Public Relations Coordinator of the United Workers Party Mr Dave Bruney is expected to be in the hot seat today as he testifies in the dual citizenship case involving Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and Education Minister Petter St. Jean.
The matter was suspended on Friday with the approach of Tropical Storm Maria.
The United Workers Party (UWP) is challenging the results of the 2009 election of Skerrit and St. Jean on the grounds that they were dual citizens at that time.
The trial got underway on September 5 and the petitioners were dealt a severe blow on September7 when Justice Gertel Thom ruled Skerrit and St. Jean would not be required to give evidence in the trial. Despite this the petitioners remained confident and said their case was a strong one.
Ron Green, Political Leader of the UWP and Edison James, President of the party, have been the only witnesses called to testify so far for the petitioners.
In giving testimony Green said he he obtained American citizenship as a 17-year-old but by his own act obtained an American passport as an adult.He said he knowingly retained his dual citizenship status after the acquisition of the US passport and even after the matter was raised in 1995 by then Attorney General Sir Brian Alleyne.
It is reported that Green’s dual citizenship status was resolved when he applied to the US embassy in Barbados in December, 2009.
He admitted that he was a US citizen at the time of the 2009 nomination and he knew he possessed dual citizenship in the 1995, 2000, and 2005 general elections.
Under cross examination James admitted to having told the public about Skerritt’s French citizenship at meetings during the election campaign, but conceded that, even then, no reference had been made using the word ‘passport’. He also said he knew Green was a US citizen but had always considered him a Dominican.
Love the duo! Comper lapin and comper tigre.
Sorry Donald Tusk, you are thinking of the wrong Dave Bruney. The Dave Bruney appearing in court today is not the lawyer and former Attorney General.
How can uwp win their case if all their witnesses are uwp supporters? What a dumb move? U all paying mendes all thay money for that sloppy job
Dear Gwen Fig,
A mature fig would have noted that:
1. a full page legal notice was printed in the news paper prior to elections. This served to notify the public and ALL relevant authorities that a CRIME AGAINST THE STATE was about to take place on nomination day.
2. The alleged perpetrator made public statements which were recorded and played back several times since then over the public press.
3. Attempts were made to address this crime in PARLIAMENT by the ELECTED OPPOSITION. BUT THE SPEAKER Of the ‘House’ REFUSED to allow THE QUESTIONS.
4. Has THE POLICE, the DPP, The AG, the President, the ELECTION commission, the IPO, CARICOM secretariat or OECS or OAS investigated these alleged Crimes(false declarations/illegal voter transportation)?
5. While HAITIANS (the poorest nation in the western hemisphere) demanded voter identification, Dominicans were denied this.
6. A mature fig would also have been able to observe the vast number of CONFLICTS of INTEREST due to FRENCH ALEGIANCE That are. Disenfranchising/depriving my fellow DOMINICANS (Fishers/ contractors/truckers/colas workers…)Of their ‘DAILY BREAD’/
Pay their loans/support their families etc…
IT IS TIME FOR RDOMINICANS TO GET OFF THEIR SLUMBER AND PUT THESE MATTERS TO REST.
THE COURTS CLEARLY DO NOT HAVE THE INTEGRITY TO DO ITS JOB.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IS WHAT WE NEED TODAY. I AM SURE IF ELECTIONS WERE CALLED TO IN Da, the dlp WILL LOST, BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOST THEIR WAY.
And Hector Spaggs “pasa Parlais” would be PM
what a thing
Dave Bruney is being described as the UWP PRO and yet the UWP wants this same man to sit on the IPO Commission. Clearly the UWP is taking this entire country for a joke. What is frightening is that other than guys like Lennox Linton and Assgelo Alleyne, there are still fools who actually supports them fellas.
You need to find your way. Stay in Skerrit’s flock to eat crumbs from the red clinic
but is more u so they would find at that same red clinic begging for them same crumbs
Brothers, we were once under french rule, that’s why we talk broken french, creole patois. And ah bet you if were still under french rule, we would have been french citizens. Under England, we were only British Subjects. What a shame. So no big deal having french citizenship and dominican citizenship at the same time. If were a colony of America, we would have been American citizens just as St Thomas, and St Croix, and St Johns are.
hahahahahahaha, what a foolish thing to say in public for the world to see.
and your point is? By the way, what we speak – Creole, is not “broken french” but a mixture of French, English and African.
Brothers Dominica is not a colony of France.
Mr. sounds like a guy who voted for the government
Is this not a case where the opposition is constitutionally mandated to ask that persons holding public office (PM and a Minister)to answer questions on behalf of the public?
Since when public officials in parliament can be prevented from answering questions about their legitimacy to hold such posts?
Sorry, but you’re one misinformed person, surely a little more reading and speaking and listening to persons versed in the working of the courts will answer your question.
The court system doesn’t work as some in the media wants us to believe. This is different kettle of fish. Please inform yourself.
will you also do the same, as you seem to be equally uninformed while trying to seem otherwise.
Looking forward to the reports this week DNO. Things should be very interesting this week. The ignorant and uninformed may be pleasantly surprised! lol
This is the problem i have with this like i said befor is no way if your navelstring bury in the soil u not off that land,so how can u see ron as a dominican and not the pm all that tells me is they cant take the fact they lost.There’s an old saying u can take a man out off a country but u can’t take the country out off the man.Some will say if dominica goes to war who will they fight for well last i checked most police officers still walk the the street with sticks only so what war we going to fight.
History:
1995: General Elections: UWP wins and Edison James becomes Prime Minister, (UWP:11 – DLP:5 – DFP:5).
2000: General Elections: A coalition of the DLP and the DFP wins and Roosevelt Douglas becomes Prime Minister, (DLP:10 – DFP:2 – UWP:9). On 1, October, Douglas dies from a heart attack and Pierre Charles takes over as Prime Minister. Efforts begin to rescue Dominica from serious economic crisis.
2004, 6 January: Pierre Charles dies from a heart attack. Roosevelt Skerrit takes over as Prime Minister.”
Do statistics lie?
What is the probability of two fit young prime ministers to die so suddenly?
Wikileaks please tell us about the secret meetings in Barbados involving china and Skerrit
From my sources, yesterday press briefing by China is the result of the secret meeting in Barbados invoving China. Here is an incerpt
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The two-day China Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum opened here on today with China announcing that it would pump millions of dollars in assistance to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Qishan told the opening ceremony attended by a number of Caribbean leaders including Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding, his Antigua and Barbuda counterpart Baldwin Spencer and the Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo, that Beijing would provide funds for six initiatives aimed at boosting relations between the two regions.
“China will provide one billion US dollars in loans and preferential nature to the Caribbean countries in support of local economic development,” he said.
Oh, what a barefaced tangled web.