Judith Pestaina has been hailed by her colleagues as a champion of the Dominica Freedom Party.
At a press conference on Tuesday Pestaina confirmed that she was stepping down from the helm of the party for ‘personal’ reasons and made it clear that she also won’t be available as a candidate in the next general election.
Her post is being filled by Michael Astaphan as acting political leader until a more permanent replacement is found.
Pestaina said she is stepping down due to matters relating to her business and family and because she wants to give the DFP sufficient time to prepare for the next general election which is constitutionally due in 2014. “I believe to that I have contributed as I could in my capacity as a former civil servant, as a hotelier…..I have a family, I am part of a business….and I thought I would need to devote more time to my family and my business,” she said.
She pointed out that politics in Dominica is time consuming and challenging and she would not want to compromise whatever contributions she could make to the party because of time.
There was nothing but high praises from high ranking DFP officials for Pestaina. Swanson Carbon described her as a ‘champion of the party’ who repaired what he described as the “tremendous damage” done to the DFP by Charles Savarin, who became its leader in 1996. “When Mrs. Pestaina took over this party, our former political leader Charles Savarin had done tremendous damage to this party’s image,” he said.
Making reference to Superstorm Sandy which had ravaged the eastern coast of the US, Carbon said Savarin’s damage to the DFP could be compared to a hundred storms of that magnitude. “When Mrs Pestaina took over the Freedom Party, Mrs Pestaina had to restore honor, respect, dignity of the party….to get people to recognize that there is still a Freedom Party,” he pointed out. “Because of this the image of our party has been restored and this we are grateful to Mrs Pestaina for.”
Meanwhile Astaphan said Pestaina held the reins of the DFP during challenging times. “Judith kept the torch burning and we have to congratulate her,” he said.
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The same people or party that propagate the aristocracy conspiracy are the ones or party in power creating poverty while the aristocrats now their partners are taking in the millions of dollars. Why aren’t the aristocrats talking about suppression by a party that was suppose to be looking out for the poor man. Who is partnering with crooked lawyers to build financial empires now. Who have offshore bank accounts; who build big houses and sell the house for 800 thousand pounds while a new mansion was being built? Who getting all government contract under company name Off Shore Marine? Checkout who the board of directors really are.
Those who work under mamo some of them had to sell their sole to a rogue government because unde mamo they could not have been as corrupt as they now stand. Remember Babs Dyer who was dismissed by mamo when he tried his self serving moves.
I will always hold mamo and the freedom party up higher than the rest because ther was development and clarity. No hidden villa ownership, garbage bin thievery , passport scams, lies, passport sales, Corello scandal, land tax evasion, big merchant tax fraud and injunction filed by senior attorney, the list goes on my friend
Yes freedom when you ready let me know because I am there with you all the way. There are a lot of young people I spoke to when I went home and all they saying is skerro skerro skerro but I ask them one very simple question ” why are you voting for skerrit ? Up to now I can’t get an answer.they have no idea because mummy and daddy supporting skerro and he pretty then I supporting him..Freedom party don’t really have a lot of work to do just tackle all those unemployed graduates that have no idea if they coming or going.They are very smart,technology savvy and have some great ideas to move the country into a new era and make our country competitive, so use them freedom and I will come down to help…I do not need you to buy my ticket to come either…just saying.
Greg – “I agree with you on the need for a political revolution in the mind and attitude of Dominicans. I notice too that you stay away from the issue of corruption something so blatant and rampant with the current administration”
Of course they cant talk about that. How can they? They hate Mamo because they feel she represented the “aristocracy” and is therefore the enemy but yet, as we all know, all her ministers had to hustle just like everyonelse after they left office.
Now lets look at who they consider sons of the soil. What are they doing? Becoming millionaires while they leave Dominicans to beg and rot! No job. No money. DOMLEC bussing dere tails! Potato and garlic alone they can buy now.
And you expect them to acknowledge the corruption? To admit that MAMO was the best leader so far? Never happen. lolololol but they dont have to say it because we ALL know it!!!
They know that we know that they know and that’s good enough for me.
VIVA FREEDOM!!!!!!!!
DNO elections are constitutionally due by 2015 (March or April to be exact).
jokers of the week ,who they think they fooling—
It is time for the DFP to embark on a massive outreach to long time Freedomites to help with rebuilding the party and preparing for the next general elections. We need a fresh perspective on politics and people who can clearly articulate a vision that many people can buy in to. UWP has failed as an opposition. Maybe the DFP could really step up and do the job. Start the ground work now. Get at least 3 constituencies; that will give you a voice in the House. Start small and then rebuild. Focus on Colihaut, Roseau South and Soufriere. Come up with a real plan; start knocking on doors; rebuild the YFM and get your plan out there early. Your comeback goal should not be to win the election in 2014; you just want to get a few seats so you can be in the House.
Jamie certainly in 2019 the remaining Freedomites will be rolling their rosary and playing bingo .
DNO the election is not cxonstitutionally due in 2014, please research that.
The constitution allows for a general election to be held 90 days after the first sitting of the House of Assembly following the last election.
So if my memory serves me right, the last election was on the 18th of December 2009, the first sitting was on Feb. 7, 2010 (subject to correction) therefore the next constitutionally due general election is around the 6th of May 2015.
Check it out!
Judith I wish you all the best, i think Swanston should take up the leadership role, so long he and bosso there..
It is not easy to beat DLP, they have really captioned the heart of the public, but good try we appreciated the Pest-in-her… lol
Everything has it time and space. The Freedom Party has nothing to be ashamed of. Charles Saverin revealed his true character. I admired the Freedom during it’s days. I am not sure if we will ever see or witness another administration such as the Freedom Party. An institution that was well lead and devoted to the development of Dominica. A party who picked this country from the ruins of Hurricane David to a country where Dominicans were not just proud but independent and prosperous.
The good men and women who are left in the once mighty Freedom Partyshould consider
good job but they should have given it to charles saverin.hehahahahahhahahh
” Swanson Carbon described her as a ‘champion of the party’ who repaired what he described as the “tremendous damage” done to the DFP by Charles Savarin, who became its leader in 1996.”
Here is the problem in Dominica’s politics: As long as the idea is to be “a champion of the political party ” and not the country, Dominicans will never experience a new, prosperous, and progressive life!
When we champion the party, we do all within our power to keep the party in power while at the same time not accomplishing anything meaningful to benefit the nation.
Indeed the DFP held power for twenty years, plus or minus a few years, under the leadership of the late Eugenia Charles, who’s greatest accomplishment was getting the late President Reagan of the United States to invade Grenada, and in the process hundreds of innocent mentally ill people were bomb while they were patents in a mental hospital.
Eugenia Charles ruled with an iron fist, she victimized many including the late police inspector Wordsworth Telemaque. Now while Judith complains about some damages that Charles Savarin may, or may not have caused, Saverin is only one man; a single pea in the pod: he was not the prime minister.
So, if he must be blamed, the entire team (all of the operatives of the DFP including Judith should be held responsible for the situation in Dominica exists this very day)!
I suspect Judith is blaming one individual because he has since become a labor party member and is living off the fat of the whole hog. If he remained a member of the DFP, he may be a starving member without been elected as an opposition representative.
If Timothy remained a member of the UWP, he also would be a starving member.
Remember Judith, all mouths must be fed, and since politics in Dominica means permanent employment, for the Dominica career politicians, who can blame Savarin for cleaving, holding on to the branch from which the honey drips!
In the event that Judith is honest about her reasons for leaving in order to allow more youthful people to come along, I cannot do otherwise than to simply admire her for that.
We all should recognize at some point and time we must bring about some political changes in the country, however, as long as the new breed continues to hold on to the legacy of the Labor Party, and the DFP, it is likely history will continue to repeat itself.
Remember the old saying ” me mama, and me paper was Labor, me mama and paper was DFP;” I doh changing now.” Well, where people intend to maintain the status quo, if the mentality is the same, nothing new can be added, thus there will never be anything new added to our way of life in Dominica.
That is the reason why Dominica is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere to date, because we are contented with the status quo!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
But Ronald Reagan is described as a the “champion of the GOP’s conservative wing and I don’t see nothing wrong with that…..so I don’t see any reason why Judith cannot be called a ‘champion’ of the DFP for her work in the party….it is an internal thing…politicians do that all the time.
You said “When we champion the party, we do all within our power to keep the party in power…” and this is exactly what is going on in the US right now….the democrats are doing everything to stay in power, while the Republicans are doing everything to go in power….its politics which is all over the world…..not only in Dominica.
The Ronald Regan scenario, is totally different to what we have in Dominica, first of all Ronald Regan was at one time governor of California; which at one time ranked seventh in the world with the worlds largest economy, he ran the State of Califorina, successfully or unsuccessfully we will never know, since when the economy of a State is in its prime everything goes well, and the power that be takes credit for everything.
Jimmy Carter was president when the economy of the United States went into decline, we had problems in Iran, in which the American Ambassador and staff were kidnapped and held hostage for more than a year, Carter attempted a rescue which failed:
You can research the details.
Nevertheless, Regan pounced on Carter’s failure, he capitalized on Carters failure, only to fail himself, depending on how you assess him.
I can tell you more jobs were lost under the Ronald Regan administration than even during Carters depression, thus the word trickle down economics was born; many of us remember even Bush his vice President who later became President, a one term succeed by Bill Clinton, termed Regan, economical ideas ” voodoo economics.”
When I came here in 1980, Carter was in power, I found a job in six weeks, by the time Regan came to power before his first term was over, millions of people including yours truly woke up and went to work one morning, and by the lunch hour we had no job!
Do you want to associate Judith with a man with such a tarnished political reptutaion?
A true assessment of Ronald Regan will prove him to be a failure, his presidency failed: he was the one who introduced ” trickle down economics ” to the people of America. His idea was if you cut taxes on the one percent, at the top, in other words, the billionaires, they would invest, and by the way he never said in what they would invest, thus causing a trickle down effect that would create millions of jobs.
As someone said recently when the Republicans gave praise to Regan in support of Romney idea of entertaining Regan’s trickle down idea, they said Regan idea did not work, that is why he had to rise taxes so many times within his two terms as President of the United States of America.
In any event, there is absolutely no comparison between Ronald Regan and Lady Judith Pestainna, whom I personally admire dearly; and I say that respectfully!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Telemaque Eugenia was not a perfect leader and the worse that you could talk about is that she victimized your cousin and coordinated with President Reagan in the Grenada invasion. That is it. Fet whet we’re you after hurricane David when Eugenia lead this island of ours from nothing to something. Eugenia had her style of leadership and some may not have favored her style but it was he style of leadership that prevented the mass corruption that we have seen since the departure of the Freedom Party.
You base your dislike on victimization. My friend people have been victimized from Freedom to UWP to the current disgusting Labor party. You talk about bombing a mental institution Eugenia d not order the bombing of a mental institution stop the propaganda. Nevertheless that was 30 years ago . You want to talk about misdeeds of political leaders talk about SKERRIT open support for kadaffi while kadaffi was dropping bombs on his own people.
I agree with you on the need for a political revolution in the mind and attitude of Dominicans. I notice too that you stay away from the issue of corruption something so blatant and rampant with the current administration.
Well said, Greg! Well said!!!!
Some of us just have to realize the people who insult Mamo don’t know any better.
Look at the Tea Party and Rush Limbaugh etc, for example and how they dessimate Obama on a minute by minute basis. These people honestly think they are right and know it all! They even fabricate statistics and polls to support their non points and absurd beliefs!
People are people. Humans are humans. So such similiar idealogy and mentality will exist and do exist right here in DA and you see it with those who call Mamo names and say she did nothing Blah blah blah. It’s normal that every population will have that subset.
If the USA with all their resources can produce so large a number in that subgroup far leass for little Dominica so lacking in schools, teachers, quality human resources and social finesse.
You said your piece and said it well.
Pestina you have done an excellent job and restore dignity and honesty back into politics.
The DFP is still the most honest party in Dominica.
I believe the DFP need young talented people who can work with Boston and company.
Pestina thank you and God’s blessings.
The youth of the Island need to wake up and do what is right.
The right thing to do is to get the DFP back into Government where they can have a future.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!
Miss Charles kill the party no one else.
She didn’t kill Dominica when she left a surplus and those incompetent men came in and Dominica is in debt. You have no what this woman did for Dominica and one term under mans rule that was all erased. You people have very little regard for the good things. Dominicans these days are quite like these African Americans no dignity, no self awareness, completely confused, ignorant acting, no respect for the women in your society and whole lot of good for nothing men! You all are quite unnerving!
Oh dear.
Actually Bwakwaieb, James is right. By all accounts she took the party down but that’s ok because she built it!
The fact is those left behind clearly did not have the character and//or brains and/or strength nor vision because up to now they can’t rebuild it or build something new.
A few had some of the characteristics. The others had none at all but no one had all the required characteristics like she did.
Freedom was mamo!
Good times was mamo too because since her not one patat politician has been able to take Dominica so much as one step further and they all know that. They have been able to take their personal bank accounts further hence the increased debt because they pocketed most of that and left Dominica worse off.
No bananas
No tourism
No manufacturing
no jobs
more crime
more drugs
more delinquincy amongst the youth
higher cost of living
but plenty debt. That would never have happened under Mamo. never! and they all know it.
Relax. In hindsight its ok if she killed it because clearly it would have died anyway without her at the helm. That my friend, has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt!
Time for new blood. Thank you Judith for your efforts in restoring the dignity the party rightfully deserved. I hope that Thompson Fontaine will soon take over the reigns before the “planned” SNAP elections. Time for some serious nation building.
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
This is a great opportunity for Skerrit to show his true colours. This is the time for him to go back to his roots as leader of the DFP.Those of us who have been following Skerrit as a politician have seen the unwavering love he has for the freedom party. It is alledged that he was once the president of the young freedom party. Presently,many of the top ranking boyz associated with the labor party like Savarin, Parry,Vanos are or were freedomites.Skerrit has a clear opportunity to go back to his beloved freedom party if he loses the citizenship case, excellent timing Mrs Pestaina.
Next level smells like a one party state
Mr. Carbon , it could not be said better than this. He is a PARASITE.
I think this is a time for restructuring of the party. Please find some new blood without any affiliation with the politics of today to take over the party. I am a freedomite at heart and it hurts to see us that way. Please disassociate yourselfs from UWP. Bring new blood vibrancy and a new vision for this country. This country needs a new oppostition and UWP is not cutting it. Please make a difference.
1 from 10 = zero
join our LABOUR train in 2014!!!
I will starve first than support this corruption.
That’s ok. That’s ok if RIP DFP for real. DFP had its time when we needed them. They played their part and did good!
All things evolve and if it means that DFP will now morph into something entirely new thats fine so long as the new entity has the same result and thats to get rid of those in office!
LOL DNO man! You removed a key word!!!!!! You destroyed my statement. Destroyed it! It lost all impact and you know it!
Ok let’s try – get rid of those thugs in office!
RIP DFP
say that again
The DFP will rise. When the people can take no more and their spirits are broken, their bank accounts empty, their children left hungry the DFP will be there to save them and the country.
DFP has it’s challenges but it will never take it out on the people.