Leader of the Opposition, United Workers Party (UWP), Lennox Linton has said his party will not nominate a candidate for the Integrity in Public Office (IPO) Commission.
According to Linton, who was addressing a meeting held in Mahaut on Thursday evening, the UWP has raised some concerns following the amendments of the Act which was recently approved in Parliament.
“The question arose on whether the Opposition Leader is going to nominate anybody to seat on the three-member commission, the answer to that is no,” he said. “The Leader of the Opposition will not nominate anyone to seat on the commission of three.”
In December 2015, Parliament approved amendments to the IPO Act, but not without stout opposition from the UWP.
Among the amendments the size of the Commission, which enforces the Act, was reduced from seven to three members: one from the government, one from the opposition and a chairperson appointed by the President of Dominica upon recommendation from the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. Additionally, the new Commission will decide whether it wants to continue with matters that were before the old Commission.
The amendments were approved with the government using its majority in Parliament.
However, Linton believes that professional bodies, who were part of the old Commission should remain.
“We are asking the government to go back to Parliament and to amend the legislation properly, meaning they can take down the numbers from 7 to 5, but the professional bodies must maintain their representation on the Commission because that is where the balance is.”
He further explained that it’s fine to have one Commissioner from each political party, it’s okay to have the Prime Minister nominating the chairman in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, “but the professional bodies of law and finance must continue to be represented on the Commission.”
He said that’s one recommendation that has to be brought back to Parliament and fixed.
Linton went on to say that legislation must give protection to whistle blowers.
“We have to protect the people who are brave enough to see the things going wrong and are willing to come forward and say, I have seen that so that the Commission can go to work in the prevention of corruption,” he said. “The commission must be given the authority in law on its own volition to go and investigate breaches of the act and violations of the court.”
The IPO Act was enacted in 2003 for the purpose of receiving declarations on the financial affairs of people holding certain positions in public life.
The IPO Commission, which enforces the Act, has several duties which include receiving, examining, and retaining all declarations filed with it, inquiring, as it considers necessary, in order to verify or determine the accuracy of the declarations, inquiring into any allegations of bribery or act of corruption, among others.
what the hell you was elected to do ? was it not to take the people interest at heart . Mr Linton come on be real get down to do the people business for what tehy elected you to do. If not step down as MP and go on and island crusade behavimng the way you are now.
Only in dominica tha shit can happen. You should have resign as leader of the opposition with that scandal that going on with you.
Way to go Sir you are indeed a genius and need no DR but pure and simple commonsense to figure out the depict by this DLP administration. I would have gone even further and not present a single candidate in the next General Elections. Let them have it all there is nothing they can do with it that they have not already done. Like the good old book says \” Let he who is ignorant be ignorant still; but there is one warning to the DLP administration \” The same whip that beat the BLUE horse will also beat the RED horse and if you don\’t watch it that time is coming soon; history has a way of repeating its self with catastrophic consequences.
I agree. UWP should boycott the next general election. They should also leave the House when it sits every time.
I agree with Mr Linton 150%.This is all about corruption to very core.Dominicans are fast asleep so let them sleep tight when they wake up then they certainly won’t have a country. I’m waiting when the United Nation will formerly declare Dominica a fail state
Don’t you see we are 60 percent or more heading to dictatorship, when, when will our people realize that; I pray God give us wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong no matter what political party we support.
I support your position for it makes no sense to nominate anyone , it will be a watse of time.
The UWP has boycotted every thing that’s in the country’s interest. boycotting is in their DNA they’ve boycotted Parliament, the youth rally all of which did absolutely nothing for their image these guys are a bunch of losers. God help Dominica if these divisive bunch ever get into office
And won’t it be 3-2 or 4-3 Peter potter? Damn fool smh
Don’t worry, Dominicans will see the real Lennox Linton If he ever get to be PM……..Hmmmmm. Too late may be the cry when you squeeze your country, oppose every institution and good thing the Government does. Tarnish Dominica’s good name Internationally just for POWER. That’s not good, the nations around are watching you sir.
Lennox is a bossy character and a dictator. He has not yet accepted the fact that he is not the PM of Dominica and not in charge. His overall attitude depicts that he is the one in power and he must have his way or else. Never heard/read an opposition leader acts in such a manner. Unless, only in Dominica you say.
UWP is soo corrupt they have no integrity so they won’t join. Lennox calls all the shots and the others remain silent. That’s a one man show there.
good and bad. if someone is nominated then Dominicans will know what is happening. If not we in big trouble. the solution is get them fellas out of government.
“one from the government, one from the opposition and a chairperson appointed by the President of Dominica upon recommendation from the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.”
With such a small committee your voice is bound to be hear whether or not the ayes have it. Linton, you have the opportunity to have a man on the inside demonstrating what statesmanship is about and showing true, objective and forthright direction and once again you reject the opportunity.
What else is there to say?
Mr. Really didn’t complete his schooling man.
“Linton went on to say that legislation must give protection to whistle blowers.
“We have to protect the people who are brave enough to see the things going wrong and are willing to come forward and say, I have seen that so that the Commission can go to work in the prevention of corruption,” he said. “The commission must be given the authority in law on its own volition to go and investigate breaches of the act and violations of the court.”
Linton Garcon the IPO is not Q95 where people can just run their mouth and say all sorts of nasty things about people…… If you feel you have evidence and facts to prove that a public officer may not have reported some assets then you must be able to stand by it and prove it thats the only way!!!! If not the IPO will be chasing even you, cause you are not imune from people like me that may just BLOW YOUR WHISTLE LMBO….
Skeritt continues to manipulate the system making it inefficient all of the institutions in DOM are being made incompetent by Skeritt and the DLP. Skeritt continues to be a disappointment to the country. How can you take a man that has no life in him and make him chair of the IPO. The man sleeps on him at the board meetings of the bank, but because his term on the board of the bank has ended you want to continue to grease his palms hoping to keep freedom loyal to you. you are once again serving yourself rather than the country you are killing the country with your none sense. The proposed chair of the commission does not have a degree in anything is not current with what is happening around him and does not have the energy to effectively run the affairs of the IPO. Skeritt do something correct for once and for the sake of the country and stop trying to cover tracks and make the IPO operational. How can you remove qualified persons and put someone who do not have any qualifications
I agree with you honourable Linton…The IPO is now weaker, and those behind these deceptive schemes,know what they are trying hard to protect….MANY DOMINICANS KNOW AS WELL!!!
why not show us how many people attended. why show only Linton picture. We need to see how many attended. If it was hundreds, Linton whould have shown the crowd lol lol lol hahahaha
Like the calypsonian, I say to hell with UWP, DLP, DFP or any other political group. They are all so very disappointing once they get there. I hate what Skerrit has done and continues to do to Dominica and I truly thought UWP was the team we could turn to. But with the breaking news I am hearing and the names I am hearing, I say I don’t care a damn about politicians. We need men and women of integrity and unless I am sure that’s what I am getting ,I careless. Dominica is messed up and it’s going to take me than talk to fix it. I have lost all hope and have literally given up.
Once again this man is up to his pettiness…So later when the PM decides to nominate a third person he’ll be making noise again at the Government. Why can’t some of the UWPuppets who donated money recently insist that he changes his approach and be a big man and get serious…
#timeforlintontogo
The people of Dominica have to stand firm and fight for what is right with the Help of God. It is not about UWP or Labor it is about standing for our Children. Matin Luther King Junior made a defiance because a people stand with him and now the world is change for the good all because one man had Christ love and the support he needed. So standing together is the only way we can change the future for the good. Let us love each other and not money, do what is right, pray for insight, protests against wrong, stand with right who ever it is.
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with meny advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22, (read 15:21 to see who you are). Where no counsel is the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors they are establish. Proverbs 11:14
We need more people to intersed
no point in nominate because nothing progressive became of the I P O in the pass
More and more dem man scheming for Dominica to get more and more corrupt. Why would any gov’t want an IPO that has no real substance if not to have their own way?
When all Dominica’s institutions are deteriorated is when we’ll realize we’ve been silently watching the country be destroyed by self absorbed incompetents..God Bless Lennox with Strength to continue to stand up for Dominica please!! Those not supporting just too blinded now to see..
from seven to three, doesnt make a difference.
less people getting paid for sitting on a board.
it is still an odd number of sits, the critical question will be the person who is nominated by the President, and Dominica is a small place, so that person will be held accountable.
move on man, there are bigger things to focus on.
I agree with you. Move on.
I have to agree. There are so many quality of life issues that Lennox and his party could focus on and bring to light, and seriously agitate the Dominican public with, so as to improve their standard of living. This and many of the other things the UWP keep howling about has not make the slightest difference or improvement in our lives. It’s been 15 years of barking at the same flying bird! Move on to other more significant issues. Take time to craft a serious and realistic national development plan. Go around the country and educate the people, let them see the efficacy of your plan. Those 13-year-olds will be voting the next time around. Plan to get them to vote for you. Stop beating a dead horse, Lennox and co. Time is not on you all side. Time to move on and move ahead.
I think you are missing the point of what such a change means.
So it will be the President who will appoint one for you, this man can’t seem to get out his own way. What can five do that three can’t do? You want to load up the IPO so you can the tricks you played before. You gave them bundles of proof just as you did in the KPB case see how it ended up, they took the crap you had and tried to get the man. How would you like it if Mammie, Simeon, Tony, and Ghost sat on the IPO judging you? That’s exactly what you did with the IPO.
@Real possie Is the same bundles of proof that have your God in front of the IPO,and therefore he wants to weaken it….It’s your polluted,reprobate and corrupt mind,that still have you supporting fetid and corrupt activities to the extent that you still do. I FULLY AGREE WITH HONOURABLE LINTON…Let him have his own way,until such time!!!!!!!…TIME WILL TELL!!!
Bold and courageous, principled stand by the UWP.What you are requesting,ie that the independent professional bodies remain on the IPO commission is the right thing.Bravo that’s the way to go.
Very well said sir!
Always assertive!
Can the IPO Commission continue its work if there’s a vacancy in its numbers? If the answer is “no”, I strongly recommend to the UWP to proceed to nominate a person to the IPO Commission while continuing to lobby for the changes it require. An option opened to the UWP is to nominate a person skilled in law or finance. This will give you the right to lobby from within and without.
though coming from a good place, you fail to understand the strategy played by Skerrit. To make it simple, Skerrit has an IPO where it’s 2-1 in favour of skerrit. Get it? All the investigations into corrupt practices, the first set of members had on the table. Can and will be struck down, by one vote of 2-1. Skerrit will basically overstep all bounds. By not nominating someone, Linton has basically saved the UWP from ‘accepting’ and acknowledging corrupt practice. Pressure needs to be put on DLP, to do the right thing. This is where people like us, comes in.
I disagree with you. Appointing a member of the opposition’s choice is like condoning an illegal act. I rather have no ipo commission than a lob-sided one and certainly not one headed by a mummy, who owns his favours to the powers that be.
God Point @Frank Talker. But have you see how long the UWP lobbied for Electoral reform? Do you see what is happening now?
In other words, this DLP government only does what makes it win an election. the sort of things that does not benefit the country as a whole.
I like the discussion, and the way we have kept it away from personal attacks and character assassination. I have not read the amended IPO Law, but I am wondering whether the commission can proceed even if there is a vacancy in its numbers. My concern is that if the commission can proceed if there is a vacancy, then the commission will do its work without the UWP nominee. The UWP strategy may then need revising. If the commission cannot meet in the event of a vacancy, then crooks in public life will have a sabbatical.
My way or no way …what a character.
The Right Way…or the Wrong Way….
These are the options.
Ok?
And you and Lennox have the lock on the right and wrong way. Hubris!
UWP leader you are so silly, elinating your ministers from getting involved making important decisions or any other matters that is relating to the country. Where is your head – Fool
i think you are the fool who is just not logicall. no your jus an idiotic supporter not a concerned citizen
So true.Big time.idiot.Obviously he dont understand what’s going on
@Concern citizen: Can you have a disagreement or debate without insulting the person Sir? Pray for the Blackman for he is still in mental slavery.
I agree with you concern citizen. UWP always back out from things that are important to us. How do you expect to represent us, if all the time you excuse yourself.
Think man think all you do is talk and no action
How could it have been important to you when you allowed the gov’t to dismantle the IPO commission to squash an appeal that the commission brought forward re our sitting president?
I am afraid that when some of you wake up from that deep slumber, DA would have already disappeared.
Why is it so difficult for Dominicans to think for themselves is it because of lack of education , knowledge and common sense , sometimes I just don’t understand my country men/women, why don’t you look beyond your dislike for Linton and see the statement for what it is and stop the nonsense.
He thinks he is smart but not smart at all. One day he will find out how foolish he is.
WHY DID YOU NOT POST MY COMMENTS, MY GOD MAN BE FAIR
EVERYONE ELSE HAVE AN OPINION
ADMIN: Stop posting in all caps…the system deletes posts in all caps as spam.
The system forget that one man
Internet etiquette dictates, when you write in capital letters, you are shouting. It is not acceptable and is also annoying to read.
Those who learned to type know that capitals are generally used at the beginning of a sentence.
Some months ago DNO also advised against typing in all capitals.
Two or three words maybe as an emphasis but not all capital letters.
Smart move, because it wil be a waste of time, the eyes have it already
Exactly right. No point wasting time. It’s always going to be 2-1.
ya man…leave them fellas in their charade. me self is long time I would put that country in a washing machine.
You would be laundered with it. Would this not be something? Your life would finis bat; gone to your eternal judgment.
That mean changing the way things are done and it start with ME . I will pray you pray and stand we all stand firm.