Terminate Economic Citizenship Passport Programme – UWP

Ron Green, political leader of the UWP

The United Workers Party (UWP) has called on the Roosevelt Skerrit-led government to immediately terminate the Economic Citizenship Passport Programme.

“In light of the present doubts, serious concerns and questions in and out of Dominica regarding our Passports the United Workers Party calls on the Skerritt Government to terminate the Economic Citizenship Passport Programme forthwith and to revoke all suspect Diplomatic Passports immediately,” the UWP said in a brief statement today.

The UWP also called for an independent investigation into the programme. “We call too for an urgent, full, and independent investigation into both passports schemes which appear to be dangerous threats to our sovereignty,” the statement said.

The programme has been under the microscope in recent times and has caused much controversy as allegations swirled that Dominica’s passports are being sold indiscriminately with some being in the hands of people with disreputable characters.

However the government has defended the programme saying it was designed to attract investors to Dominica, and applications for economic citizenship must be “heavily scrutinised.”

Dominica began its economic citizenship program in the 1990s.

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78 Comments

  1. I'mWondering
    December 1, 2011

    I’m not sure about the TERMINATION of the program until a thorough investigation has been done.

    What i am sure about is that an Investigation needs to be done. This should come about and the program should be suspended/ put on hold in the interim.

    To abolish a program on hearsay or without substantive proof many not necessarily be the right way.

    We do need an independent body to investigate; one which will show how many passports have been issued, how much money has been collected from these passport sales, the use of said money.

    Furthermore, all persons who have received diplomatic passports MUST be reevaluated and scrutinized.

    After this investigation has been completed; then based on the results, the advantages and disadvantages of the program can be evaluated, then and only then, can a RIGHT or PROPER decision be made.

    We can’t simply squash a program without an assessment or evaluation being don eon it.

    Having said that, doesn’t Dominica have any groups which stands up against the government and take them to task? Any community advocates, any protectors of Dominican rights?

    I’m talking legit groups, legit people…those who can stand up and let their voices be heard, those who can mobilize the community. I’m not for the UWP being that group because then it becomes all political….

  2. a stitch in time ...
    December 1, 2011

    Some Dominicans could be educated from January-December, year after year, they will never learn, simply because they refuse to learn. They reject, just like that, the truth of any statement. Facts and truth are thorns in their sides.

    How could anyone, who really loves his/her land of birth, agree for Dominican passports to be sold just like that, until that sacred property of ours reaches in the hands of people with questionable motives? No one knows about the amount of millions being made. Only when individual private people fearlessly investigate and inform the Dominican people that they get to know.

    Authorities do not tell them about those sales and scandals. Even when the FACTS hit straight in the face, they prefer to die in their PARTISAN POLITICAL clothing, but to believe the truth. Is it TRUE that our passports, including Diplomatic ones are being sold to all kinds of people all over the world?

    So is not true that Govt. appointed non-Dominicans as Dominican Ambassadors to cerain UN bodies? Did they have diplomatic passports? Isn’t another now in JAIL in the US? WHY? Are there others who may have bought our diplomatic or ordinary Dominica passport and involved in criminal activities?

    It is amazing, to say the least, that some Dominicans would find fault with such a patriotic statement, “STOP the SALE of DOMINICA PASSPORTS, NOW, BECAUSE OF THE BAD Publicity internationally.”

    An agent selling our property, our passports, years ago, formed companies, fooled an entire nation, never built the promised 5-Star hotel. where is that Hotel/ where is the Money? So you all do not care? So just let anybody FOOl us, do what they want with us? Where are the INVESTMENTS? Where are those $$$$$$$$$$$$ from PASSPORT sales? Those scandals are not to the benefit of the majority of Dominicans? Do we need more Psychiatrists on island?

    Unbelievable that our people choose to be on the side of criminals having our passports. They are so short-sighted, that they do not see the risks, the potential dangers, the negative impacts as a result of that solely money-making venture. STOP IT. A nation is pleading to STOP IT or we will all be damned.

  3. 1979
    December 1, 2011

    MR GREEN. With all due respect, you are the wrong person to convey this message, u are an OBSTACLE in the way now man. You should NOT be the one communicating this message. Your name and face alone renders the message ineffective. I want to see the end of this selling of passports ABSOLUTELY but you are just the wrong person to be the messenger. You should let someone else convey that message. I was happy to see the article but was pissed off to see ur face. You need to give up the wheel. Chaaahh man. I vexxxxx get out of the way of our progress man ron damnit

    • 1979
      December 1, 2011

      this is not a political issue, it is an issue of my f ing child sharing passport with all kinds of unknowns just so that a few privilaged people can prosper from our desperation to see and say we have development. RON GET THE F OUT OF THIS DEBATE!! my granny always say
      POVERTY IS NOT A CRIME IS THE WAY U MAKE IT TO BE….you have poor PROSTITUTES and it have poor people with DIGNITY!!!!! just listen to the IGNORANT COMMENTS U HAVE STIRRED UP MR GREEN!!!! YOUR PRESENCE IS LIKE SMOKE CLOUDING UP THE GOD DAMN ISSUE!!!

  4. KADANCE
    December 1, 2011

    REALLY LAUGHABLE,WHAT LEVEL OF HYPOCRACY,,,UWP RE-ENGINEERED BUT DID NOT TERMINATE THE PROGRAMME—NOW IS ADIFFERENT SONG ,ALAS,,THE BOLD-FACENESS OF POLITICAL DRUNKENESS

  5. D'can By Marriage
    December 1, 2011

    Its the UWP that needs terminating and judging by the 18/3 whooping in 2009 that state is not far off..Then again they (UWP) are self destructing anyway

  6. RAS B
    December 1, 2011

    Those are the sort of comments we expect to be coming from an opposition party. We have heard much too much rubbish from them in the past but if only by this statement, though it may be an exception, It would appear that they are encouragingly coming home to roost; and so I salute you.

    Guys please we pray that you will continue to deal with those issues that affect our country’s name and its people; so let us march forward ever, backward never, so that we may fear no more!!!

  7. Rol
    December 1, 2011

    There is a saying, where there is smoke there is fire!

  8. Wongping
    December 1, 2011

    Mr. Green,instead of going on radio why don.t u go to parliament to defend the people who support uwp?we give u our votes and up to now we are not being represented in parliament.whilst u on the street dlp working. Respect our votes.

  9. Aye Dominique
    December 1, 2011

    OK admin, where is my posting? Anything there people don’t know, all I posted was public knowledge

    Let me go on newsdominica to express myself freely

  10. Belle neff
    November 30, 2011

    My God! I never see so much colours and emotion in black and white, some Red with Rage; some Bluevex : and some scheming Green: well boy Dominica changing.

  11. jeremy
    November 30, 2011

    Thank GOD AT LAST BLOODY WELL KEEP IT UP MR GREEN YOU HAVE SILENT TO LONG FIGHT LIKE HELL

  12. MAY
    November 30, 2011

    HERE COMES RON AGAIN. YOU ALL CAUSE WE NEED
    VISA FOR CANADA WHY DID’NT YOU ALL STOPPED
    THE PROGRAM WHY NOW. GO TO PARLIAMENT STOP
    BARKING FROM THE STREETS.

  13. Marian Jno-Finn
    November 30, 2011

    I really think we should set up a petition drive to terminate the selling of Dominica passport – we don’t want the types of investor that we obtaining our citizenship. one should earn that previlegde not buy it.

    That petition should be sent to Dominica government, Caricom, the Queen, UN, OECS, etc and if the government don’t listen then protest actions must follow.

    This is should not be political – but concern citizens making a demand.

  14. #Rontoowicked
    November 30, 2011

    Ron but is all you that really got it going. IS allu that start the IBC and have allu underhanded thing going on in the valley all now!!!!!! Allu place in the valley is an agent!!! GOOOO RUSSIA!!!!! They bought allu lock stock and pre-signed docs too! Doh blame my PM for what allu started. His due diligence procedure is much better than what allu was doing. He has made more moves than allu world have done to secure the reputation of this developing state.

  15. Justice and Truth
    November 30, 2011

    Vulnerable Dominica

    UWP, this is one time I do agree with you. No more selling of passports to foreigners, those who claim to be legitimate business people for economical reasons. Keep it in this manner forever. Those people could also abuse of the system and may not sincere. They have ways of lying, deceiving and protecting themselves. In the long run Dominica and its nationals may suffer for it.
    This change should be immediately implemented. Dominica will somehow survive without them as it were in those days. God protects and assists.

    • Justice and Truth
      November 30, 2011

      :oops: …Could also abuse the system and may not be sincere…

  16. tiny
    November 30, 2011

    so what’s the latest on the skerrit apology or lawsuit drama……14 days too long man….skeritt next time use the number 7….it’s one of God’s favorite numbers

    • .
      November 30, 2011

      It was a shut up strategy…LOL !!!

  17. Catt
    November 30, 2011

    I am behind you 100% Mr. Green. This program needs to stop if this gov’t is selling them to criminals and to make it worse stealing the proceeds of it. STOP IT NOW.

  18. Hitman
    November 30, 2011

    alas Ron Green you and your pack really idle papa

  19. Go Flat
    November 30, 2011

    Ron green so smart he sounding like papi.

    • ?????
      November 30, 2011

      You mean what is written on this medium spoke to you in the tone of Ron Green,or you are just hearing voices? WOW !

  20. dominica at heart
    November 30, 2011

    We not stoping nothing,tell ron the passport he has he needs to pay for it,all the way mr pm we moving our country forward.

    • ham
      November 30, 2011

      FORWARD TO HELL! Guess your statement was incomplete..You are the co-pilot, the puppet,the fool,the political football,the blind one who only sees red.

    • Anonymous
      December 1, 2011

      thats y the country annot move foward. put the party plitics aside and instead ask for INVESTIGATION. If anything comes out then it should be stopped. come on man, grow up. this is 2011 not 1940.

  21. Sot
    November 30, 2011

    Knowledge is power.

    http://www.second-passport.org/

    You can read the recommendation on behalf of the Minister for Economic Development and Urban Renewal in Dominica (who was responsible for citizenship in 2008), which confirms the close work of the founder of our company – Alick Lawrence – with the Dominica Government under the economic citizenship programme since 1996.

    If the documents are accepted by the Government they give tentative approval. We inform you of this. At this stage you transfer the investment amount of US $75,000 or US $100,000 directly to the account of Dominica government. This amount must be transferred in whole.

    • Anonymous
      November 30, 2011

      who reads what a Sot says..!

  22. T
    November 30, 2011

    Let me lend support to Mr Green, and call for a comprehensive disclosure of the number of passports sold over the past 2,3,4,5 years,and the people they were sold to,criminals or otherwise….The amount of money collected should also be disclosed, and the sustainable employment to be created with this money…THE MONEY BELONGS TO US,SINCE THE PASSPORTS ARE OURS..On no account should a small minority benefit handsomely from the sales of our passports and there are those living in dire poverty amongst us..WELL DONE MR GREEN..

  23. November 30, 2011

    The way I commented about the issue in another forum:

    However, Spags, when we are reviewing the people who holds Dominica diplomatic passports we need to go way back, and review it to the days when the UWP, appointed a Russian Ambassador. You probably recall the one that was declared persona non grata in Switzerland.

    I do agree that the sale of our passport should be discontinued, however, in the event, someone whishes to invest in our country, and it is necessary to grant citizenship to them they could be exempt, but this sort of thing where people have bought Dominica citizenship simply to be able to travel to places where they could not go based on their country of origin should not be encouraged.

    Not too long ago a plane loaded with Chines landed in Toronto, the majority of the passengers carrying Dominica passports: not one of the holders spoke a single word of English, never mind patios!

    I doubt any of them knows Dominica’s geographic location!

    Well, they did not enter their destination successfully, as they were returned to their homeland China.

    Anyone besides Ron Green should have called for the cease and deists practice of selling passports to people our country does not know, since he had the opportunity to look into that practice whiles he was in government.

    His call comes as everything else too late, he should detest the Russians running around the world posing as Dominicans, and killing people, dealing drugs, gun running, and doing all sorts of wicked deeds, which we all will be blamed for sometime in the future.

    No private Dominica citizen, or foreigner should be given hundreds of our nation travel documents to travel the world and sell them to anybody who wants one. No government minister in any ministry should have a desk draw filled with diplomatic passports, selling at a price, to the highest bidder.

    In every country there is an official immigration department set up to deal specifically with matters of immigration. Take a look at Antigua, small as Antigua, is they have established such an department which deals with immigration only, while the police conduct their business of hunting down criminals and crooks!

    Funny is it not funny how we hear about so many people holding Dominica passport unlike the rest of the Caribbean, could it be that the rest of the Caribbean has already learnt their lesson?

    Approximately half of a mile from my home I went down near USC to transact some business, walking across USC campus, I saw two students with a Dominica passport, they are not Dominicans, they are either Chines or Iranian, or from some other place in the Middle Eastern world.

    What has the student holder of that passport contributed to our economy, except for the money he paid for the passport which may have landed into the pocket of someone rather than in the peoples of Dominica treasury.

    Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque

    • Stocy aka Albert
      November 30, 2011

      too long did not read…

    • Hope
      December 1, 2011

      i always read comments from people who are brave enough to sign their names….. i appreciated the piece

    • Really?
      December 1, 2011

      One only needs residency to run a business here. You do not need a passport to invest and have business in Dominica. I know from experience.

  24. Jude Nicholas
    November 30, 2011

    If you go to CAKAFETE.com that release was sent by Ronnie Isidore at 9.30am after Hon Timothy indicated that the UWP hierachy had not bought into the nonsense of a fringe group.

    What a shame.

  25. Francis Chicago
    November 30, 2011

    CAN THE GOVERNMENT TELL THE PEOPLE OF DOMINICA HOW MANY PASSPORT THEY SOLD FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS AND HOW MUCH MONEY THEY MAKE WHERE THIS MONEY GOES.

    • %
      November 30, 2011

      You know i am always asking this question, so you are just giving support to me..But they must give account of the money also…WE NEED TO KEEP ASKING..In the face of poverty, unemployment and indigency, we need accountability.

    • FED UP DOMINICAN
      November 30, 2011

      Why just the last 4 years? Ask for the information from when it first started. By just asking for the last 4 years, it sounds like you were satisfied with the program under past governments, or this is just a DLP/Skeritt issue.

      IF it was terminated, is there another program that can generate the same (if not more) revenue, and would the new program be accepted/trusted if implemented by the DLP.

      • Anonymous
        November 30, 2011

        Because that’s when the gross bobol by rogues in government has taken place at an unprecedented level.

      • Francis Chicago
        December 1, 2011

        YOU RIGHT THE LAST 20 YEARS.

      • Francis Chicago
        December 1, 2011

        THEY BEEN SELLING PASSPORT MORE THAN 20YEARS AGO BUT THE BIG MONEY COMES THE LAST 4 YEARS.

      • Tenderloin
        December 1, 2011

        Yes but it leads one to ask the question, “Why is it only under this regime SO MANY crooks and dirty deals coming out??? I have been living in d’ca constantly from since Ma Charles days. The SHEER VOLUME of crooks that hold our passports now is just mind-boggling.

      • Really?
        December 1, 2011

        WHAT REVENUE? DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS?
        I KNOW ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT GENERATES EVEN MORE REVENUE P.R.O.S.T.I.T.U.T.I.O.N. THAT IS ALL IT IS PROSTITUTING DOMINICA!!

    • ONE STONE
      November 30, 2011

      HELLO!!! Can i say something here? I am a self employed person who have workers. If is one thing i’ve learned with black people is never tell them the price of the job, i am black by the way. Once they know how much you make they would care less how much you paying them for their day even if it’s was $10 and you paying $1000. In that case smart ass go make it and share it equal. Dominicans please think pleasssssssssssssssssssse!

    • Serenity
      November 30, 2011

      None of all you damn business what I do with my passport money.

      Ok ok, I know you all do not really like that answer, it was used to build house in Beau Bois and to buy lexus…all you happy now….

  26. Economist
    November 30, 2011

    It is amazing! This morning Hon. Timothy was on the Kairi”S Heng program when he indicated that the UWP hierachy had not bougth into the foolishness of Thompson Fountain and a FRINGE group criticising the Economic Citizenship Program by 9.30am there was a press release by the UWP after the Hon Tomothy’s statement.

    Amazing! AMAZING! Ron Green never called for an end to the program when UWP was in Office what a shame. You had t wait for Hon Timothy to make a statement to come out with such foolishness? Shamw on YOU>

    • ....................
      November 30, 2011

      Hon Ron Green is not in all you BOBOL.

  27. Karl
    November 30, 2011

    Ron Green….what a waste of time. Who’s really listening to this guy. Man, go make your useless noise in your people’s parliament and leave us alone eh….

    • ....................
      November 30, 2011

      yoU CRASS IDIOT…Many many people listen to this honourable man called HOnourable Ron Green…He is not corrupt,and he is not part of a gang of rogues pillaging Dominica, and its resources..Your head is definitely malfunctioning,stop taking the white dust,and your contribution and respect for this Honourable man will be more measured…YOUR IDIOT BEYOND REPAIR!

      • ?
        December 4, 2011

        just to add, he is totally unselfish

    • Channel 1
      November 30, 2011

      DNO, in the event you all are offering awards for various comments this year, I would like to nominate the comment above from Karl for the top award in the High Grade Utter Nonsense comments category. Thanks!!

    • him
      November 30, 2011

      Many people in fact thousands listen to this guy.Nobody listens to you unfortunately.

    • Anonymous
      December 1, 2011

      it takes a fool to know a fool. if u were not as useless as u say that h is or even more thn u would not read the words of a useles man. idiot

  28. Francis Chicago
    November 30, 2011

    Mr green you can do that we the people of dominica just want the government to us how much they sell the passport for who where this money goes to work.

  29. Joan
    November 30, 2011

    And so Dominican’s continue to wear their ignorance as a badge of honor. All they can do is attack the messenger and not deal with the message. Mr Green tell it as it is… One have to wonder if Dominicans are thinking about their children’s future. Alas!

  30. Ya man
    November 30, 2011

    Ok, the labourites have now been given a distraction from the issue at hand.

    Bash Ron Green, go ahead….

    At the end of the day,the issues confronting this administration will remain until they are finally OUT….soon…

    • November 30, 2011

      @SALOP,HAVE YOU EVER SEEN DOGS BARK IN PARLIAMENT, THEY CHOICED TO BE THAT WAY SO JUST WATCH THEM BACK ON THE STREET.

  31. lovely dominica
    November 30, 2011

    Green should just shut up. They were in Government and changed the programme initiated by the Freedom Party. It was during their tenure that the country was black-listed and Dominicans had problems travelling across the globe. The Labour Party being mindful of the mess created by the UWP changed the programme to one that was more structured. A wanna be prime minister called Thompson Fontaine vomits some stupidness and the UWP openly swallows it. Ron had four and a half years to stop the programme that caused havoc and did nothing. So what is he aching about now?

    • Anonymous
      December 1, 2011

      were u hearing these nonesence when Hon. Green or UWP was there? Is it Mr, Green alone u hearing speaking about this? Come on stop being hipocrets

    • ?
      December 4, 2011

      in the abundance of water the fool is thirsty

  32. November 30, 2011

    Mr.Green you go to the house and speak about the matter.This is what real men do.Fed up with u guys commanding things from the roadside.

    • CIA on the watch
      November 30, 2011

      thats where you get the attention of the masses from the road side

      • eee
        November 30, 2011

        One thing Mr Green should never do is to go to this farce called the Dominica Parliament…Don’t sit among these or else you will be like them….STAY FAR FROM THIS PLACE PLEASE.

      • Sot
        November 30, 2011

        If all Mr Green seeks is attention, then the roadside is where he belongs, but if he seeks positive action, then he should be voicing his opinions in parliament.

    • 1111
      November 30, 2011

      nice name

  33. A Voice
    November 30, 2011

    See what I mean.

    You guys are the Opposition and you all come off as ‘Johnny come lately’. You guys should have been in the Parliament demanding these answers from the government. Shame to say but all you have really dropped the ball.

    Just a pity that if this government should ever fall, you all would be the first running forward to pick up the pieces.

    You all have shirked your responsibilites and left it up to other individuals to challenge the government.

    Saying all that, the government have some serious questions to answer for. The people of Dominica should demand no less.

    I watchin’ still!!!

    • GOM
      November 30, 2011

      You fool..If at all Dominica had a Parliament the opposition would have been there. You are so stupid you did not even mention the Economic citizenship Programme the honourable gentleman mentioned and spoke off.. SOT!

    • kk denn
      November 30, 2011

      da damn govt doe fail long time na stupzz…

  34. Abu Sulayman
    November 30, 2011

    Oh please Mr Green, you political pirates should be ashamed of yourselves. Before, one could go to Canada without a visa, right now, Dominicans need a visa to go to Canada. It is due to your party’s foolish policies by selling our passports to Christopher Skase, the Australian criminal. Get a hold of yourself Mr. Green. Thanks.

    • wey, wey, wey
      November 30, 2011

      So because they were selling passports before the current administration should not stop. I hope you know that before 911 we did not have a problem. They need to suspend the programme and protect our sovereignty

      • Abu Sulayman
        November 30, 2011

        All these political pirates should stop selling our passports. Is it only now they are realizing the implications?

      • T
        November 30, 2011

        @Abu Sulayman..You contribution is that of an ignoramus..If it was wrong then,it is even more wrong now..People like you are destroying Dominica and its young people. A wrong is always a wrong, and fools like you cannot change that…Are you ashame of what these rogues in government are doingare doing? Well say so, but the gentlemans position is correct and level headed Dominicans know that..GO TO NIGHT SCHOOL.

      • Sot
        November 30, 2011

        So not true!!!! “911” was in September 11, 2001. The situation where entire planes full of Chinese arriving in Canada all with Dominica Passports and who had never been to Dominica occured in 2000.

    • Porssie Radical
      November 30, 2011

      I agree with you however I wonder if you think two wrongs make it right. After all isn’t that part of the reason why we boot the UwP out of power. After Skase there is Karan Singh, Corello, the 400 thousand dollar woman, there King in prison now and many others.
      It is hypocricy on the part of UWP -the kettle calling the pot black.But it is criminal on the part of the DLP to be selling our passports to known criminal and terrorists and renting diplomatic status to mafia don.

    • CIA on the watch
      November 30, 2011

      And who are we sellin passports to now, You seem to be out of touch as to what is going on, did you not hear former UN ambassdor to the UN Crispin Gregory, sure you did, guess you did not understand what was said if you do you are naive as to the implications for Dominica

  35. mwe
    November 30, 2011

    stupes.them people there self eh

    • wey, wey, wey
      November 30, 2011

      you sound like a foolish person who support your party so much that you cannot see sense. this is not about uwp and labour. This is about Dominica. I hope you can understand that LABOURITE. LABOUR, LABOUR

      • mwe
        November 30, 2011

        who u calling foolish u damn ignorant. i only said something and it looks like it ruin ur day.magwe sai,if its trouble u looking for it ain’t me ur gonna get to do such stupidness.

      • forreal
        November 30, 2011

        wow you are joking right,this guys are politicians,any thing this guys say,is politically intended,the point that most of the people are commenting here is saying, that the UWP has to move to the right setting in other to address the government period,and also the UWP should have had the forsight to curtail the economic passport sales years ago,when they were at the helm,it was good for eugenia and it was good for them,this terrorist thing is only an allegation,the courts will decide whats right or whats wrong.

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