A Dominica diplomatic passport appears to be the heart of a court in St. Kitts and Nevis involving the Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister, Dr. Denzil Douglas.
The Government of Basseterre has gone to court for a ruling on whether Dr. Douglas should be barred from Parliament because he reportedly holds a diplomatic passport of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Senior Counsel Tony Astaphan, who is Douglas’ representative in the matter, said Dr. Douglas is not guilty of swearing allegiance to Dominica.
The St. Kitts and Nevis’ government insists that he is and is seeking a court judgment in the matter.
Astaphan has been telling WINN FM’s Clive Bacchus that a holder of a Dominican diplomatic passport “does not take an oath of allegiance and doesn’t have to be a citizen of Dominica.”
Douglas maintains that he only has allegiance to St. Kitts and Nevis and is not in contravention of the Federation’s constitution.
Attorney General Vincent Byron announced in Parliament last week that the government filed a fixed date claim for the court to rule on whether by his alleged actions, Dr. Douglas had vacated his seat in the National Assembly.
The former Prime Minister told Parliament that he has no intentions of giving up his seat in the National Assembly.
Commenting on the question of Dominica diplomatic passport, Astaphan told WINN FM:
“The Government’s position simply is that they reserve the right to engage and issue diplomatic passports and positions to non-Dominicans, including persons from CARICOM and elsewhere, in order to assist the Government in a number of different policy matters…”
Astaphan explained that these include “economic matters, promotion of Dominica’s CBI Program, securing financing, executing projects, representing the Government in various areas around the world…”
Both Dominica and St. Kitts have CBI Programs and it is felt by the Team Unity Coalition administration in Basseterre that any action by Opposition Leader Douglas to assist Dominica to promote its CBI would harm the Federation’s own program.
Commenting on the overall issue, Astaphan said, “I don’t see the mere fact that he is the Leader of the Opposition advising another government with a diplomatic passport within the context of the policy of the government creates any issue all at all.”
It is a position attorneys for the government in Basseterre intend to hotly contest in court.
If Astaphan is correct and you do not need to be a Dominican to obtain Dominica’s passport, then why is the nationality on Denzil Douglas passport stated as “Dominican”? Douglas should be ashamed of himself.
Unless the powers of darkness which protect this guys are dealt with, then am afraid there is nothing that can be done. God help us and this nation, we need you now more than ever. They are strong but you are stronger and in your time it will all end.
Amen. Worse still is that the religious leaders are now embracing this power of darkness for what? I pray for DA
There goes tony again, this douglas when he was prime minister,he went on the a crusade against the opposition politician, who had any dual citizenship, green card, or passport for another country, publicly calling and shaming them to give it up or resign. Now because American revoke his visa, mostly likely for corruption, and the ruling party did not give him a diplomatic passport, so who does he turn to. Yes the “Evil supremo” for a diplomatic passport. After all if you are corruption politician, and you have the money, and need a passport to travel to evade your countries or the FBI, guess who you call
Why is dominica getting involved in another oces country political dispute. Why can’t he get a diplomatic passport as the opposition leader from his own country
As far as am concerned, any bonafied Dominica holding this piece of cardboard, called Dominica Passport should be ashamed and embarrassed and even reluctant to present this to any foreign immigration authority. It’s worth nothing only to crooks and criminals who have something to hide.
Can’t you see these are the only rushing after it like hot bread. I challenge that guy Skerit ,name me just one individual you’ve sold that cardboard to who’s not running from Interpol, FBI,Scotland Yard or any law enforcement agency. They all are criminals.
You are spot on right. I disposed of mine some years ago. Only got my EU passport now which gets me everywhere in the world without me having to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Sad but that’s the way I see it.
I would have thought that this may be a prima facie case to argue implied terms by the govt. of St. Kitts& Nevis.
The shame of the DLP administration holds no bounds..sad.. very sad.. but it continues to be a reflection of the people, more than the party itself.
Skerrit playing Goosey Goosey Gander with one of the country’s most highly cherished assets. Is he chronically dimwitted? Does he have a penchant for conflict, confusion and controversy? Dominica ‘s name has been so sullied by Mr. Skirrit and his cronies that no amount of Pine Sol or Clorox can restore it to any semblance of its original state.
Ok
So he involved in Promoting the CBI program for Dominica .
Tell me something here , St Kitts also has their CBI program ,
if there is a deal on offer , is he expected to negotiate fervently on behalf of Dominica or follow his heart giving priority to St. Kitts.
I am so suspicious as to why and how the Boss consider mister deserve our Diplomatic passport . there is more to it than is revealed .
Could i dare ask how many Bajans also own our Diplomatic passports and on Dominica payroll , considering his close knitted affiliations with his Bajan associates ?
I do not like what is unfolding here, and there seem to be much more to come .
How many Diplomats does Dominica actually have , I ask /
who knows ein , i fraid wee.
He owns all 3 branches of this so called democratic country namely: the Executive Branch in this case the President. The Legislative Branch being Parliament and the Judiciary being the Judges etc. We know that he controls parliament thru the DLP majority and he has the Speaker of the House in his pockets. We know he owns the Presidency i.e the Executive Branch. The Judges, police etc. are the same thing.
This one is not up washing our dirty laundry in the laundromat of the world. It is clearly Skerrit dirtying in and he doesn’t even want to take it to the laundry to be cleaned
Smh so why own a passport if your not swearing allegiance to that country,and see who douglas get to represent him,i hope st.kitts abolish this penguin from their courts,another dirty act by the regime caught red handed.
Y are you so stupid nah?
Do you understand the difference in the words “DIPLOMAT AND ALLEGIANCE” at all?
And y should that be a problem when it is the services of a former PM be soughted to assist another country?
Isn’t this the same man Edison James ask to work with Henlly and Partners on the sail of diplomatic passport according the Dr. Douglas?
We all heard Dr. Douglas mouth in a interview with our own Mariclair Williams that Edison James came to him personally on the matter?
If DNO wants the tape and or the video they can tell me so I can email it to them so they can post it for the world to listen and see.
To many people don’t read in inform them self. Yet still, they keep running their mouth like the biggest malaprop in Dominica who can’t and won’t finish paying for his ignorance.
Dr. Douglas is well experience in that area and the Govt of St. Kitts won’t engage his expertise so our Govt is well within its right to do so. & nth is wrong with that
I guess if Douglas was caught running from the police, Skerrit and Tony would say the passport was cancelled
If it is something bad, corrupt and stinking just know the island of Dominica is involved, whether the act is done in Dominica, in the region or in the wider world. Skerrit has taken all of our pride and left us looking like Trump’s definition of no good countries. The only things I would like to know are:, who hand delivered the passport to Douglas, what is his area of employment and expertise that he brought to Dominica, how much he paid for his passport, who he paid it to and where is the money.
Tony …-taphan what policy matters was Monfared helping the Skerrit government with according to your statement above.Since Denzil Douglas was a prime minister and had a diplomatic passport from his own country why did he need a diplomatic passport from Dominica?This shows that he was working against the interest of St Kitts if you are to be believed,because a simple letter from the Skerritt government could have sufficed to introduce him as acting on the behalf of Dominica,since he had a diplomatic passport already.How many diplomatic passports does one need to have
Here a big piece of madness.
Ok let me ask you. Can he use St. kitts diplomatic passport to work on Dominica behalf?
Are u for once suggesting that you can use money given to you to rebuild your homes in Dominica to buy a car for a girlfriend in London? You obviously need disciplinary action taken against you.
So how can he use St. kitts deplomatic passport to work on behalf of Dominica if I were to answer the question u ast?
If some of you just spend time to think and listen to you all self for a minute before posting rubbish out there I think you all would be better off you know.
But again it’s hard to do so because as the saying goes “show me your company and I will tell you who you are”.
Again we are very proud to utilise the service of Dr. Douglas as he has a wealth of knowledge in that field. Ask Edison and he will tell you.
If he was so bad then y Edison approached him? Dr. Douglas said it all in a interview. It was good then so it’s better now.
You are politically completely brainwashed and your uttering boarders on political fanatism. Go and see Dr. Benji before it is to late.
This is no other country who is in such a mess for selling passports to foreigners.This is what we Dominicans are relying on to improve the economy for the moment. We are not self-sufficient.We rely on foreign help for everything.Now the government is offering a lot more than he handed out to the population in order to secure ballots.By offering money, to the population, it will be difficult to trace what the passport monies were used for. Why should a foreigner who isn’t even rich decide to hold a Diplomatic passport? These passports will be put to use after they have committed their crimes Dominica will become a hiding place for criminals. Both intelligent and illiterate Dominicans are waiting for the result of the court case from St.Kitts. Skerrit the tip of the iceberg is always smaller than the part which is underneath the water.We are getting there little by little and we’ll see who have the last.Astaphan cannot decide in the case ;certainly this time he has his mouth shut.
this one going to be so intristed am watching
I sure the courts of SKN will dismiss the spin of this individual Astaphan and rule purely based on the law of SKN. Astaphan wins alot of cases in Dominica because Skerrit has the judges in his pocket