appiontment of a new President comes with son who brings home plenty cash?
There we go again, you are saying that Mr. Hector John should allow the rule of law to be broken just because the appointee is from his area??!!
Is this the kind of mentality that is permiating my land?
My friend. the Rule of Law under the constitution Must be respected and that goes for everyone.
How can we build a country with such thinking.??
UWUP BE REAL.TELL ME WHY SHOULD THE PM HAND OVER THE LETTER TO U WHY AM ASKING.AS I SEE IT YOU ARE PLAYING RING GAMES.get real.if u have a man for the job bring him out if not shot up.and go take a rest.
Sad but true the UWP is factual with the issues, but The Citizens are not concerned and wont turn up and voice the disgust at that Monday Night’s Meeting..
If they gather 280 folks around that would be it..
Facts are unless numbers don’t show up, the ruling Corrupt Regime still knows that the Majority is on Their Side…factual stuff…
Change can be made by many numbers, not by a few Patriots.
Dominicans are way too Coward to effect change, They will still be charmed by a few cents come Election time, they just not a matured Society, They accept the lesser aspects….
Good Luck to the UWP but trust me they could be in The Wilderness for the Next 25 years..
They have to by some means convince the Labour Party Ring to break off..that takes alot of effort
The average citizens wont take to the streets Without Policy makers or Major Interest Groups Alongside the effort…
Its better to try different things, go silent for A few months that will cause folks to react More
Too much radio chatter more effective grass roots Work.
The Court Case in Nov Re the Dual Citizenship Matter will go in favour of the Labour Camp based on Technicalities which will re enforce Labour, may sound harsh but that’s the Facts.
Not sure why the UWP folks can’t see that the Dominican Society “IS NOT A THINKING LOT” a few Do But its far and wide.
If all those Radio Programs on Q95 were Hitting Home Directly, there would be no fear factor by Citizens,Truth is they are expecting someone or Some alien from the unknown to work a miracle For Them which is a Pure Joke!!
The elderly and the massive ignorance factor in Dominica surely Love their illegal Prime Minister Along with the Churches and other so call BIG BOYS Who are like leaches….
Why do you masquerade your Political partisan, ignorance and personal opinion as being factual or the truth.What makes you think that you are a so called thinker and brilliant while the rest of us Dominicans are not,sadly to say you are not a thinker at all as you would want to portray your self.I will tell you this, why don’t you drop that ego of yours, get it out of the way this is the first step to being a thinker.
You do have a right to your opinion,but to think that your opinion is factual and saying that the Dominican society is not a thinking lot shows arrogance on your part. What you are doing is pretending to be someone who is a thinker which you are not and exhibiting arrogance.
It would be good to have a statement from the UWP citing the section of the Constitution that makes this resignation null and void. What is the process for the President to submit his resignation? Should it be submitted to the Prime Minister, to the Speaker of the House? to the Leader of the Opposition? Should the President read his letter on the radio? TV? Should the letter be published in the Government Gazzette and other news media in the country? What does the Constitution say about how the President’s resignation should be made known and to whom?
where have you been fool?
wow!
Why should UWP make any such statement? Why not ask the same of the government and the Speaker, who are in control?
Whoever said the president should read his letter on radio or have it published? All that is being aksed is for a letter to be produced.
Instead of typing this nonesense. Go read the constitution and be educated. You fool
Grow up guys….so many pertinent issues to deal with in DA and all you wasting time on such trivial matter? That’S why sKERRIT and Labour always ten steps ahead of UWP.
OPEN YOUR EYES AND GROW UP!!!
No one is so blind as he who would not see. As I see it is blind for considering this fundamental constitutional matter as trivial and considering the repeated violations of our constitution by Mr. Skerrit as ten steps ahead.
Good luck with your argument.
another uninformed and misguided fool.
They will not be able to grow up neither will they open their eyes because Edision James have a spell on them. You know Mr. Edision James knows that he cannot ever be a prime minister again so all he is trying to do is have their eyes close and make them behave like little children so none will reach to the top,he loose,they loose,he die,they die,the party die.
AMEN!!!!! THATS Y , DONT SEE Y SKERRIT DONT ANSWER THEM BECAUSE HE DOH HAVE TIME FOR THEM.
Give up what? Fighting to protect the constitution of Dominica?
if i was mr. john i would have called a meeting about the education system .the school in morne proper and many areas of concern…p.s are u the leader sir or u just doing what mr. james say?
Dem leaders of that beautiful land has too much damn commess.
Why can’t things be done the way our forth fathers and mothers did them, “by the rule”?
If the President is supposed to inform the Speaker of the House, in writing, about his decision, where is that written document? She herself knows jolly well how things should be done…chuups
Opposing for opposing sake.Those guys just don’t get it.All I know,ELECTION around the corner.
Opposing for the sake of adherance to our constitutional provisions. Isn’t that enough reasom to oppose?
yes election around the corner…go back and put back labour there again…lmao
All Constitutional matters are abjudicated in a competent Court of Law.
When the time comes and the new President elected the UWP may wish to challenge the process in a court of Law.
In the meantime they are just blowing hot air. The process will continue in the manner in which the Government finds to to more Constitutionally convenient. The UWP is just applying stalling tatics.
PERIOD
In Dominica, seeking to ensure that we follow our constitution is now considered to be stalling tatics and deciding to take a constitutional matter before the Courts for judicial intervention is a frustrating process of undue and protracted delay and the delivery of injustice.
We still live in a society that is governed by rules and regulations. What if all of us were right about how we FEEL the country should run, and had our way, wouldn’t that be a good recipe for chaos and confusion in Dominica. Whether you like it or not the court is the best arbitrator when we cannot agree on national issues. Like itor not.
We must first get to know the constitution.
So Mr. Nicholas, there seems to be no wisdom in the philosophy of “cause and effect”…Don’t you feel that you are taking a dangerous path if on vital matters of State we choose to ignore the cause and wait “years” to “abjudicate”? Come on, Mr. Bright!
It is clear that your power of reason has been “reduced” to replacing analytic challenges such as “cause and effect” by ” red and blue”. Do something if you still can.
The UWP has failed Dominica as the rightfully elected Opposition. I listened to Angelo Allen this morning reading from our Constitution and I asked myself…are his friends in the UWP listening? The constitution as he read this morning specifically says “Where the President has decided to demit office for personal reasons he(the President) shall write to the speaker of the house” who upon receipt of said letter shall accept this and call the hosue to start the selection process. No where does it say the president shall write to the PM or the leader of the opposition. So I ask on what authority is the UWP asking for the presidents letter? I think it is rude disrespectful and in poor taste to be demanding his excellency should speak publicly as to his decision to leave office. And equally rude to say the process is tainted because you have not seen the letter from the president. The constitution was abundantly clear no room for speculation…..GROW UP guys!!!!!!
are you just writing because you have access to a computer? tell me where in this entire fiasco have heard that the president has writen to the speaker of the house then I will accept your view of the opposition.
but monkey…that is the point. the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE herself has not received any letter. She acted based on what SKERRIT SAY..that the president tell him.
Not only that but the bright DNO Reader says that the constitution specifically says;
“Where the President has decided to demit office for personal reasons he(the President) shall write to the speaker of the house” who upon receipt of said letter shall accept this and call the hosue to start the selection process. No where does it say the president shall write to the PM or the leader of the opposition”
Why then did the PM advise the nation that the President had written to him?
Do you have any evidence that the president actually wrote to the Speaker of the house?
This is the same person who states that the constitution is abundantly clear no room for speculatio and asks the guys to GROW UP!!!!!
The speaker is very biased.She is there for name and fame and will support whatever Skerrit says and does. She is not acting in the best interest of Dominica.
God is good. A little more patience. She will soon be out of there and will have to live with her conscience
She told you she did not get the letter? Cause I did not hear the speaker say that…maybe you should listen to the tape of the special sitting again smh
You should ask the Speaker of the House whether she got a letter from the president before making statements that you believe are facts and refering people as momkey. You may just be calling yourself the same. I am just saying.
@DNO READER and the other coshonee, I want to hear the tape where the Speaker said she got letter. Allu wicked too we..hahahaha
but you agree that the Speaker should give them the letter then?
You are contradicting yourself..
Is the writer under the pen name DNO Reader serious or he is as dumb as his leader. Two wrongs cannot make a right.The President was wrong in the first place to have sent the intended resignation letter to Skerrit instead of the Speaker.Had Skerrit been familar with that constitutional law,he would have immediately informed the President that the letter should be sent to the Speaker and all that commess would have been averted.
Doc. Love: «The President was wrong in the first place to have sent the intended resignation letter to Skerrit instead of the Speaker.»
Did H.E Liverpool actually send an «intended resignation letter», whatever this means, to the PM? Or are you simply creating, fabricating, your own story based on what you THINK is reality?
Read the sections of the Constitution, Doc. Love and stop relying on the fabrications and phantasmagoria described on your favourite radio station. As their performance in court has shown, the UWPwee is abjectly incompetent even in its choice of legal counsel! So, do your own reading, DOc. Love. Leave the regurgitating to others who just cannot do otherwise.
If, indeed, there was a letter from the Pres to the PM, please show the letter in Parliament and bring the matter to a close.
Stupes. The oppositon leader did not ask for letter to be written to him but to show proof that it was written. Hence Skerrit can’t show any letter cuz ther is no letter.
Exposure of the high rate of illteracy and ignorance in my land. That is the exact wrong that Skerritt and the Speaker have done. The President has never, up till now, said that he is leaving office. That is what Skerritt told us with no supporting letter or document. Another BIG LIE.
The Parliament, both Govt. and Opposition, agreed for Liverpool to fill the post through the correct process. No consultation without display of the letter. Consultation NULL and VOID. Skerritt so bold to say Constitution did not look at that scenario?
The Speaker is dead wrong to summon Parliament without a resignation letter from the President. The letter from the President to the Speaker iswhat puts into effect everything else. Where is the letter Madame Speaker? Where is the letter to the Speaker Mr. PM?
Who are you all fooling? what kind of a constitutional COUP all you trying? will a new President be put in place unilateraly by Govt., even though there is no vacancy or no letter of resignation from the President to the Speaker? Will Liverpool still be paid until Sept. 2013, seeing that he did not resign? So tax-payers would be paying two Presidents at a time? you see the chaos?
A people who accepts, supports those unconstitutional behaviours, illegal acts in their face, with no apologies by those in power, are doomed to continued enslavement by the few. The Speaker knows that the President should write to her if he decides to quit office before his time is up. The Constitution demands that. Yet she does the wrong thing. Dominicans, be warned. Dictatorship is slowly envelopping the land and people in it. In no civilized society would those things happen. Lawnessness from the top is filtering down.
Dominica is a democratic country with a democratic government elected by the people for the people. Remenber 18-3. Whether the Government is right or wrong we all should debate the issue while trying to leave out our bias political views.
get some more understanding labor fool.your pm said he was spoken to by the president when uwp pointed out to him the constitution he then said he PM got a letter from the president no where he idicated that the speaker got a letter.stop being a red headed fool and remember dominica isnt the property of the pm
I guess you miss the most important part of this matter. Yes you are right Angelo Allen got it correct… “(the President) shall write to the speaker of the house” who upon receipt of said letter shall accept this and call the house to start the selection process. Nowhere does it say the president shall write to the PM or the leader of the opposition”. THAT IS THE LETTER THAT IS MISSING, THE LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER. If you had the facts correct you would know that the President did not write to the speaker, the PM is the one stating that the President wrote to he, the PM… All we the people of Dominica are asking for is a copy of that so call letter that the PM claims to have received from the President. We the people of Dominica are part of the opposition and have GROWN UP…but we have children that we need to protect from readers who don’t get their facts correct.
ROseau Valley stop giving false info the Constitution makes no reference such as the one you are making
GOOD MOVE! But by the way is the president
MOO MOO? When did he get MOO MOO?
He not moo moo at all. wicked they wicked
More Blah…Blah….Blah…..and that will get them nowhere.
These guys must be insane – doing the same thing and expecting different results.
I hope you have gotten and is going somewhere in Dominica right now.
I hope your savings increasing. I hope you can afford to pay your bills. lol
My friend, don’t worry about me. I have taken very good care of my business and what Skerrit or UWP do will not affect me in the least.
Somehow you think I am a fan of Skerrit. You could not be more wrong. What is frustrating is, UWP is on the wrong track with their strategy. They need to do things to win them support and what they are doing is not going to make them any more popular with the electorate. I am not anti-UWP.
Tiger, how far have you gotten? You need to ask yourself that question, because this is not about them. It is about us, the people of Dominica.
About the people of Dominica or about a few. Who do you guys speak for. You all speak for your own selfish selves. The people of Dominica spoke when they decided what Govt. that they wanted. You all refuse to accept the people’s wish and claims that you are speaking for the people.
…BROKEN RECORD
@ Anonymous. This is a trivial matter. I think that Mr John was being quoted anyway, and to accentuate this fact, Opposition leader was placed below his photograph.
Dear DNO,
Please consider the following observations with regard to your story as reported. Your headline reads “UWP to hold public meeting on Monday” Next to the story is a picture of Mr. Hector John. It is not Mr. John who is holding the public meeting.
The UWP is a legally registered political party. It is a legal entity with a structure and it can sue and be sued under our laws. Mr. Hector John is the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Dominica, which is a position created by the constitution of Dominica. Mr. John is not the UWP and the UWP is not Mr. John.
The UWP has an officially recognized identification symbol in its blue and white colours. Perhaps DNO may wish to use this symbol when reporting on the activities of the UWP as a Party in clear distinction of a story on actions or statements of Mr. John as the leader of Opposition. I understand that it is a fine line but the distinction can be drawn.
.Secondly, you have reported in a rather matter of fact, dogmatic and definite language “the island’s current president, Dr. Nicholas Liverpool, is to demit office early because of ill health.”
Could you kindly confirm this DNO? Is he or is that merely hearsay and reported information? Do you have any documentary evidence that the president is demitting office or even intends to demit office? Do you have any documentary evidence why he is purportedly demitting office? I suggest that when reporting on these matters, DNO should consider using words like “reported”, “alleged” and “purported” to be accurate and on the safe side.
As you yourself have stated, “the UWP has demanded a letter from the president clearly showing his intent to vacate office but this has not been forthcoming.”
Respectfully
Roseau Valley
If I could I would have give at least 100 thumbs up. I have made a few comments on their report and have nothing else to say. Maybe they think these are partisan comments rather than constructive.
@ Anonymous…. For What? When you are required to give thumbs up you are being an accomplice (of evil). Get a life! The picture of Honorouble John where it is is 100 000 000 000% appropriate, especially as he is being quoted. Good Job DNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The picture used of Mr. John is a 100% appropriate.
The meeting in Lagoon is about the issue of the President. Mr. John as opposition leader is the point person on the matter.
The picture therefore is perfectly suitable for a story that deals with the matter of a meeting called to discuss the presidential seat.
Ok Mr TR
I guess you ask the same questions to the Priests and Pastors who is convinced that after death there is a heaven and hell…. You need proof right!!!!
The only reason the process has started is because the President has so indicated to the PM in confidence… The right thing therefore is to start the search, what is so hard to understand in that?
Now for the Hector pic, the problem with you guys is that you all have too many leaders, but i suspect Hector is not cutting it for you right!!
Eddo Pic here would be ok but Hector representing the UWP is not correct!!!LMAO
Joe, Liverpool has no business telling skerritt anything in confidence. As a matter of fact if Liverpool had any respect for the people of Dominica and wasn’t an ungrateful and selfish person, he would never have done as you are suggesting. After all he came into office as the flavour of both the gov’t and opposition and should at least be grateful for that. What he should have done was to call all the leaders of the three main political parties, make his intention know to them and explain to them any anomaly in the constitutional provisions. Together and with advice from other legal brains they could then go about seeking a solution but this man is so dishonest he goes to skerritt and allows a flawed process to be put in place and now doesn’t have the balls to address the people of Dominica. It doesn’t matter whether the opposition has three seats or none at all; to the extent that they received votes in the last elections they represent people. So if the president doesn’t see it fit to respond to the concerns of the opposition then it shows a total lack of respect for the people of Dominica and the people should reciprocate in kind and show him no respect.
No. I do not need any priest or pastor to tell me anything. Just ask Tony Astaphan, he will tell you of the importance of documentary evidence.
Remember, it was the alleged lack thereof that resulted in the victory of Mr. Skerrit in the dual citizenship case.
On the one hand you all criticize the UWP when it demands evidence and on the other hand even when it presents the evidence, you dismiss it or say it is insufficient or irrelevant etc
@ him, not the picture, rather his/her 2nd comment “Secondly, you have reported in a rather matter of fact, dogmatic and definite language “the island’s current president, Dr. Nicholas Liverpool, is to demit office early because of ill health.””
I certainly does not support evil, the reason I have not voted and will not vote for any of these political parties. I believe the PM has done many good for the country but I have many questions. I have yet to hear a good plan of development form UWP although I have spoken to some members. Well maybe they are not prepared to share their plan until they get into office.
I would assume Dr. Nicholas Liverpool is still in office??????? Why is it that he cant give a public address on the matter? I think something is fishy here. We need to take stand of what is right and what we as Dominicans can do, whatever party is in “power” at the time. IJS
Will the meeting be carried live on Q95? Like many Dominicans away from home, we would like to be educated on this matter.
i am calling on the official UWP opposition to call for the resignation of AMBROSE GEORGE. iM labourite but the PM NEEDS to recognise that this MP HAS failed us in rososouth.
qwe trust that you listen to our plea and please get a better candidate to represent your party in rososouth
take your family and use allu hand to do it. is allu that put there, allu to take hi out
what he do allu? he stop give allu handouts?
well good for him. is spoil they spoil allu…now good time finish..allu want a new parl rep to give new handouts?
allu will get more election time man…
Boy look mahjee wee
LMFAO…..I like that.
Hahahahahahahaha
When Ambrose would take money from his pocket and buy books, uniforms, pay school fees, pay light bill and water bill, things were great. Guess he finally wake up and the good time is no more? Leave Ambi alone eh. He sacrificed enough for Roseau South so whoever you want, vote them in. All you finish suck him dry so all you want another host? PARASITE!
This is all about the PM not going along with the bad old days in DA. The PM is for the little man so you guy can go along with him or just don’t be part of it. Are we better now under the current Govt or not? We are
I am sorry for u and your family try and get yourself a copy of the CONSTITUTION that’s if u can read if u cannot or dont understand the language take it to someone who is much more educated than u ask them to help u out because u are lacking a lot, the debates have nothing to do with political parties and by the way Im not a supporter of any of the parties on the island it have to do with the LAW and the CONSTITUTION of our land, u a better off because u get hand out but have u ever tried putting yourself in the shose of one who haven got the mother who cannot send her child to school and when she tries to get help she cant because she is not a supporter of the ruling party do u believe that’s how life should be folks like u will never want others to rise up from the hole they are in but dont be too joyful the same God in the hole is the same God on the mountain top and one day u will find yourself in that same hole and only then u will feel what the less fortunates are going thru dont think it cannot happen to you.
What I find puzzling D’ICANS like you will not discuss the CONSTITUTION as it’s written why is that because that’s all we’ve got it doesn’t matter how you or others sees it that’s what’s what we have like it or not.
I think i can read good enough to understand that your spelling came from your head not mine. Before you start throwing insults learn to respect people’s opinion that is our problem in Dominica.
You probably are better off but i am not
When were the bad old days? are you talking about the time when your paty, the freedom party, was making all kinds of trouble in Dominica? I guess we should all be grateful to PJ for allowing the saverins of this world to have their say, so that today skerritt as a candidate for the freedom party days before the 2000 elections can claim to be for the little man while he builds himself his villas and accumulates his millions.
idiot i dont think you are living in dominica because would not be DAlove it probably be DA misery
Do you know why we have so many churches in Dominica? We have Gospel this and Gospel that, Baptiste this and Baptiste that,Pentecostal this and Original Pentecostal (check Lazor Beam Scrutiny about this one),Mission Union this and Mission Union that,Yahweh this and Yahweh that etc. There is Seventh Day Adventist and Church of God Seventh Day
Do you know too that they all use the very same Bible – the King James verson.
All this confusion boils down to “Interpretation”. One man have a certain interpretation and he form his church based on his interpretation. He can find every pursuavive reason, even using the same bible to justify his interpretation of the bible.
We have two different Churhes here who do not beleive in music in church. They do not have any connection.
Does that sound a bell. Isn’t it a similar situation with intrepreting our constitution. Every body has a view about the Presidency and they beleive that their view is the authority. Not only that, we wage war against each other on the same matter of interpretation or rather misinterpretation.
DNO u allow dat one to pass!!
Great Analogy…I have been saying this very same thing for a very longtime…
YOU LIE! hahahaha
Observer i guess that is the reason why Skertit thinks the constitution is beneath him
Stop guessing aqbout what people are thinking. We guess too much inthis country. Get the facts straight
Why is ………- am not sure if my spelling is right- demiting offce and does not want to resisgn? Its a shame for a man who supposedly has hold so many high offices to find himself in this political mess with a man that the Americans consider to be out of depth and strongly influenced by the like of Chavez propaganda-what a shame for the peopel of Domnica to accept this and do nothing about it
I guess RS has become such an icon in the hearts of ordinary Dominican that it is impossible for them to be objective in anthing he says ro does- all hail and praise are ascribed to him, potically infallible he is, without human sin, was conceive out of ignorance of the masses, he shall continue to reign for ever. He made the blind q-bats to see, he fed the hungry though the redclincs, he spoke and the pople of Dominica listened, he called forth and they responded.
They call you lazy,they call you little boy,they call you inexperirnce,right now you are like a stake in their hearts.The same way count dracular is affraid of a cross and holy water, them boyz in red are affraid of you similarly.
“The island’s current president, Dr. Nicholas Liverpool, is to demit office early because of ill health.”
Where allu hear that? Did the President tell DNO that? Did DNO hear any announcement/statement/address from the President indicating such?