Parliamentary representative for the Marigot Constituency, Anthony Charles, one of only two opposition candidates elected to the Dominica House of Assembly in the last general election, says he is ready to begin his term as Opposition Leader but he might have to wait just a little longer than expected before taking up that important position.
Charles contested and won the December 20, 2022 snap general election as an independent candidate in the Marigot constituency. He and Jesma Paul-Victor, who was also elected to parliament as an independent opposition candidate in the Salisbury constituency, agreed to a power-sharing arrangement in which they would alternate as Leader of the Opposition. This was necessary because neither Charles nor Paul-Victor could command the support of other elected members of the House to enable them to claim the position.
However, there appears to be a delay in Charles’ appointment in fulfillment of his power-sharing agreement with the Salisbury MP.
Paul-Victor was the first to be appointed and sworn in as opposition leader on December 20, 2022. Her appointment which was for eighteen months, was expected to end on June 19, 2024, after which Charles would take over.
Paul-Victor’s letter of resignation marking the end of her tenure was tendered “with immediate effect” on June 20, 2024, but a prompt response from the President signed by her secretary, and which appeared on social media, reminds Paul-Victor of the procedure that has to be followed in filling the vacant position of Leader of the Opposition.
Paul-Victor is advised in the letter, that in accordance with section 66 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica, which outlines the criteria for appointing a Leader of the Opposition, “the elected members of the House who do not support the Government, would be required to submit a joint letter to The President informing whom they now support to be appointed Leader of the opposition.” According to the constitution, the President must select the elected member of the House who appears most likely to command the support of a majority of elected members not aligned with the Government.
In an interview with Dominica News Online, Charles expressed his readiness for the appointment and while discussions have not yet taken place on the change-over, he stressed the importance of adhering to the 18-month split-term agreement between the two opposition parliamentarians.
Recognizing the need for collective ideas to shape Dominica’s future, Charles, who recently declared himself to be a registered member of Dominica’s newest political party, the United Progressive Party (UPP), pledged to engage with independent candidates from the last election,
“I will have some meeting with them to share some of their ideas because my ideas alone cannot build Dominica, so we need to bring our ideas together, opposition forces to come to a mutual agreement to move this country,” he stated.
Charles also lamented what he referred to youth indifference in Dominica and called for the inclusion of young people in various aspects of the national development process.
However, it was still unclear as to when exactly, the Marigot parliamentary representative will take up his leadership position in the House. He told Dominica News Online that as of Monday morning, he had not heard from Paul-Victor about the joint letter.
And so the nation waits with some anticipation to see how Charles will approach the job of Leader of the Opposition and how that opportunity will help to shape his political future.
Dominica needs a solid opposition team , new faces, new ideas in order to be a threat to this present government, without that this present government will keep on laughing and will remain in power
keeping the same faces which has lost elections 5 times in a row plus singing the same old tune makes no sense, most members of the opposition must move on and let some dynamic candidate with news ideas in order to attract new investors instead of depending on cbi program to move da forward take over
You know so much about the constitution,and you don’t know what the same constitution say about the electoral commission.WICKED are you wicked.
Point is right.Putin start behaving like those dumb UWP supporters.It is always good to read the constitution.
If the population of Dominica is 65,000,then Dominica is truly a paradise,with more than 42,000 registered vehicles.More 5,000 live in FREE $250,000 $300,000 and $400,000 houses and apartments.On September 1st 2021 the minimum wage was raised from $4.50 per hour $7.50 per hour.There is no unemployment or poverty in Dominica.If there was the same way the PEOPLE kicked out UWP after only 4 1/2 years,they would kick out DLP.Very simple.We remember Lennox Linton telling his blind blue acolytes he was not involved in the Aljazeera investigation.It turned out otherwise.The UWP supporters who voted in 2014 thought Linton was educated.After it was discovered he was not what he told people he was, UWP lost 3 seats and 1,163 votes.So who is the liar?
@ Lin Clown
He is Lin Clown, obviously his writing alone tells you a lot about his stupidity. A self professed clown.
JESMA IT’S TIME TO GO. THAT WOMAN LIEING TOO MUCH.LOLOLOLOLOL.ALL BAWI PEOPLE READY FOR THE NEW FACE OF PAL REP FOR SALISBURY.YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRY.YOU THINK IS SO.ALL BEGINING HAVE A END.
Well, well, well, I cant help but have a serious laugh at dumb and dumber
Jesma behaves like she has a speech impediment which Anthony’s wife is the one that can speak on his behalf. Nou feni-bat en Dominique enbar Jesma avec Tony. Currently we have no opposition voices in parliament hence the people must take to the streets and demand a change in government. Oh how I long for the good old days of Lennox dekarlaying the cabal in parliament by exposing their incompetence and lies. The two nincompoops are six in one, half a dozen in the other. I know both Marigot and Salisbury can do better the next time around. SMMFH
Taking to the streets hasnt worked. Take it to the polls. Have a viable opposition ready and waiting for the next snap election that skerrit will call. Ensure you have viable candidates for each constiuency who are actually active and respected in their their respective communities. ensure they leading with good work and values, not just maypwi. Meanwhile DLP just sitting back and laughing at the rest of the nation. their bread well butter. all they have to keep doing is stifle the economy and keep giving cool out (Treating and Bribery) and that is it. the crumbs Dominicans never had they will be thankful for and vote skerrit (not even their respective parl rep who most dont even know their names, just skerrit their lord and savior)
Has anyone ever stopped to take a look at what we refer to as the parliament of Dominica?
Roosevelt Skerrit Prime Minister
Jesma Paul, Opposition leader
Anthony Charles, opposition leader to be
Boy what sin did our forefathers. commited for us to be sooó cursed and backward minded? Honestly speaking it’s so embarrassing and depressing to be a Dominican these days that every piece of news ítem from Dominica turns me off . Trust me even news of who passed and got scholarshp turns me off because to have Skerrit as PM and the entre parliament, with the opposition leader makes us look so bad man. Gason only those independent senators seem to be above par. All others get me upset. I mean how can 65 000 people allow us to be in that mess just to protect Skerrit nou? The world laughing at us
What sins did our forefathers commit?
You will find the answer in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
You can also precept this in Exodus 19:8.
In short, our forefathers made a promise to obey God’s Laws, Statutes and Commandments and no sooner God left, the broke the promises they made hence, the sins of the fathers will be passed unto the children
Jasma Paul was terrible as opposition leader and Anthony Charles is even worse. So my little take is two fold: 1. Both should step down as parliamentary representatives forthwith so we could have by election in Marigot and Salisbury or 2. Both should cross the isle so Skerrit could have the 21 seats he’s always craved for, so he could officially appoint them as his opposition. Fact is, they are both terrible and shameful if not embarrassing for Dominica and to me it’s like zero plus zero is zero and, zero minus zero is still zero nothing changes
Uhh, that makes no sense. Cross the isle but officially be appointed as opposition?
Based on what I just read it is clear that Skerrit is running Dominica without an opposition leader at this time since Jasma Paul resigned forthwith and Mr Charles has not sworn in. So Skerrit got, at least for now what he always wanted…No opposition !
Secondly, I am not a fan of Jasma Paul because to date, in my opinion it seems that she only carried the title but behaved as though she was the 20th seat of Skerrit.
I was waiting for Jasma’s term to expire so Mr Anthony Charles could be opposition leader. However, after hearing Mr Charles during an interview with Matt of Q95 last week, I felt like biting myself after hearing Matt asking Mr Charles how he thinks of Election reform, since it’s the hottest subject on island now. I was surprised to hear Mr Charles saythat he doesn’t believe in “destroying Roseau” as if to suggest that calling for protest actions is “destroying Roseau “ Mr Charles showed that he is not ready for the job and therefore we don’t need one
Brother this is the level of ignorance of the average Dominican. Their cognitive thinking skills are lacking. Maybe to Mr. Charles, a protest can only be done violently. Shame he is the representative for the people of Dominica if this is really his mindset.
Let’s get serious here. Would any leader in or outside the Caribbean after looking and listening to Jesma Paul-Victor or Anthony Charles take them serious?
If any of the two were to represent Dominica at any international forum, people would think that Dominica is an intellectual desert.
The present Parliament in Dominica produces noise and nothing of substance to alleviate the intolerable pain and suffering of the masses.
Debate in this august body has been reduced to beating of chests, a litany of lies and outrageous accusations and succulent, bogus promises.
Look at the two choices the country has as parliamentary opposition leaders. Look at the concoction of thugs, miscreants and spineless creatures masquerading as ministers and senators.
Our democracy has been kidnapped by an opportunistic, amoral, uncaring, self-absorbed bandit. His only goal is for him and his nuclear family to remain at the apex of power to feast from the government trough.
Well, as a declared member of the Joshua party, Charles just may never be selected as Leader of the Opposition. All the other opposition members have to do is declare their allegiance to Jesma and all his hopes for the crown are fini bat.
@ Putin, that cannot happe, the only ELECTED members of the opposition are Jesma Paul and Anthony Charles and only they can agree on which of them is them is going to be the opposition leader.
@ Putin, Jesma Paul and Anthony Charles are the only ELECTED members on the opposition and only they can decide on who the opposition leader is going to be. The senators have no say in this matter.
You are correct, only two ELECTED. I overlooked this fact, but it is still likely that Jesma can be persuaded (e.g. by the two senators from Marigot and her two senators) to punish Charles for what the “Marigot mafia” sees as his betrayal.
Let us not pretend that politics stops at the word “elected!”
You who know every thing, well know this, it is the ELECTED MEMBERS WHO DO NOT SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT, that have a say in this matter. Go read the Constitution
All which other opposition members? Dont you know that there are only 2 of them? their senators are not elected. While members of parliament they are NOT opposition members.