Parliamentary Representative of the Roseau Central constituency Norris Prevost and other top officials of the Opposition party have blamed Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and the Speaker of the House of Assembly for what they claim was a “rush to debate” the national budget.
The $440.3 million budget was presented by Prime Minister Skerrit in Parliament on Tuesday. The budget debate began on Wednesday.
“It is the first time in the history of our parliament that a budget has been presented and debate on it is the next day; allowing the opposition, the media and the public no time to analyze it. And this is a clear indication that Mr Skerrit is not confident about the budget…” Prevost said at a UWP press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
“In fact, even if the opposition had intended to going into parliament it is normal to give about a week … delay between the reading of the budget and the debate … One would have expected that the debate on the budget would have been probably by next week Monday, or even Friday for the earliest,” he explained.
Prevost is convinced that the decision to have this “speedy” budget debate was a deliberate attempt to undermine the democracy of Dominica.
He added, “Never in the history of Parliament has this ever happened. It shows his weakness, it shows the emptiness of the budget, and it shows the reflection in the failures in the economy and his inability to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, President of the UWP Edison James told the media that according to the laws of the House of Assembly there was ‘no place’ for him in the parliament on Monday.
“There was a by-election in Marigot on Friday. This meeting of parliament was fixed for Tuesday. The return of the writ by the chief elections officer to the President would have happened on Monday. The President [of Dominica] would have had to inform the Speaker on that same Monday, I presume,” James said.
“The rules provide that I must get 12 days notice at least before a meeting and that I must get papers at least four clear days before meeting, none of that could have happened. It is my view that it was deliberately concocted by the speaker and Mr Skerrit to put it that way. So they could continue their mischief making we have seen a total,” the president stated.
According to party leader Ron Green, who supported his colleagues’ statements, the”‘prompt” budget debate reflects contempt for Dominicans.
“We’ve seen some contempt for our people, contempt for the members of parliament and contempt for the opposition by the rushing to debate the issue which was only addressed to the nation yesterday,” he stated.
Newly elected leader of the Opposition Hector John criticized the budget, stating that it did not address the issues of voter ID Cards or electoral reform.
@I dont understand???: I hope you find this reasonable. There were no opposition members at the time of publication of the budget for they refused to be sworn in (except for Prevost who only peeped in). The budgetary estimate is a public document available to anyone who is interested enough to obtain a copy. But even if they were notified: they have continued to boycott and will not debate.These people are applying the rules of the House while distancing themselves from their responsibilities.This is not politics. It’s downright chicanery.
@xmxn: I will not entrust Dominica in UWP hands, NEVER, JAMAIS. So here goes my love for the Skerritt administration because this government is working with a vision to move Dominica forward while the UWP administration seek to cause a COUP in Dominica at all times because theyre not in power.
Tell Ron and Eddie the country needs to focus on moving forward, they have five years to plan.
It is now very clear that UWPee has a major malfunction. We have too many captains and not enough pirates.
Edison James – Party President
Ron Green – Party Leader
Hector John – Opposition Leader
Norris Prevost – Leader-of-Myself
Ok, so now that we have successfully engineered a recipe for an implosion; What do we do next?
uwp the things that you guys are doing will bring the party down for well educated men i find you all are going like some fools who never go to school so come on stop crying like babes stop disapointing the people who voted for you guys.mr.james,mr.green,mr.prevost and mr john i am begging you all stop that papy-show or all you will kill uwp T.W.T
@Bastardly done: Who do you think you are lecturing? Man take your advice for yourself and your dotish UWP. blah….. blah….. blah…..blah…….
you skerrit dogs you all just wicked people
@ryon: can u see where the country is moveing too your love for skerrit have you blind do you know the law go ahead suport every thing this man do blindly one day soon you will not able to open your mouth because strate jail he will put all of you
you chose to boycot parliament.
did you think that the government of the nation would wait for you while you keep playing hide and seek.
look who’s laughing now.
your main point is * democracy of the people* stop patronising dominicans. they have expressed their democracy by voting the labour party with a majority.
just go to parliament and stop with the moaning
you should have been part of parliament sincecdecember.
you chose to boycot parliamt hese showinhg no interest in is goingon. now that decioos are taken yuo arethe vfi
I am really ashamed at the level of discussion by some of us here. I see no objectivity or rational or even the slightest bit of thought go into your comments. Only small minded hypocritical party politics.
Anywhere in the world you go. It is mandatory that members of parliament be informed and sent relevant documents way in advance of budget debate. so the opposition is not asking for anything strange.
Although , on second thought; in Dominica. The opposition even daring to ask for simple courtesies like sufficient notice before budget debate is strange. ….. Because according to your comments they are old men …and stupid… to think that your wonderfull young Prime Minister should be guided by the rules of the house. I guess he is above that.
Hmmmm Dominica.
UWP power hungry again and they talking about DLP. Any smart person can see that when people always cry and not satisfied, they hungry for power, they never did anything good for Dominica only a set of promises that they cant fulfill.
I see DLP trying it’s best to uplift the country but UWP politics is seeking to destroy it, why don’t they allow the country to move on.
@against corruption: I believe that Dominicans are too lazy to go and plant on land their parents left for them, they want the government to tewll them to do soo. Right now, young people dont want to work in the fields, they want office jobs so you cannot blame the government, we have been moaning since DFP, UWP and still you all moan.
The problem is not the part, the problem is the people of Dominica who are blinded by the opposition who went to Antigua to beg people to come and vote in Dominica.
@Patat: Patat could mean potato we eat or stupidity. It seems the latter. Bad governance, elections that are not free and fair, dictatorship, corruption and people in power bleeding the Treasury, people using public office to enrich themselves, among other factors are the real causes of many, many people living in poverty all over the world. Africa is a very rich country, but bad politics, foreign exploitation, and corrupt leaders have devastated the continent. Haiti is as it is , apart from the recent earthquake, because of leaders like PAPA DOC, BABY DOC and others, helped by the ‘ELITE BOURGEOIS CLASS’ who ravaged the country, sucking it dry with their selfish motives. Free and fair elections was never part of their plans for a better Haiti.
So although people cannot eat ID cards or Electoral Reform, but it is definitely the absence of things like that which cause millions not to eat or enjoy a decent standard of living, PATAT and others with that kind of backward thinking. It is such bad governance, incompetent GOVT. and bad politics like what we are now witnessing in Dominica that could get us in serious problems like Haiti. Why is our agriculture in such a disgraceful state, when Dominica could boast of extremely fertile soil and abundant water? Bad policies, Bad GOVT. no respect, little help for hard working farmers. BOB MARLEY chanted years ago in song, ‘In the abundance of water the fool is thirsty.’ In the absence of good governance and ELECTORAL REFORM PATAT and those thinking like You, Dominica will further slide into serious trouble and in time unbearable to live in and end up worse than HAITI which was the food basket of the Caribbean not so long ago. PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT. REVELATIONS.
Here we go again, Cry baby cry, I have a pic of Rag to wipe your eyes.
Again Dominicans giving support to what is wrong. That is the Dominica that we want to build, where wrong is right and right is wrong. All those persons whose hearts are filled to the brim with hatred for other people can see nothing wrong with the manipulations, trickery and dishonesty of the DLP GOVT. It is plain to see. Those of you with crocodile tears and hypocritical comments are crying for the opposition to go back to attend the Parliament but at the same time supporting actions to prevent them from attending. MIND BOGGLING isn’t it? How could the DLP GOVT. be correct in summoning a meeting of parliament on the following Tuesday, 3 days after a by-election is held? There must be rules that says members of Parliament must be given some days notice in advance. Anyway one looks at it, it is common decency and practice so to do to give any member enough time to prepare whether it is a youth group, shareholders of a company or institution.
ABUSE OF POWER that is what it is. The Speaker, the PM. DLP members of parliament, honest, right thinking Dominicans should know that is standard procedure. It is even more necessary in that case of a budget presentation. So Wickedness and high handedness in broad daylight. A few persons concocted, took time and planned that devilish move. You know who they are. They did not want the opposition to attend Parliament on budget day. But yet the GOVT. and their blind supporters, crying for their return, wickedly turn them away by inviting and sending them documents 1 day, MY PEOPLE 1 DAY before a budget address. None of you could come up with convincing arguments this time around that such behaviour is correct. You see, those persons are so accustomed with disrespecting the laws of Dominica so many times that it has become normal to continue doing so AGAIN and AGAIN. There are circles and clubs of persons in Dominica ready to accept and condone breaking of our laws to suit their hatred and demise of others. Young men are languishing in prison for petty offenses, for breaking the law, but others of the ‘ELITE’ CLASS break laws constantly in the eyes of Dominicans and no dog bark. Who are those crazy heads thinking we leaving in a democratic country. Those actions are calculated wickedness. 1 DAY before a budget some elected members are notified to attend and debate in Parliament on a budget for the country?
MY PEOPLE Isn’t that going too far. SEARCH YOUR CONSCIENCE. The PM and others are showing how vindictive they are. MY people the signs are plain to see. Such moves are dictatorial. Such actions against basic rules are DICTATORIAL with a HIDDEN AGENDA. ABSOLUTE POWER. and ABSOLUTE POWER which WILL CORRUPT ABSOLUTELY. Hate the opposition guys as much as you all like, but they are totally right. if it was the opposition who had done such a bastardly thing, you all would be vex like hell. Somethings are not right and others wrong because of WHO DOES IT? If the action is wrong it is WRONG and if the ACTION is RIGHT IT IS RIGHT Dominicans. STOP fooling yourselves. Those kinds of NONSENSE will hit us straight back in our faces SOONER rather than LATER. Remember ‘COKE’ and his actions in Jamaica? DRUG dealings, GUN running while working closely with GOVT. supported and accepted in many quarters in the island until………………………….. Don’t we learn any lessons at all from those cases?
AA!! People can eat voter ID Cards and Electoral reforms naaa?
Next election will be in 10 years time with a mid-term election every five years for Attorney General, Chief of Police, Prosecutor, Head of Prisons, D President , Senators , Speaker of d house, and Village Councils. Prime Minister and Cabinet will be every 10 years.
Oh gas man.
Thats why you should have gone to parliament to state your views. Stop opposing to everything just because u are opposition.
if we love our country so much ,why don’t we just built it together.
Im REALLY getting feed up with the Pettiness and nonesence from the Oppostion…
y Ron don’t go and rest his old A**……………….he always running his mouth is not john that is leader ???……………. man go and rest some where please i tired of you crying ……………. get with the program fast .
If is not one thing is the other. When will the UWP move on and get down to normal business.
Excuses, excuses, excuses. I am getting tired of this ..
Didn’t they say they would boycott the budget address? So what are their greiviances now? Any issues they have with the budget should have been given in the opposition’s rebuttal in parliament.
Why give the opposition time when they are not and have never been interested in attending parliament. Just to waste a week and then these guys can say something like: we’ll not respond because there was nothing mentioned of voters ID cards. If the opposition had attended the bugget address i would have agreed with they, that more time should be given.
Welcome to the world of business @the speed of thought, The comment by the PR seemply nmeans that now, for a second time that they have agreed that they are the bond a fide opososition then and only then, must the business of the house become important, but the elections took place on December 18th 2009, an if my memory seves me correct and can count, there are people in departments that are on the payroll who are working on the budget and maybe the financial office should send the opositiona copy in a pdf file while they were on vacation. Business @the speed of thought implies that you just have to ask for a copy u can RTS Mr pr.
In all fairness the public and the opposition should have been given some time to digest the contents of the budget. Mr. Prevost is right that in the past this was always the case. We do not have to be so biased, I do not support the UWP and their boycott of parliament and all that but I think this time around they were not given sufficient time to respond to the budget and that was unfair.
@Proud Dominican: Please explain why you don’t think it was rushed. Enlighten us Proud Dominican.
@Don John: My friend…. English is a tricky language… The debate was rushed. Whether it was announced in 2005 that the 2010 budget would be on Tuesday July 13th… The opposition, media, common folks would have only heard the budget on Tuesday July 13th 2010, so to dissect the budget to present a good debate on it by Wednesday would not be possible…. Hence… It was Rushed. Hope you understand better now.
“When you shut your eyes the world does not stop rotating.”
Whateveeeer….
Why should I waste time and read their views when I could have comfortably listened to their deliberations on the radio?
As i’ve said before, after all is said and damage done, they come running with their guns and helmets last minute like the police in the movies.
Stupse.
The House has been in secession from the 18 of December 2009, and it was always said that the Budget would be in June/July 2010, so who on earth these people can say this Budge was rush, dear Lord what is wrong with this sad men. The Election was 7 months ago, did they expect the Country and Dominicans to wait for them to grow the hell up? they had three seat they should have gone to the House and do What the People Elected them to do, before the won this bi-Election they said they were returning to the House they boycotted the Budget, now they are crying foul again. God help us and Dominica . When will this OLD men grown up!!!!!!!!
Which U.W.P?guess is the old one talking,they had to get there walking stick.dem old foot weak.
The world is getting faster so you all have to adjust with the time. what used to take 10 days is done in 1 day now. Get you all Old self up and deal with issues to build DA in stead of moaning over the peti thing about the PM. ID card are not so important. Ask for something for our Village, that can help we young people.
Proud UWP.
Y’all are at it again… I certainly disagree, it was no at all rushed…