It widely believed that the catalyst for The Commonwealth of Dominica remaining and continuing to be embroiled in international criminal intrigue is mainly because the Country’s Prime Minister Roosevelt said to its populace in 2009 that “No Law No Constitution Will Prevent Roosevelt Skerrit from being nominated as a Candidate” in the 2009 General Election. This statement was preceded by the Anthony Astaphan, Senior Counsel, email of 2008 which led to the derailing of efforts by Dominica’s Electoral Commission’s efforts to Reform Dominica’s Electoral System. Following this catalytic statement Roosevelt Skerrit proceeded to have himself nominated despite his writing a letter in November 2009 to the French Ambassador to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) inclusive of Dominica, based in St. Lucia, requesting of the Ambassador the revocation of his (Skerrit’s) French Citizenship.
It is a disqualifying vice for anyone to be nominated or elected as a Representative in the House of Parliament in the Commonwealth of Dominica if that person holds citizenship of or bears allegiance to any Foreign State (Section 15, Form 13 of the House of Assembly Act 2:01 of the Laws of Dominica).
The election of Roosevelt Skerrit in 2009 and his victory at Court from a challenge to his legitimacy as a legally elected Representative has seemingly emboldened him. This emboldenment has led to a style of unaccountable and non-transparent governance that continues to plague Dominica and severely erodes every vestige of democracy in the Nature Isle of the Caribbean.
That emboldenment is now manifesting itself in International criminal intrigue stories that are beyond the wildest comprehension of an unsuspecting populace. Dominica now finds itself seeking to navigate in The Cases of the Missing Billions. That is to say Mr. Mehul Choksi, Antiguan Citizen of Indian extraction from India is now embroiled in legal controversies in Dominica due to his alleged fraudulent act in the disappearance of US$2 billion dollars from India. Just prior to the Mehul Choksi Affair, Iranian born Ambassador Alireza Monfared, Appointed as Dominica’s Ambassador by the Roosevelt Skerrit Administration under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI) and who was residing in Dominica, was allegedly kidnapped in the Dominican Republic, hours after flying out of the Commonwealth of Dominica to visit that country almost two years ago; Monfared is now serving a sentence of twenty years in an Iranian Prison for having swindled in excess of US$2 billion dollars from the Iranian Government ( http://curacaochronicle.com/region/dominica-diplomat-arrested-in-billion-dollar-embezzlement-scheme/) (http://sundominica.com/articles/government-defends-again-4106/ ). Ambassador Diezani K. Alison-Madueke, appointed by the Roosevelt Skerrit Administration as one of Dominica’s Ambassadors, is now fighting extradition from England to face charges in a Nigerian Court of Law for allegedly embezzling in excess of US$2 billion dollars from Nigeria when she served as a Minister in the Nigerian Government.
Fast forward to Dominica where the island’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has refused to transparently account to the people the whereabouts in excess of two billion dollars raised through the sale of Dominican Citizenship and Passports. Despite questions in Parliament Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has not sufficiently and transparently accounted for funds raised under the “Housing Option” of the Island’s Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Programme within which Dominican Citizenship and Passports are sold to “potential investors” at varying prices, sometimes in excess of US$100,000.00 per Passport. The Dominican Constitution stipulates at Section 76 that “all revenues or other moneys raised or received by Dominica (not being revenues or other moneys that are payable, by or under any law for the time being in force in Dominica, into some other fund established for a specific purpose) shall be paid into and form a Consolidated Fund”.
The Constitutional provision clearly stipulates that any Funds held in Dominica’s name may only be so held outside of the Country’s Consolidated Funds by or under any law for the time being in force in Dominica, into some other fund established for a specific purpose. This stipulation mandates that Dominica’s Finances must be controlled, managed and administered under Laws that are in force in the Country. The Constitution also provide that the Director of Audit shall audit every Account in which public funds are placed. The Roosevelt Skerrit Administration continues to defy the Country’s Constitution by failing to account for funds raised in the Country’s name.
On Wednesday 9th June, 2021 shall be recorded in Dominica’s history as the day when Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Roosevelt Skerrit institutionalized his defiance to the People and its Parliament by inviting one Anthony Haiden to Dominica, where he formally signed a Contract to build Dominica’s International Airport without Parliamentary approval or oversight. By that singular act Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit dealt a near fatal blow to Dominica’s fledgling democracy, which is now a patient at the Country’s Dominica-China Friendship Hospital. It is hoped that the Judicial Officers of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court will develop and in a timely fashion administer a Democracy Saving Vaccine that will reinject life into Dominica’s Democracy.
IBO,only uneducated people take you serious.In 2005 UWP lost the election by 3,087 votes.In 2009 they lost by 9,579 votes.In 2014 with UNCLE LENNY as leader,UWP lost by 5,834 votes.In 2019,again,with UNCLE LENNY as leader UWP lost by 7,219 votes.So IBO what does that say?
What are you trying to say? You are educated? Don’t make me laugh. You sound like you left school at the young age of 10…
An idle mind, the things it can do, scavenging the past in its quest to justify a failing, destructive, and mischievous political agenda that’s losing grip to a sweeping change it cannot comprehend. Such mind and the other minds of similar pattern will see the self-destruction of their agenda. To condemn something and show ignorance of it is very sad, meaning The
CBI.
When you say quote, “Skerrit Administration continues to defy the Country’s Constitution by failing to account for funds raised in the Country’s” what evidence you have of this. The Leader of the Opposition is the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. When last did he as Chairman seek a meeting of the Director of Audit and ask about the public accounts, instead of going on the radio and making statements about missing funds and when ask by a reporter says it’s his opinion. The Director of Audit and her staff are hardworking Public Service Workers, they are doing a fantastic job
He (Skerrit the Liar), just tried the “”I Run Things In Dominica”” and the “”No Law No Constitution Can Stop Me”” by trying to bring to parliament legislation to limit salary increases to public officers, without consultation with the unions.
The liar in chief was exposed by Linton for what he is.
He is an egregious and inveterate LIAR, that have failed the country!!!
Don’t you have a mind of your own to think, or are you just a follower of some political agenda the latter is what’s fit you, is the PM really going to Parliament to pass legislation to limit salary increase, how you arrived at such thing, oh because The head of the Public Service say so, is this how you intend to understand matters pertaining to the country and make a rational argument, if you do not think for yourself someone will do the thinking for you, and you will always be the follower of an agenda repeating what was said to you.
This is the results of what’s effectively one Party rule. It’s the same worldwide.
Where there is no vision in government the people perish. When ‘I alone run things’,; when all members of the cabinet are subservient to an irrational, narcissistic, daft prime minister; when investigative journalism is dead in the country; when the citizenry is indifferent to all forms of persecution, victimization and atrocities commuted by a government- mass suffering ensues.
For Dominicans to realize a Dawn Of A New Day, astute and visionary leadership MUST replace the immoral, corrupt and inefficacious leadership we presently have.
Great commentary, wake up Dominicans.
What’s great about this commentary, what’s in this commentary that Dominicans should wake up to lol. The Dominican people have already been awakened, they know of the repeated mantra
and they are going to fall for it, don’t you see the course the Country has taken, do you think reading this commentary can do anything to divert the course of which the people of Dominica are satisfied with.
This commentary gives plenty food for thought. The ascension of one Roosevelt ‘I Run Things’ Skerrit to the apex of government has dealt a fatal blow to democratic practices in Dominica. DEMOCRACY in Dominica is in the morgue.
In light of these numerous infractions and illegalities, the majority of the Dominican populace, the media, individual journalists, the Bar Association, the Business Sector, the clergy, the trade and labor unions and civil society remain shockingly reticent. Nothing corrupt politicians love more than an apathetic, indifferent, gullible and ignorant electorate.
When the electorate becomes enlightened and restive and rise up en masse against these perpetrators of corruption, persecution, and suppression then and only then Dominica well soar from its abysmal state of poverty and underwhelming development.
This JACKA think the majority of Dominicans cannot read and understand.Section 32(1)(a) page 39 of the constitution.A person shall not be qualified to be elected or appointed as a representative or Senator(hereinafter in this section referred to as a member)if he is by virtue of his OWN ACT,under any ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of allegiance,obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.Section 76 page 69.All revenues or other moneys RAISED or RECEIVED by Dominica(not being revenues or other moneys that are payable,by or under any LAW for the time being in force in Dominica into some OTHER FUND established for a SPECIFIC PURPOSE) shall be paid into and from a CONSOLIDATED FUND.What that COONU wrote is lying BS.Typical UWP lying all the time.What Skerrit does is read the constitution and consult constitutional lawyers before taking action.The reason for UWP court loses is that they do not UNDERSTAND.Money Dominica get to do a special project DOE HAVE TO GO IN CONSOLIDATED FUND.Skerrit RIGHT.
Lin Clown go and take your clown show elsewhere. DNO news site is not a circus for you to perform your comedic nonsense. No one on this forum takes you seriously.
Your comments reflect exactly who you are: A CLOWN.
Lin Clown, is no clown, he surly knows and understands what monies should be allocated to the consolidated fund and why, why are you saying no one on this forum should take him seriously. This is an open forum, we are all Dominicans, it is not you to decide who should be taken seriously on this forum, especially when it’s an informed opinion, so long.
An interesting article focusing on Dominica’s recent forays into association with international crooks What are the hiders in the bushes saying or doing about all this??
When we say things, we must be honest, the forays of association with international crooks must not be cherry-picked for convenience as Dominican we know the origin of international crooks as it pertains to Dominica. When we look at the direction the Country is heading, the proof is visible, the facts are there. The Government is not being sidetracked by people bent on scavenging the past with their idle minds, forward we’re going.
…but the leader is a French man. Get your facts right, Mary Gary.
Very well stated and researched. I have been preaching now for the last 12 years that my country is in a steep downhill slide caused mainly by massive corruption, incompetence of the ruling government and them dividing the populous. The PM of Dominica is a gangster and he has to be removed from office as a matter of urgency if we want to rescue our country. Let’s get together and make it happen.
One of the things you must know, is that the length of your preaching is not a determination that you are speaking truth. You must also know that you must not use your perception or appearance of things to define reality and convince people to believe you. I wonder who are the people you are preaching to, do you go around and tell them that the PM is a gangster, lol. You must also learn that at some point in your preaching you must be able to change and question the things you believe. Be honest with yourself, you do not like The Government, that is fine, but do you think that you can get rid of the Government with your mentality and your so-called preaching, after 12 years, is it not time to go back to the drawing board and examine your
what you are preaching, keep on preaching, all the best to you.