The National Executive Committee of the UWP has discussed the matter and Dr Fontaine has agreed to the release of this statement because he wants us to “let the country decide”.
In our culture, the expression “wash your foot and come” used disparagingly, as it was in this instance, suggests that the process in question is casual, unserious, and open to any and everyone without standards or structure.
To apply such language to the Party’s leadership elections is therefore to imply that our Constitution creates an environment where leadership contests are:
– Unstructured and disorderly,
– Trivial and undignified, and
– Vulnerable to instability rather than rooted in democratic discipline.
That interpretation is not only inaccurate; it is unfair to our founders, the framers of our Constitution and to the thousands of members who have upheld it faithfully over the years.
Annual elections are not a “wash-your-foot-and-come” affair.
They are a deliberate democratic safeguard, designed to ensure:
– Accountability of leaders to the membership,
– Regular renewal of mandate,
– Transparency in the exercise of authority, and
– The right of every member to participate meaningfully in the Party’s direction.
Far from weakening the Party, these provisions strengthen it by ensuring that leadership is earned, renewed, and reaffirmed — not assumed by entitlement or prolonged by inertia.
Our Constitution reflects the values upon which this great Party was built: openness, accountability, discipline, and democracy.
To dismiss its processes with casual, disrespectful language is to misunderstand their purpose and to diminish the hard work of those who have sustained this movement through many decades.
The Party remains confident that its leadership elections — held annually, properly conducted, and guided by clear rules — represent not a triviality, but a pillar of internal democracy intended to keep us united, focused, and responsive to the people we serve.
First Edison James and now Lennox Linton, are the reasons that UWP can never win a general election in Dominica, not while those two men are seen to be involed in trying to control the party. Edison did the right thing when he bowed out of politics. Now it is time for Lennox Linton to disappear from Dominica’s politics!
You know I don’t get it here are people making and issue about a slogan which needed no explanation, since that is a cultural thing: the same as is common in Antigua; ” wet you hand and wait fu me.”
In Dominica, when one promises someone something and fail to deliver, there is a saying “you will get it when cock grows teeth; or pigs can fly!
What’s is the big deal
I don’t like the “wash your foot and come” statement of Dr Fontaine but Mr Linton is the worse person to call him out since during his resignation speech he described supporters of the party who called on him to step down, as traitors, backstabbers and enemies of the party and to date Mr Linton has yet to apologize although he later became president of the party.
Our problem is much bigger than that. It’s no secret that delegates conference is coming up and Mr Linton and all those old heads of the party and the majority of those who ran and with Mr Linton, are all against Dr Fontaine and want to get rid of him by all means. So this time imagine they are bringing a known very controversial pastor to run against Dr Fontaine. Look with where Da is today you think is a pastor who is not a unifier, and a known critic of Skerrit, homosexuals, drug dealers etc. In order for us to win we need Laborites and others to come on board and to me Dr Fontaine is the only one that will bring them…
The expression “wash your foot and come” is an idiom, primarily used in the Caribbean, that can have two main meanings depending on the context:
Informal or Impromptu Gathering: It is used to describe an event, such as a party or a dance, where no special attire or formal invitation is required; people can come as they are, without dressing up.
Inclusivity without Qualification: The phrase can also mean that everyone is invited and welcome, with no one excluded, regardless of their status or qualifications.
The phrase can be used in a derogatory or critical context to imply a lack of standards, organisation, or proper procedures. For example, in politics, it has been used to criticize a process that allows “unqualified” people into top positions or leadership roles without proper vetting.
Argument Done!! the phrase was contextually inappropriate.
With the electoral clock racing to election day December 2027, the UWP top brass appear to be experiencing an implosion of epic proportion.
What is to be gained by such a crab in the barrel public pow wow and meltdown between their two high profile rank and file members?
As with any family spat, it is always best to work things out in-house instead of airing the inevitable dirty laundry publically.
The UWP better get its disorderly house in order asap or risk the ignoble honor of losing an election two years before the polling stations open.
That blue party is a party of dishonest and greedy people,Bernard Wiltshire said it best,they are greenery.Read the comments of Truth Be Told,that is exactly how the majority of UWP ites think about Linton.Greed,dishonesty and betrayal has caused people like,Julius Timothy,Loreen Bannis Roberts,CrazyT,Dr.Ferreira,Joseph Isaac,Nicholas Esprit,Earl Bruno and Jason Fontaine to leave UWP and go DLP.A poto UWP supporter once told me Norris Prevost was NOT in favour of Soso Cuffy as the UWP candidate for Roseau Central.But he was forced by the blue dictatorial party to support Soso,who got a beating by 190 votes.Linton record of dishonesty and arrogance is high,but when it comes to character,Linton life is way better and less contaminated that that of Fontaine.Go back to what Fontaine did with Dominicans $27,500us,that was given to DASS,a portion of land given to DASS at Rosalie for the Dominican people ended up in his name.Linton has never taken anything fraudulently from Dominicans.GREED.
Skerrit would never tolerate that
no one person has proved himself to be more humble than de other
when i go to de polls I vote for a representative in my constituency not for a party
not even Skerrit has proven himself to be king humble in my eyes.
yet still if I was Skerrit I would call an election as soon as possible
this doesn’t necessarily mean that would be de best way forward for us as a country but labor would win again no doubt leaving us clueless
dlp not really interested in de people power……..they just want to embarass their strongest opponent
de game has become so nasty that true honorable leaders watching from a distance…………
we de people are just about fed up with this………….we need a miracle to get us out of dlp claws
So Mr Truth who is more dishonest?Dominicans know about the $27,500us transferred to his personal bank account without authority.Dominicans know about the transfers of Dominicans land at Rosalie to his his name,and they know as a doctor who worked with IMF, he has nothing to show for that.You can shout doctor,doctor,doctor,Dominicans know about Fontaine.
“Dominicans know about the transfers of Dominicans land at Rosalie to his his name,and they know as a doctor who worked with IMF,Dominicans know about the transfers of Dominicans land at Rosalie to his his name,and they know as a doctor who worked with IMF, he has nothing to show for that.You can shout doctor,doctor,doctor,Dominicans know about Fontaine.w about Fontaine.”
First you were Lin Clown, then you became labor power, whatever that is! I do not wish to call you an idiot; but you seem to have proved you are indeed an uneducated idiot!
Read the quote above; the words are yours verbatim: I slice this out!
” as a doctor who worked with IMF, he has nothing to show for that.You can shout doctor,doctor,doctor,Dominicans know about Fontaine.”
How stupid are your words? People should prefer to tolerate one who you in your simplistic way term an honest man! If he returned home with billions of dollars, you would crown him a ….. like Roosevelt
His Ph.D…
It is always difficult to understand the demeanor, or rhetoric of a fool!
In the first place, people reefer to Thomson Fontaine as doctor, because he earned a Ph. D in economics from a University, as far as I know he taught economics at some university or collage here in America: I know someone from Dominica whom he taught, she resides in England, as result of that she is also Dr. Paul, I withheld her first name.
Roosevelt went out and bought two bits of useless paper with the insignia Doctor, which has absolutely no benefits, because he cannot even introduce himself as doctor to anybody. Fontaine can since his degree are academically earned whereas as dog face Roosevelt are bought honorary degrees!
Mind you Roosevelt Skerrit bought bits of bought papers can be rescinded, Fontaine earned degree is for keep! Review the situation with Bill Crosby. Roosevelt dog face cannot present his bought honorary degree at an interview to get a job, Fontaine can, and that is the difference!
The irony of this photo is so representative of our times where every uneducated fool believe that their ignorance is equal to the opinion and/or knowledge of the educated.
Lennox Linton, as a high school drop-out, should never have been in a political party leadership position, in these modern times, period! Lennox Linton reprersents UWP’s continuous failure in Opposition!
It is a disrespect to all Dominicans, especially those who have spent decades in higher education, above high school, like a PhD Economist, Dr. Thomson Fontaine! Lennox is rude, out of place and does not even deserve to be sitting at the same table with Dr. Fontaine. It is time for UWP to clear out the garbage if they are serious about getting into government ever again. Please throw out the rubbish! Dump the trash. Lennox, your time is up, pack out!
Put a imbecile like you to debate any topic of your choice and Mr. Linton would expose you for the bona fide ignoramus you are.
Listen to how he expresses himself and critically analyze his intuitive thoughts. Compare these with any erudite person. Lennox reigns supreme.
Reading the crude comments about him from a man who has made so much personal sacrifice for the betterment of his country, I have to conclude that a patriot gets no love, appreciation or recognition in Dominica.
Lennox Linton should take an everlasting
sabbatical from local politics. He does not deserve to subject himself to the crudity and nastiness of these
moronic dimwits.
Let me tell you I take offence to your sarcastic remarks where it pertains to Linton! You perhaps don’t, know him every well, but I can tell Lennox is not fool, and shall never be a fool.
Sometimes unfortunate things happens in life, we survive; just because Lennox may not have a Ph.D or equivalent does not give you the wright to try and bring him down. So, learn this do some research on Neville Chamberlin who was prime minister of the United Kingdom (England) from 1937-1940 Check into his educational background, part of it you will find at some point he was educated at home by his sister Beatrice.
Closer to home Ernest Williams, former education minister in Bird government, Antigua learn to read perhaps in his thirties: His wife a school teacher, taught him so stay off Lennox case: I was told by a Dominican Lawyer, who were friends with Lennox, they work on many issues; while he dealt with the legal issues, anything involve in communication all other matter was Lennox!
Oh oh! UWP airing their dirty laundry in public. Not looking too good for a party wanting to replace the ruling party. Is there going to be a dog fight between Lennie and Tommy for the party leader? I would like to be a fly on the wall at this party conference. My money is on Tommy. He is younger, better looking and well educated and more charismatic. The qualities I would look for in a leader. Lennie might be a bit more inspiring for UWP members but having challenged and failed to defeat Skerro over and over again, I think it’s time to hang up the old boots or gloves. I hope there are basins at the entrance for people to wash their feet before they enter to vote.
Eagle eye stay in your lane.. you will end up in accident…
Fighting talk eh! Not only staying in my lane but parking on the hard shoulder with a lot of popcorn and binge-watching the same movie play over and over again. But we always get the same ending. Another 25 years in opposition. What a calamity.
To do the same as the labour party by disregarding the annual convention and sidelining democratic principles of their party would make UWP lose its stated identity as an democratically principled opposition party and even worse appear hypocritical.
However I can’t help but think this challenge to Dr. Fontaine is really an undermining of his leadership and attempt to steer a new agenda for the party with the ultimate intention of disregarding him or replacing him as leader in an attempt to gain power or influence for themselves.
I guess politicians will always be always be politicians.
This leadership problem in UWP has been happening for years,it started when they betrayed Julius Timothy in favour of Earl Williams.UWP is a corrupt,victimizing,greedy and lying party,they cannot be trusted.UWP is a party of crooks,traitors,vilifiers and back bitters.Thompson Fontaine want to introduce the DASS style into UWP,the wash your foot and come comment is directed at Lennox Linton.For years certain supporters of UWP are convinced Linton too dishonest and uneducated to be leader.People like Gabriel Christian,Dale Dangleben,Sheridan Gregoire,Irvin Andre,Severin McKenzie,Matt Peltier,Joshua Francis,Blessings,Issac Baptiste and Loftus Durand.Brian Linton warned Lennox Linton about.It is the same people headed by Thompson Fontaine who want to rule Dominica,without interacting directly with the people.The above mentioned people hate Lennox Linton.Blessings once said it was undemocratic for Lennox Linton to be voted leader of UWP unopposed,that was the beginning of Linton betrayal.
Lennox you are wrong! Growing up in Roseau, Dominica, I always knew the expression, “wash-your-foot-and-come”, to be one of inclusivety, meaning all are invited, welcome, no one will be excluded.
Reading this and hearing about Dr. Fontaine use of the expression in relation to UWP leadership elections, simply means that all are invited, welcome.
You Lennox, are stating and implying that Dr. Fontaine was disparaging and deploring the UWP leadership contest and its procedures is false and wrong. That is your interpretation. You have gone on to associate all these negatives, “To apply such language to the Party’s leadership elections is therefore to imply that our Constitution creates an environment where leadership contests are:
– Unstructured and disorderly,
– Trivial and undignified, and
– Vulnerable to instability rather than rooted in democratic discipline.”
These are your interpretation and you are wrong! Stop trying to play lawyer, you are not qualified to do that!
I agree with Mr. Linton that those remarks attributed to Dr. Contains are denigrating and very disrespectful. The UWP depends on these very ‘wash your foot and come’ supporters to win elections. How could any astute political pass such disparaging remarks about people who subject themselves to bodily harm from thugs (police) who direct stones, missiles, rubber bullets, expired poisonous teargas and wrongful imprisonment.
No law nor constitution is set in stone. From time to time they should be subjected to review. Election every year for leadership of the party is too disruptive. In my honest opinion, it should be a biannual affair ( every 2 years). A leader cannot do much in one year.
Dr. Thompson Fontaine’s crude and degrading remarks clearly imply that he is an elitist pretending to be humble. Remember when he kept his ill-advised economic summit at a prestigious hotel. Only moneyed persons could attend. What became of it? Absolutely nothing!
You are mindlessly throwing around terms that westerners and leftist ideologues use to smear people like “elitist”.
We want elites to represent us in a lot of things.
Thea Lafond is an elite, an elite athlete. We want her to represent us at sports.
Dr. Fontaine is an intellectual elite.
We should want them both to use their elite abilities and status to help us. But some egos can;t handle that there are people that are much better and smarter than them they can’t control.
Generally athletes are more popular (even the badly behaved ones) society (and especially marxist types) tends to have less tolerance for intellectual elites maybe because they are better at reasoning and explaining how terribly wrong and uninformed we are and how dumb our ideas can be.
We need to weed out the bad/false ideas and promote the good ideas and good elites among us.
There is just too much envy and crabs in a barrel thinking in our people.
Unadulterated garbage! Your vacuous statements undoubtedly show that you are in serious cognitive decline. You need the immediate service of a neurosurgeon.
The UWP has lost its way under the monotonous, uninspiring doctor. Thr party can’t even motivate its dwindling supporters to register. Dr. Fontaine is a drag/a wet blanket on the UWP. He is like a car with all four tyres punctured/flat.
what a juvenile brained level retort “need the immediate services of a neurosurgeon” that is so bad it doesn’t even make sense.
Throwing your insecurities on others again, you are the decrepit fossil who’s already limited mental ability is going down hill.
My statement adequately described you, you don’t have the humility to genuinely respect superior capabilities in others without being offended (especially moral and intellectual) . You will continue to be a source of the problems you rail against in anything you participate in, and sensible people will always recognize that about you given perspective.
There is a way out, just stop, work on self-awareness (take accountability for who you really are including your shortcomings) and use that to be better.
Easy to say, but for most almost impossible to do.
Why is Lennox critiquing Fontaine publicly? He wants to be leader of UWP again?
is it critiquing or is it an astute observation?
Support for Dr. Fontaine and the UWP is at an all time low. The gentleman is more of a meteorologist than a political leader. Just does not have the gravitas nor the magnetism to wow the people.Dr. Fontaine’s campaign reminds of hand-lining from a boat in the middle of an ocean with no bait on the hook.