Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that he has written to both the Organization of the American States (OAS) and the Commonwealth asking that they provide two experts to work alongside eminent Caribbean jurist Sir Dennis Byron.
Sir Dennis was chosen to perform the service of sole commissioner for electoral reform in Dominica.
“What I have decided to do, in addition to Sir Dennis is that I have written to the OAS, the Secretary General and the Commonwealth asking that they provide to us an expert from their organization to work alongside Sir Dennis, so that we do not have only Sir Dennis, we have international actors, the Commonwealth, noted for its election observation across the Commonwealth,” the prime said during his Sunday talk show. “We have written to them to offer us an expert who will work alongside Sir Dennis and to ensure that all of these international best practices with electoral reform are met.”
“If we say we support something, why do we oppose it when it is happening?” The Prime Minister asked.
Sir Dennis Byron is a former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice. He also serves as President of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute, and is former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and former Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
Prime Minister Skerrit also responded to criticism of what critics describe as a unilateral decision to engage Sir Dennis for a fee of $450,000.
“I am embarrassed by the people who want to question the fees that we pay to such a person, and to embroil Sir Dennis into this thing. It is not fair to the gentleman,” he stated…“Let us have a certain level of decency in this country.”
Skerrit added that when he made the announcement in 2019 on the appointment of Sir Dennis, there was no objection.
“Nobody questioned his integrity, nobody questioned his ability, nobody said anything,” he stated. “Up until the announcement was made of the engagement that an agreement has been entered with Sir Dennis and the government, there was no talk in Dominica about electoral reform.”
Skerrit pointed out that it is not fair to drag Sir Dennis’s name into something, “as if he is taking the treasury and going away with it.”
He added, “This is not right. Direct the attack at me and leave the gentleman alone.”
After the announcement was made, Opposition Leader Lennox Linton said the United Workers Party (UWP) has no problem with the decision by the government to contract Sir Dennis but he has a problem with the styling of the assignment.
“There is no problem with them contracting with Sir Dennis Byron or anybody else to come in to do that, I have a problem with the styling of the assignment; but for me that is ok,” he stated. “Make Mr. Byron come in and advise the government and hopefully he will be minded to work with the electoral commission which is why I am disappointed that there is no electoral commission at this point.”
The electoral commission continues to be non-functional as two government and two opposition nominees have been appointed but no appointment has been as regards the position of chairman.
Sir Dennis Byron is a former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice. He also serves as President of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute, and is former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and former Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
IBO SMART,SIXTY FOUR,what did the election observers say after the 2019 general election including your OAS?
THE 2019 ELECTION HELD IN DOMINICA WAS FREE AND FAIR.Go read the Dominica constitution section 38(1) page46 line 5,then go to 38(6) page46,if you can read stop fooling the people.Section 28(1)(a) page 37,talks about consultation by writing.IBO SMART,read PART 2 section 41 and 42 page 48 of The Constitution of Dominica.The reason UWP is always losing elections,is because the majority of Dominicans can read and understand.
The pm has no legal authotity to name anyone as sole commissioner to electoral reform and dennis byron, should know this as acclaimed as he is, this man should no longer be referred to as sir as he is proving himself to be an immoral and corrupt individual by engaging himself in such an activity. How are courrptible men like this bestowed such important civil positions?
My one question to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. Mr PM, when these experts from the OAS and CARICOM arrive in Dominica will they have to be quarantine d at the Bobbles Skerrit apartment for 15 days as you demand of Dominicans in the Diapora? I am asking because I want to know.
The same August bodies that Skerritt is now asking at the last hour to come and join his circus, had given him their input on electoral reform in recent past, which he ignored. After Sir Byron has embarrassed himself for a few more dollars, and the citizens have shown Skerritt the folly of his crooked acts, he now wants to blame the opposition. Why doesn’t Skerritt just follow the requirements of the Dominica electoral laws to begin with, and there won’t be this mess. Sir Byron should have known that by consulting the constitution that what he agreed to do was wrong, as there is provision for an electoral commission to run elections in Dominica, so no one is putting down the man except himself and he knows it. Had Skerritt put forward a comprehensive plan for electoral reform to include Sir Byron, then there would have been feedback, but just to announce that he intends to engage the man was not sufficient to comment on. Once again the judicial system is failing the people.
Oh boy, donkey never bump its head on the same rock twice but Roosevelt Skerrit changing tactics and expect the rock to move? Maybe he is a better magician than donkey and with two doctor heads smarter than donkey. well, is the same rock my boy even if you have a dozen doctorates.
“If we say we support something, why do we oppose it when it is happening?” The Prime Minister asked.
Mr. PM, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about things. That is what the opposition is about. Why not work with the dominicans who have dedicated their time and have been elected to work on the various reforms that have ALREADY been suggested? Your recommendations have already been given to Sir Byron. We already know that. Your aim is to forever be in power.
He doesn’t work like that. It’s either his way or the highway. The man is a dictator and a gangster.
“Skerrit pointed out that it is not fair to drag Sir Dennis’s name into something, “as if he is taking the treasury and going away with it.”
Skerrit you know damn well that it you, Roosevelt Skerrit of Vielle-case that has taken our treasury and went away with it.
All the big money goes foreign and Dominicans get nothing except your left overs and the only damn reason they even get a boat to suck is because you want their vote. Let me attempt to share a few examples of our treasury that you Skerrit sent away:
1. How much of our money is in Anthony Hayden’s control?
2. How much of our money is in foreign banks in controlled by Skerrit and his friends?
3. How many of our jobs and contracts are in the hands of foreigners ?
4. You forced Ross University out so they could go to Barbados
6. You said you paid Mr. Byron $450,000 to do a job that Richie Charles, a laborite and Dominican was about to do for free but Tony told you that move would defeat you election legacy
7.DA is…
How come before the last general election, the PM, President and members of their cabinet kept saying that electoral reform was not needed, and now 10 months later they are supporting electoral reform?
This shows that you knew all along electoral reform is needed, but you all wanted to steal another election before its implemented.
@steupes, It is because at the time Lennox Linton, and his crocodiles was trying to delay the election OK!
…they could not afford to loose the election! That’s why.
Please post the official letter that you have sent to the OAS and commonwealth. At this time I am not trusting anything you say.
Release a copy of this letter to the press so the public can see what was requested.
@Malick, Instead of being a coward hiding behind DNO why don’t you go to the prime minister office and demand that official letter…. 🤣🤣 🤣 The laugh is on you clown!!!
Skerrit, we do not want YOU to appoint or contact people or organisations as a solo actor. Since we live according to you in a democracy you need to consult at the very least with the leader of the opposition in this matter. If you are not prepared to do that, leave the entire matter alone. We WILL get electoral reform with or without you. Trust me…!
@Copa Credo, you talking nonsense both you and your lazy opposition leader get out of here.
It’s people like you and YOUR PM talking nonsense galore. You don’t get away with it, your Master gets away with it and more…
Reds are just pleased very easily, give them a dollar and they shout all over Dominica how great THEIR PM is.
The electoral commission which is nonfunctional is the entity which has the legal responsibility to direct those activities under the constitution of Dominica. Why is the prime minister corrupting the process? This entity has been made independent for good reason. Democracy must prevail.
I am a bit confused now. Sir Byron has already been engaged and you only now writing to these organizations requesting experts to work alongside him? Knowing the time processes and protocols take within these bodies is this a trick knowing fully well that he may have completed the mission before any sort of approval is given? Then you can turn around and say that you never intended it to be a one-man commission, that’s just how circumstances had it.
This doesn’t really make sense to me.
It really is not that difficult Mr. Skerrit, just follow the constitution.
…no law and no constitution!
Is you that embroiled Sir Denis in this Roosevelt and the poor gentle man should have known better. You like a virus bro everything you touch gets contaminated.
Is you yourself that gives our country a bad reputation.
Skerrit show us the letter. Skerrit, do you or have you fellowshipped with Donald Trump? Is it fortunate or unfortunate that you two have such similarities namely: Fake, Phony and a Fraud. In reading this, will you agree? When will you stop lying? When will you stop playing games and abusing naïve people? The time will come when you will be called Mr. Gem (your Parl rep from Wesley may have an idea)
Ephesians 4:28 “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good.”
PM you are spending money working with your hands what you know is not good. You are only bent on stealing elections to stay in power, not to help the country but rather, to enrich yourself and to protect you from paying for the many wrongs you have done.
PM take Ashwin’s advise and understand that thefts will never stop until thieves repent. As a person who claims to be obedient to God’s word, let me remind you that one of the first commandments of God is, “THOU SHALT NOT STEAL” Exodus 20:15.
To my Christian friends especially my Adventist brethren that supporting the wrong of Skerrit:
“Wow to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” Isaiah 5:20
I was watching a T20 IPL yesterday and Aswin was about to bowl he noticed that Michael Flench was too far in the none striker’s end, so although Aswin could run him out , he simply stopped and warned Flench. After the game he was asked why he did not run Flench out like he did last year, he made a statement that is very applicable to our political situation in Dominica. Here is what Ashwin said : “I will say this. Can’t stop thefts till thieves repent. I cannot be police forever.”
The experienced off-spinner has now gone to state that he can’t be the police forever. “I will say this. Can’t stop thefts till thieves repent. I cannot be police forever. ” He went on to say ‘a wrong is a wrong’.
PM, stop looking for ways to help you steal elections. Is only when we win playing by rules we can celebrate. Winning by stealing is not a victory! “No one can stop thefts till thieves repent”. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working that which is good” Eph…
Skerrit, look at our economy crawl it’s way through covid-19!
You remember what you told the nurses regarding transportation? You never gave any stimulus to boost our efforts to keep our economy vibrant. We de citizens have made some hard sacrifices to keep our heads above water….no thanks to our $1.5 billion economy. You then ram down a $64, 000 a month palace rental and maintenance fee down our throats after telling us we owe de Treasury millions.
So when you tell us you all by yourself decide to pay Mr. Byron almost half a million dollar to be de sole commissioner to advise on electoral reform you doh expect us to HONESTLY hit back at you?
Embarrassment is a just payment for you????
You brought it on yourself!
Look at our economy!!
You ought to feel embarrassed for this.
De OAS and commonwealth should reproduce de same report that they gave you.
Mr Pm we just had an election in Dec 2019. If you were serious about electoral reform, you would have completed it before the last general election.
Do we really need international experts to help us correct such a simple problem? Since when we are incapable as a nation to fix our problem nou? Is it a Dominica issue we want to fix or Skerrit’s legacy we trying to protect? To me Richie Charles, was going to fix it without the help of OAS or Commonwealth and I didn’t hear of government having to pay anyone $450,000 dollars.
Let’s not forget that the “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy John 10:10.
Of course not! What Skerrit is doing here is spending our money on ‘experts’ only for these experts to tell us later we do NOT need reform or they they suggest reforms that will aid Skerrit to win further elections. Later he will tell us that he was the man that gave us reform.
“…So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11
You remember that song of Burning Spare on Christopher Columbus? Here are my two favorite lines: ” Christopher Columbus is a damn blasted liar
Christopher Columbus is a damn blasted liar Yes Jah”. People just remove Christopher Columbus and insert Roosevelt Skerrit. Skerrit lies more than Christopher Columbus. Here is the song so let’s sing along with Burning Spear, just remember to say Roosevelt Skerrit is a …
blasted liar everytime you see Christopher Columbus. httpss://youtu.be/wGdpBTjgB34
Skerrit is a prolific liar and deceiver and just as I don’t believe one single thing Satan says, so too I don’t believe a thing Roosevelt Skerrit says. First he announced Mr. Dennis Byron (I have lost respect for him just as I have lost all respect for Anthony Astaphan), as the single Commissioner that was going to do the work for him. Then he announced he going to pay him almost half a million dollars for the dirty work. Now he announcing he has written to the OAS and the commonwealth to send an expert to help? All Skerrit is doing is complicating that thing so at the end of the exercise he could send his foreign minister to the UN to say they tried but the opposition resisted every effort. Such a prolific liar and I have always wondered what we did wrong in Dominica for us to get such a liar and deceiver to lead our once beautiful island.
Is Sherrie sane? For him to request assistance from the OAS and the Commonwealth again is insanity. These two organizations have done this very recently. He and his rogues resoundingly rejected all the recommendations put forward.
Mr. Skerrit is doing everything humanly possible to take focus off the fairytale mansion. It will not work!
This guy makes me want to puke. Skerrit the only person who dragged Byron in this is you. You have a reputation of being associated with shady diplomats a number of whom have been arrested and jailed. Byron should be careful he does not mess up his reputation by mingling with you. What up with this obsession with position. The only judgement of Mr Byron should be how he has decided in court. Would anyone appoint Skerrit to be a commisioner on corruption and theft of state resources in the future because he was a prime minister for 20 years? After all Lucifer was an angel in heaven and a right hand man? Does that position automatically make him the best to set up church. In the development of serious matters this manipulative JA is still playing politics. Lack any capacity to govern. You alone dragged him in a messy situation created by your instability. If he has any sense he will realize he is being used by you in your dirty little games.
This whole issue reminds me of when a student didn’t study and decided to cheat on their final exams in order to pass. On first instance, the student passed the test but in reviewing the classroom cameras, it revealed he’d taken another alternative to pass the exam. The camera caught him peeking at handwritten notes. As a result, the Dean and Vice-Chair has to intervene to sort out what was originally a cheating scheme for lack of proper preparation. If the student had just studied right by putting their head to the task in earnest deed as difficult as it is, there would have been no need for the Dean or Vice-Chair. #gravitate outwards?? #Pose with the poor #unlock funds at UN #rape crisis #back door illegal entry allowed for 20 years
The PM’s intentions may be noble, but why does he continue to appear to be going this alone? Electoral Reform is not a one-man mission, nor is it a one-party act. All interested parties should be involved in the process. Period! The PM cannot unilaterally decide on these things; well he can, and in fact – he has. The people should, however, know that this is not the norm. This is certainly not how such important matters of state should be handled in functional democracies.
There is nothing noble about Roosvelt Skeritt intentions. Correct that. He is o ly deliberately causing chaos so he can blame someone else as not wanting reform. This guy is getting more unstable.
The issue there is that the PM cannot be trusted. He leads by trickery and deception. He never starts the race at the starting point, but quarter way or half way down the track.. A very sleeky and wicked leader, who does not believe in fairness.
He is certainly a terribly bad role model for the country’s children!!
$450,000 – you can’t be serious, Skerrit. Stop wasting our money on people who only help YOU to stay in power. Who do you think you are to waste our scares resources like that?
$ 450,000 for four months work is the equivalent of $1.35 million a year, plus expenses. We must be honest and say that this would be tempting for anyone. Without wanting to cast aspersions on his motives, this alone puts the integrity of Sir Denis into question, at least in the public mind and I would urge him to reconsider this assignment with a tainted taskmaster if he wants to keep his unsoiled reputation intact.
A famous or infamous e-mail by Anthony Astaphan to Roosevelt Skerrit in 2008 stated clearly that any reform to the electoral system would undermine Skerrit’s winning legacy. From that time to 2019 Skerrit has been stealing elections… But you can’t steal elections forever Skerrit!
Do you think the OAS and Commonwealth experts will say anything different from what was said before the 2019 elections? Voter ID card, cleansing of the voters list, Campaign Finance Reform, No bribery and treating.!
That’s what Dominica needs.
You have no shame really.
OAS secretary general?
Even after calling for him not to be re-elected?
I wonder if your wonder boy
Then you went and you trashed de electoral reform advice that you requested from both OAS and the Commonwealth.
How do you put dem tings thru in your head nuh?
I am thinking whether your wonder boy Byron force you to take a step back and act like justice is being done.
My brother you losing your head and you need to step down and save yourself more embarrassment.
You really deserve to feel embarrassed…. when one sells his soul he is doomed to self destruction.