Can an unscientific online poll convince a government it ought to act in a certain way and acquiesce to requests to take a specific action.
While it may not necessarily do so, it is interesting to note the majority of online bloggers who participated in DNO’s latest online poll voted YES, on the question posed: What do you think – should Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit make public in full, Dominica’s 2004 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China?
Of the 998 votes the question attracted (just two shy of a thousand), 78 percent, a total of 782 people said the prime minister should make full disclosure.
Only 18 per cent voted NO, a total of 179, while 4 per cent (37) were not sure.
Prime Minister Skerrit promised recently that Cabinet would examine the issue of whether the government should disclose fully, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that Dominica signed with China when the two countries entered into diplomatic relations in 2004.
PM Skerrit appears to have since taken no action on the matter, explaining recently that the government was busy doing its work when reminded about his promise on the MOU.
Many bloggers on Dominica News Online have at one time or another called for full disclosure of the MOU.
Others contend that agreements with other countries have not been the subject of public scrutiny, and the Dominica/China agreement should also fall into that category.
One day I decided to go try to get the MOU Dominica signed with Tawain and I was shocked to see what it was….A big water mellon.
This is all the Tawainis did..grown mellon and crayfish
Now the Chinese are bussing their behinds for Dominicans and they want to see what is behind the Chinese…well let me tell you all
Stadium..woooshhh wooshh…Cricket Galore
West Coast Road…I heard its the nicest looking rood in the OECS
New Univeristy of Dominica Complex
Schools all over the country
Road Rehabs in various communities
State House
New Hospital 2013
DGS Grammar School
A few Restaurants
A few Stores
And Less Dogs in Roseau….I am not see too many uwpites in Roseau these days…lol
*I am not seeing…Damn those Chines
Fed OKs China’s first U.S. bank buy
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve has for the first time given approval for a large Chinese bank to purchase a U.S. bank. It also gave approval to two other large Chinese banks to expand their operations in the United States.
The Fed board announced Wednesday it was approving the application of the Industrial and Commerce Bank of China Ltd., China’s largest bank, and two other Chinese firms to purchase The Bank of East Asia USA, located in New York City.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120511a5.html
Domincans stop worrying about the Chinese…we are very insignificant…we are beating down the wrong tree
Hey Wikileaks ,
What about the $billions borrowed from China to prevent the crash of the U S A economy.
Maybe the American people should ask to see the MoU
well you see the genes are still very strong and active, black people happen to be in the Americas, that includes the Caribbean and more so Dominica, because they were sold by their own people to the Europeans who turned them into slaves, history has always had a way to repeat itself, we are now talking of the same kind of philosophy and you posing as Emile Zapatos is condoning such acts, Si ye pa ni soutiwe’E pa ni voleur. Do not think for a moment that when things get off hand you wont be affected, we all will be in the fire burning.
No Law, No Constitution could prevent me from being nominated. Who said those words?
No DNO Poll could entice me to make public the MOU signed with China. Who would say those words? Even though 78% or more than 3/4 of respondents agree that Skerritt/DLP Govt. owe it to the people to be transparent and accountable.
What is the problem, nuh? What is the secret? What is there in the MOU to hide so much that people, up to now, are refused access to that MOU after years of pleading to Govt.
If Skerrit signed the MOU with China on behalf of Dominicans, why are the people on whose behalf the MOU was signed not allowed to read the document? So the people are fools then, who should not be trusted? Are there some things in there that Dominicans should not know about?
Isn’t that disturbing for all of us that we have been handed and carrying a ‘Diable en Sac.’ Good try DNO in keeping the issue burning, but the Poll would have no effect on Skerritt and his DLP Govt. re. changing their minds and making the MNOU available to the public.
Remember the constant cry by Dominicans about that $27,000,000.00 waste on that State Palace? Project going on with Chinese workers awarded the contract by Govt. to build. Local construction personnel cast aside.
Remember the constant cries to stop passport sales especially sales of our diplomatic immunity, given all the scandals? Not one in authority listens. This time would be no different. Which one among cares about results of DNO poll? Believe me, expect no 2004 MOU with China.
just do not understand in 2012 that so many of my fellow Dominicans are ignorant the P.M. is your servant not your master you pay him a salary .you have a right to know everything he does on your behalf. skerrit lovers please tell him when he iswrong that is what you do when you Love someone
But Mistah Skeritt and Lennox Honnychurch doh say they had already release it nuh? Skeritt say he release it in parliament, and Honnychurch said it was release as a 2 page document in the Chronicle Newspaper.
The ironic thing is that the opposition parliamentarians say they never saw such document in parliament and the chronicle are one of the organization asking to see this document themselves.
Further more de pm himself said that he can’t release the doc without consultation with the Chinese. So this is a paradoxical situation indeed.
In this case paradox is just a fancy word for lies.
It is not a question of hiding sometjing.It is a question of diplomatis relations which demand that soch documents remain secret.Just as cabinet papers are classified as secret
Some of us may not like it .So unless the rules of engagement are changed we have to accept it.
Governments have to follow the rules.
I think D N O should explain the rules of diplomacy to clear the air.Also the rules of clasified documents would help vis a vis the need to know.This is not a subject that can be settled by a poll .You would probably need a world conference on classified and diplomatic documents.
THIS IS NOT CHINA — DOMINICA RELATIONS .THIS IS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
You are talking nonsense, why are say this? There are other MOU’s that the government has made with other countries, which if you search the internet you will find them. I know what I am talking about. Why not this one, why is it not made public. So, do not try to tell people about secrecy. Some of us who post these comments and read them are not stupid. Come better than that whomever your are.
I hold the view that God did not make any stupid person ,so I do not think of anyone as stupid.I did not intend to make this personal.
But could you give at least one instance of a MOU THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. OR inform me of the site or page on the internet where I can find an example
Eggleston why do you think I am uneducated? Maybe you are right.Maybe you saw it on the internet.Everyone is entitled to their opinion.you may disagree but that does not give you the right to call me names or verbally attack me .IT is not about me anyway .IT is about the classification of diplomatis documents as practiced by all countries.If you think I am wrong EDUCATE me
EMILE Zpatos are you for real?
I am so real,but you will not see me walking down the street.
If you meet me and I extend my hand to shake yours ,you would also extend yours and we would shake hands .When a head of government visit our country he is given V I P TREATMENT .This is common practice ,customs and curtesies .SO IS the classification of diplomatic documents.
You may disagree with me .But if you think I am wrong show me what is right
Zpatos, no you are not stupid but certainly blinkered. The allegoric reference of your blogger moniker “eager shoes” makes it all too obvious that you are not able to present a balanced view when it comes to a critical assessment of our present regime. MOU’s do not require to be shrouded in secrecy. I’m taking on your challenge and would advise you that a quick search of the internet will throw up details of Govt. issued MOU’s. Here are two examples: the MOU between the Govt. of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (2005), the MOU between the U.S. Postal Services and the Postal Administration of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria (1990). I’m sure there are many more. I would recommend you extend your moniker to Emile Zpatos Rojos to highlight your single-minded vision.
Malatete’
Your name suggest “big migraine” .I on the other hand wears blinkers like a horse or donkey which gives me single minded vision so I can only see what is infront of me .
Your comments are very informative,thanks .But you can leave out the name calling .
Futhermore your examples are between governments and private entities not government to governments in the USA they can be declassified.
Later I will research the internet without my blinkers.
One other thing : are you the spoke person for Eggleston?You both see the singer but not the song .
Does your “ALLEGORIC” reference ” REGIME” put you in opposition to the present government?
So we pay their trip to china , they said they negotiated for 19 hours and it’s been almost ten years and we the people –the owner of the business have no idea what went down. So I would like to ask those who is the government people working for. It is no surprise why people like Skerrit and Tony thrive on the ignorance of the people. It a shame to hear people saying that Dominicans do not need to read the MOU. If this despicable and shameful behavior does not tell the tale of a country doomed then lord god please post a sign on the top of Morne Diablotin .
I find this very disturbing that the people of Dominica are so in the dark about their own country. But what really has me concerned is how many terrorists they sold Passports too! One day the people will wake up and find themselves back in slavery, only this time it will be to the Middle East and the Chinese. Mark my word!
Country ,your comments only confirm that such documents should remain classified
Emile, in my opinion, I think you are an uneducated. Period! Thats my opinion of you.
For one, the MOU is not a TREATY and two,what can be so different about Dominica’s relationship with China as compared with the other countries china has relations with?
If you want to be sure then as a responsible citizen ask for a genuine copy so you can be enlightened. Just a simple example for a simple mind. Are you aware that in some of the islands significant local participation and employment on the projects funded by China whether through soft loans or free money were accounted for in the MOU; Are you aware that a few months ago the government of the Bahamas told the Chinese ” take it or leave it” – tha Bahamian government wanted predominant local participation on some hotel projects. Note also that other islands have good accountability of their passports too and that those Chinese who bought our passports are not using our passp[orts to go to Canada or England.
If you want to enlighten yourself start reading- I suggest you start with a request for the MOU.
JNC,have you heard about a country called Tibet? Please do your research has and find out what is happening to them now as a result of an mou they signed with China. They have become the slaves of China.they fighting to get back their independence they once had. Their have to be living in exile. America has relarionship with China and they deal with Taiwan, can Dominica do the same? Read and educate yourself instead of following Skerrit like a blind bat.
that’s the reason for the poll
let’s find out…..
China is a communist country, if you do your research, you will see that China had made alot of agreements with other countries, especially those in Africa. When you are done doing your research, tell me what you find, tell me what China is getting in return.
If theres nothing to hide , i see no reason in informing the people.
Am a labourite at heart.I mean offcourse i would like to know myself.
I agree that all should be made public like the U.S., European countries and Canada do …..
Do the really.Please Mr ?? could you give at least one example to back up your statement
Dominicans do not have a right to known period. They should trust their lord, skerrit
i see you spelt “lord” small l ,you are so right because the LORD of lords is JESUS CHRIST THE SAVIOUR
Sa neg la fe ce sa ecay vrer. Let him hide still but nothing stays in the dark forever
Just messages to you MR.PM, you better do not have this MOU saved electronically on a computer because trust me, if you do not want to disclose it. Someone will hack into whatever computer(s) that your government have it saved. Do not think that you can keep on keeping things like that away from us. Dominica is not yours, it is ours. You better bring that MOU to light, the world is changing and computers can be hacked into easily so I am telling you, you better not have this saved somewhere on a computer.
If it was clean it would be disclosed already. Politicians dat dere with you eh.
I can list all 179 that said no for allu:
1) Cali for life
2) Fairplay
3) Professor Wikileaks
4) Gwen Fig
5) Meee
aaah scrap that….but still what do they all have in common? lmao
Camem, doh make me feel bad so nuh. I didn’t vote in that nuh. lol
However, I must point out that diplomatic material should not be made public.
Why you think the US gov’t hate Wikileaks so? Just asking. lol
What has this got to do with diplomacy? It is a commitment made by Roosevelt Skerrit on behalf of all the citizens of Dominica. Are we, who put him in a postion of trust, too feeble to be entrusted with the details of such an agreement or are they too controversial for public disclosure? Silence only deepens any distrust and creates disquiet. Be a man mr. Skerrit and share with us what you have negotiated for us. Surely, if the terms are that good and beneficial there is nothing to be afraid, or ashamed of but and exemplification of brilliant leadership.
I am not able to count the amount that said yes, because MET-YO, 1979 Live and all the other names he uses that voted yes.
Can the real Met Yo please stand up….no more multiple personalities.
BTW, I went up Ministry to see the MOU between Dominica and Tawain and all I saw was a Big Watermelon.
That’s all Tawain left behind of their proof they were in Domininca
ADMIN knows exactly who I am.
ADMIN knows this IP address very well
and ADMIN can confirm that MET YO is MET YO….and MET YO ONLY.
It is persons like you who post under multiple names from the same IP to have some kinda dominance on here in favor of the government.
But u can post under 25 names, it just takes one post to shall-ve-way allu.
did someone call my name???? met yo what those yeh yeh like to call man name for nuh??
Only the idiots care..or the blues
There should not be a poll for Dominicans to demand the releasing of this MOU. We are still a democracy, (NOT A DICTATORSHIP)and it’s the people’s busines to know.
Who cares. Should diplomatic docs be washed in the public?
Yes, the diplomats work for us.
Just Saying ,You are right ,they work for us ;But they have certain rules to follow.So change the rules.
Just as public servants work for us but they have to follow certain rules
The way the government is acting towards its people is the same way the Chinese government runs their country, everything is a hush hush in China and if you do speak out, you can get yourself in trouble. My people we are a democratic and free country, we as a people has right to know what dealings the government is making with China. Who knows what the government has given or promised to China. China is looking for its benefits; these things being done by China are not for FREE. All this is spelt out under our constitution. Open your eyes and see the light, our country is moving towards dictatorship, where it’s a man rule and the people has very very little say in how the country is run. Read my people and educate yourselves. We are slowly creeping down the path towards communism and if we do not do something about it and remain a free and democratic country, our children will pay the price in the future.
I am quoting this taken from above, “PM Skerrit appears to have since taken no action on the matter, explaining recently that the government was busy doing its work when reminded about his promise on the MOU” Now how busy can the government be to make a few pages of paper public, please someone explain to me the busyness in doing this simple task.
e pa-kay fai, he won’t do it…if there is nothing to hide just declare di ting…can’t assume anything else than say is something he don’t want the Dominican public to know?????…