Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that Dominica has signed the controversial Samoa Agreement. However, he asserts that it will not harm the country. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, he said the signing was done in Brussels about two weeks ago.
“I don’t think the agreement will cause any harm to the Dominican people or cause us to go in a particular direction that people think the document wants us to go,” he said.
The Samoa Agreement aims to govern trade and aid arrangements between Europe and its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (ACP) for the next 20 years. When it was first released, it immediately came under fire from religious and conservative circles in the Caribbean and Africa.
The main critic here in the Caribbean was the Catholic Church who said that signing the agreement would force countries to impose legislation on abortion, transgender, LBGTQ, comprehensive sex education, and so on.
Archbishop of Trinidad and Tobago, Jason Gordon said in November last year that the agreement was “not in keeping with the culture, values of us Caribbean people, and it will be a colonial imposition one more time on small fragile states…”
Gordon’s sentiment was echoed by Archbishop of Castries and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Roseau, Gabriel Malzaire, who said the question for Christians is “How are those decisions going to affect what we believe to be true, what we believe [to] be biblical, what we believe to be what God is asking of us.”
At Thursday’s press conference, Skerrit said the concerns raised were not far-fetched or out of place because the language in documents, such as the Samoa Agreement, can give different interpretations and readings.
“But, I will say that I don’t believe that what they say that it intends to achieve, it will not achieve,” he remarked. “Clearly, the European Union has a particular view about things that they would like us to agree on these things but obviously we don’t agree with them upon these things.”
He stated that overall, the agreement is a good document.
“And so it was necessary for Dominica to sign it for a number of reasons, which I will not spend time speaking to, and so we in fact have signed the agreement,” he said.
“I think we did about two weeks ago in Brussels.”
ACP countries had the end of last year to sign the agreement or risk losing access to loans from the European Investment Bank, which relies on the agreement for its legal operating mandate outside the EU.
He thinks he signed it about 2 weeks ago. Translation: he must sign, that’s how the bigger countries Canada, EU,US,UK,Germany operate on the poorer vassal chiefs. It’s really sign or die. They are deadly people. They turned almost 200 of world leaders into vassals. Just watch for how many coups or shakeups among those that don’t sign. They dangle Usaid, Israaid(now you can’t even support Palestine from genocide), IMF aid, they took all you have and have you ACP dependent on AID, including the whole of Africa they devastated, took every resource and replaced with aid, just so they can PULL the aid soon as you try things that benefit your people.
What is this document about? As a nation we do not have a sitting government. We are not operating in line with our values. “Overall” this is what the nations are using to have countries like ours backed up in little corners to peddle and push their interests. In this documents we as a nation should not be talking about OVERALL – first we are in our first fifty years of development as a nation and we should now be solidifying what our VALUES are as a Christian Nation. Some aid is based on our Human Rights Records – and the European Union as well.
I have a few questions for the DNO community
what becomes of all these agreements that are signed on behalf of the commonwealth of Dominica by the various governments? Are these now state documents? Is it mandatory for a copy to be gazetted or presented to parliament if it is requested by any parliamentarian?
How can a member of the public get a copy of these agreements?
The United States have the opportunity to arrest Skerrit and those individuals who are travelling with him. He is a security nightmare for China today based on the activities he engaged in and continue to engage in. His children and family members are US citizens as well as he should STOP signing agreements and deals with nations today and establishing diplomatic relations. The world is not at PEACE time – the same way the Syrian situation – remember the PACIFIC ALLIANCE forming against CHINA today
There are only problems he created for the People’s Republic of China.
Chinese should SHUN him and he should be out there apologizing to the Chinese for that National Security Nightmare that he created for them and for our country.
Mr. Skerrit, you are back at it AGAIN !!! Not providing answers to the population. ” So it was necessary for Dominica to sign it for a number of reasons, which I will not spend time speaking to….” ” I THINK we did ABOUT two weeks ago in Brussels “.
Same disrespect, same disregard for the people who employ you. No specific statements, only generalizations. I not going to spend time talking about the reasons…
When this matter first emerged you said you would talk to Malzaire, did you ? What was his response if any?
As you continue to rail raucous and reprehensible you have again failed and fallen flat on your face.
You playing stubborn but you will learn. Never seen a man with such obdurate characteristics ! Nonetheless, I take comfort and umbrage in the truths : ” those who can’t hear will feel” and ” how a man makes his bed, so shall he sleep in it”. Do your ting man, ” you were sent by the spirit”.
“And so it was necessary for Dominica to sign it for a number of reasons, which I will not spend time speaking to”
Skerrit is saying that signing the agreement has benefits for Dominica…..however he doesn’t have time to explain these benefits to de citizens of his one man wealth Dominica.
This is just Skerrit way of shutting up discussion with his arrogance.
I wonder if he read de entire document………he has had it for quite a while eh.
Dominica desperately needs finance
“But, I will say that I don’t believe that what they say that it intends to achieve, it will not achieve,” he remarked. “Clearly, the European Union has a particular view about things that they would like us to agree on these things but obviously we don’t agree with them upon these things.”
Wow if that is the direct quote this man is an absolute idiot or just pretending to be.
This is how these satanic organizations get their agenda in place. They use international accords that on the surface have to do with trade and other diplomatic efforts and they sneak in their agenda. Then later on we will have a leader that was groomed by the UN to implement that agenda and they will use this (and possibly other agreements) as the basis for their policy.
If something is in a document that you sign on to, then you have to abide by it, simple as that. Anybody else who thinks differently is naive.
@hmm, I get you, that’s how the new world geopolitics work. thanks for opening our eyes.
“And so it was necessary for Dominica to sign it for a number of reasons, which I will not spend time speaking to, and so we in fact have signed the agreement,” he (Prime Minister Skerrit) said.
Another way of saying none of your damn business Dominica why I do what I do as your PM, now take that! Just like the MoU with China, you people do not need to know what I sign as your Prime Minister! Skerrit has to sell this country underneath you all feet and run away with the money! Dominicans too foolish, too damn Dom (dumb)!
That should not be signed. What for, access to loans from the European investment bank that you can access elsewhere. .. among the other things too long to mention here? All this signing after ACP lost bananas, couldn’t we negotiate at least give us back bananas for signatures?
This was Skrit’s best work He should obey what Europe, England and America say so that the power of Dominica’s passport increases so that the oppressed and poor people of Dominica can benefit from the benefits of this passport.
Is God not our Provider and not the EU??
Such a legacy that a HOS should leave for the People of Dominica.
It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of an angry God…Hebrews 10:31
He who sits in the heavens laughs in derison Psalm 2:24…
For He has reserved a day of judgement for all the nations Acts 17:31
Roosevelt is of the conviction that he thinks the Samoa Agreemet would not hurt Dominicans.
Should we trust or solely rely on this man’s judgment? This is the same fellow whose government signed diplomatic relationship with the Syrian government that used poisoned gas on its own people.
This clueless autocrat has put billions of the CBI money in the control of a foreigner and not in country’s treasury where it rightly belongs.
Having confidence in Roosevelt’s utterances is the same as entrusting a drain sweeper to perform brain surgery on you.
Are you frustrated with yourself? Are you upset with your existence on this earth?
“And so it was necessary for Dominica to sign it for a number of reasons, which I will not spend time speaking to, and so we in fact have signed the agreement,” he said.
“I think we did about two weeks ago in Brussels.”
Well, well, there you have it in his own words ” …so we in fact have signed the agreement.” “I think we did about two weeks ago…” Does this sound like a credible witness?
Why don’t you apply for the job of PM of Dominica since everything about the Skerrit Administration upsets and disgusts you? Talk is cheap, lady.