UWP executive takes issue with President’s address on Roseau violence

The President addressed the matter on February 22

The executive of the United Workers Party (UWP) has written to the President of Dominica, His Excellency Charles Angelo Savarin, saying that it is taking exception to a speech he gave concerning violence which engulfed Roseau in February following a meeting organized by opposition parties in Dominica.

The President addressed the matter in a speech to the nation on Wednesday 22nd February 2017.

In the letter, the UWP executive told the President that it considered his speech to be “prejudicial and quasi-judicial, calculated to prejudice the minds of the Dominican Citizenry against the Officers and members of the United Workers Party.”

“In your address you paid detailed attention to the Party’s extremely peaceful meeting, held on Upper Kennedy Avenue that began at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday 7th February, 2017 which ended without incident. In that untimely and highly partisan address you sought to attribute and apportion blame to the United Workers Party for incidents that occurred many hours after the party’s meeting had been brought to a successful and peaceful end. You did this despite the UWP’s public condemnation of the violence that was visited on some private property in the city of Roseau,” the letter stated.

In his speech, the President described the event as “unprecedented” which caused “tremendous harm to the image of Dominica” as a peaceful democratic country.

He noted that all Dominicans have fundamental rights and freedoms, including the fundamental right of “Freedom of Expression” and “Freedom of Assembly and Association.”

However, he noted that there are relevant laws which make provisions for the preservation of defense, public order, public safety.

He also said that the “police and ultimately the courts will determine whether the terms and conditions agreed upon for the holding of the meeting were adhered to and whether the rioting, looting, burning and malicious damage to property which took place later that evening were as a result of a failure to respect these conditions, including the content of speeches at that meeting and the failure to respect the deadline for bringing the meeting to a peaceful conclusion.” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL SPEECH.

In its letter, the UWP executive said the President’s speech “gave comfort to the Roosevelt Skerrit Administration and certain Officers of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force in their false claim that a coup was plotted against the sitting government.”

“The UWP has publicly and categorically denied any knowledge and or involvement in any such plot,” the letter said. “What alarms the Executive even more is the nonchalant manner in which you dealt with the extremely serious allegations that the Roosevelt Skerrit Administration has issued Diplomatic Passports to rogues and vagabonds, some of whom have been arrested for very serious crimes in different jurisdiction across the world. In a specific part of your address you advised that the issue attending to poor administration, absence of accountability and transparency in the Citizenship by Investment Programme should best be discussed in Dominica’s Parliament.”

The Party described the speech as “dangerously partisan, disingenuous, injurious to the public interest and a disservice to the high office which you hold and from which it was delivered.”

The Party also called for the President to dismiss Prime Minister Skerrit and his cabinet.

See full letter below.

Download (DOCX, 53KB)

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13 Comments

  1. MR. PROLIFIC
    March 14, 2017

    The PM is a world leader. If labour supporters were to use this free facilities the screen won’t be big enough to hold comments. Crime does not pay, you don’t go out destroying people’s property and expect insurance policies to pay. If uwp are true leaders come forward and claim responsibilities for the damages. Then and only then your complaint about passport will be look into. In the meantime take your stress to PMH and not news online.

  2. tru d bino q la
    March 13, 2017

    Hip! hip! hip! hurray! charlie our ‘preCEdent’, the most notorious stone-thrower in the history of Dominica, now has his own dictionary. Move over Webster.

  3. viewsexpressed
    March 13, 2017

    “In his speech, the President described the event as “unprecedented” which caused “tremendous harm to the image of Dominica” as a peaceful democratic country”……Savarin go behave yourself and stop jumping on the convenient wagon when it suits you. You lead more damage on May 29th, you recall Phillip Timothy died. Leave us alone let us protest against this evil corrupt empire created by inept Skerrit and his corrupt labour government. You recall you wanted to be President and in no way you wanted Skerrit, right.
    Skerrit must go…he has o go….he will go…..

  4. March 13, 2017

    UWP, all this verbal diarrhoea is unnecessary at this time.

  5. March 13, 2017

    So the executive of the UWP didn’t know their ‘peaceful’ protest was “injurious to public interest”? Tell them hold the crap.

    • Chanter
      March 13, 2017

      Funny how I never heard any of the bands being blamed for the fights that break out after carnival is over and the bands leave town peacefully

    • DA Native in Texas
      March 13, 2017

      Were you alive when your present President help DESTROY the Nature Isle just to get PJ out of office? Or are you one of those who suffer with selective memory when it comes to Skeritt and his Surrogates? The next time you come in contact with your president ask him what happened May 29th 1979, and why did he do it and still accept the post of being president of DA. I am certain the what happened that day is recorded and is in the archives somewhere in the public library. So go read and tell the president stop his crap.

  6. March 13, 2017

    UWP takes issue with everything that not a blue thing. What’s new?

    • Chanter
      March 13, 2017

      That’s not the point. The point is that the “smoke screen” not working this time?

      Why was MONFARED issued a Diplomatic Passport and why was he being HIDDEN in Dominica?

    • Williams March 13, 2017

      Yes Williams, anything that is against their zealous desire for power, fame, and popularity; what they do not know is that they themselves are destroying their own desire.

      I do not understand why those people are denying the outcome of Tuesday, February 07, 2017; how can they!

    • NUWPl
      March 14, 2017

      But wait who write dat letterbfor dat political fool nah? Extremely peaceful the letter said??? Hahahahah well I didn’t want to see war like meeeting nah boy. Pictures showing Lennox standing right dre watching guys carrying wood to burn fire plus he dre taking pics and he has the guts to call that a peaceful meeting?? LENNOX REALLY LIVING IN A DREAM WORLD YEA BOY. Lennox we living in a internet world sir. Not bcus u didn’t go to school to think u can fool ppl wen u talk. We know u and ur political gangs wasn’t peaceful. U said ppl was using the opportunity to do steal things. So ice cream they went to steal at piwi ice cream place too? Hahahha boy stop crying and man up. U act then think. U need to think then act. Simple as that. You smelling wat is coming to meet u so u starting to cry. When a crime is done sir it has to be investigated and who ever is found wanting MUST PAY THE TIME. So stop talking and let it take its corse. Don’t be afraid u will get ur just reward in a fair…

  7. %
    March 13, 2017

    What do you expect from Savarin?..Let me again say that the stalled truck with speakers coup, is a LIE from the pit of hell,and i am not surprised that it was stuttered by an INVETERATEand COMPULSIVE LIAR….This was to switch the agenda from MONFARED to coup…They can investihgate from now till the cows come home,they will find nothing…In the meantime,i say,,,SKERRIT MUST GO!!!SKERRIT MUST GO!!!SKERRIT MUST GO!!!!

    • NUWPl
      March 14, 2017

      But who lying more than the UWP heads nah really? U all really and truly have GUTTS uno. All ian leaders lie and pay for it already. EDISON LIE ON MISS CHARLES HE PAID $75,000.00 for lying. U had Earl Williams thief clients money and lie to them and had to pay it gradually yet to finish. Ash Patrick John wife she wil tell u about it. Ron Green lie to Dominicans when he was a dual citizen and run election & won became a minister for 4 and a half now U HAVE LENNOX WHO LIE ON KPB AND WAS CHARGE £20,000.00 and anther £23,000.00 which come to over $160,000.00 of which the he had the poor to pay it for him. He has over $400,000.00 coming for him to pay very soon for Kieran Pinard burn for lying again. So who is lying? He had to pay bubbles for lying and soon he has more to pay to him after dat case. He soon have to pay minister baron over $10,000.00 for lying on her plus the pm he lie on saying he stealing passport money and LIE ON OUR YOUNG LADIES THE YOUTH CALLIN Dem prostitutute so who is

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