Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that he has five “solid” proposals from a number of firms for the construction of the much-talked-about international airport.
He was speaking at a Dominica Labour Party (DLP) launch of one of its candidates in Wesley on Sunday.
Skerrit said negotiations are underway “for the best deal” with firms from China, India, Dubai, two multilateral agencies and independent developers in Europe and the Americas.
“What I can share with you this evening, at least five solid proposals that I have in my armour for the design, finance, construction and operation of an international airport for Dominica,” the prime minister stated.
He said the government was negotiating with those entities “because we need to ensure that, that which we enter into today can be maintained by us tomorrow and the next week.”
Skerrit said his conversations with countries in similar situations across the region and beyond has revealed what he already knows – that an international airport is nothing to be rushed.
“The decision that we are about to take on the issue of the construction and provision of an international airport is one of the most complex we have had to take as a government, but we shall do it and we shall do it correctly, “he stated.
The prime minister maintained that as “a prudent and responsible government,” he will not “rush the brush and spill [the] beans. However, he gave the assurance that, “We shall take that decision in this year of our Lord 2019; a firm decision shall be taken on the construction of the international airport in Dominica.”
Skerrit said that he wants an international airport as much as any Dominican but he is not seeking a white elephant as the physical infrastructure is the easiest part of providing an international airport.
“I want the best for Dominica and I want to ensure that what we get is a product that we can be proud of and an airport that we can afford to maintain in pristine condition and which would benefit frequent, regular, international airline use,” he noted.
He reiterated, having made that point before, that his government has the money to pay property owners as soon as negotiations are finalized and reminded that the World Bank is providing his government with financial support to access some of the human resource that is required for the process of constructing the international airport.
Skerrit once again questioned the ability of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) to secure financing for their proposed international airport.
“I want to know this evening with whom is the other side in discussion about the international airport. I want to know who their prospects are. I want to know how the proposed airport will be financed and what would be asked of tax payers in Dominica in the short, medium and long-term?”
He assured his supporters that none of the proposals his government currently has makes any demands of the workers of this country.
“I have made it clear to all and sundry that I do not intend on imposing any new taxes on Dominicans at any time,” Skerrit remarked.
He said the international airport to be constructed by the DLP will be located in the Wesley constituency.
Take your time
Mr Skerritt is right in assessment of as Airport, and learning well as he watches, the failure of his counterpart SVG Ralph Gonslaves and AIA .
Building an Air Port out of political consideration for votes rather than economic development for Dominica, you the tax payers have fees the white elephant. From Airlines subsidization to skeleton work force.
Take your Time
If that’s the case why has he been promising an International Airport for 15 years? Election gimmicks, nothing but! Or more to the point bald face lies!
Whosoever wrote the above you’re a COMPLETE idiot.
After 20 years more time is required. I guess the “D” in Dominica always stood for Dumb
What Skerrit keep failing to tell his supporters is that the best location for the int’l airport is where the uwp proposed, lands that was already purchased with tax payers money.
first of all, look at the state of the grounds. that alone should tell you about the state of the constituency. Will we ever develop our playing fields and not leave them to be goat and cow pastures? Tired see Dominica look like a neglected place. like we have no standards. Anyway I hope you all know that all where you standing may end up being the international airport. They say they want to put it in Wesley. that means They will have to divert the main road and make a new main road. houses and businesses will need to be relocated. farms will be no more. This is expected with substantial development. But there is a lot to consider in our future with this new “promise”. Whether you are red or blue or yellow or green, all political parties have agreed that this airport is necessary. Its a national stance. the issue is how it will be gone about.
Zorr, we mad we mad we mad we mad we mad we mad we mad!
Hahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha! The funniest part of all of this are the Labourites who will believe this, again! But while we laugh at a serial liar it is Dominica that remains kakarat!
Every time Skerrit takes the microphone nowadays he puts another nail in his coffin. The constant lying is catching up now. He can’t differentiate between truth and lie anymore. The man is not right in his head and that’s what allu want for PM???
“Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that he has five “solid” proposals from a number of firms for the construction of the much-talked-about international airport. ”
Indeed after Ross University School of Medicine left Dominica, because of your lying promises about you going to build International Airport, you claimed your had five institutions ready to take over where Ross left off.
How long has it been since Ross left and locate in Barbados?
Where are the five institutions you claimed were vying to replace Ross?
Roosevelt you are a lying little rat; if Dominicans wish to allow you to continue to make fools out of them, that is a matter for them; anybody who would listen to you and your lies at this time must be out of their mind!
Last election, when the UWP said they intend to Build an International Airport, you Roosevelt told the nation your were going to China to get help to build Airport, five years since you returned silent, now you are lying again?
Liar!
PM your lies have finally catch up with you. I f you was smart two things would never be mentioned, The international airport and Ross university. don’t you have advisers?
I have a friend who has five children with his girlfriend and they have been together for twenty years. Ten years ago i asked him, when is he going to marry his girlfriend, he said” he do not want to rush into it” they now have grandchildren, they are still not married. Don’t be fooled, This man has no intention of building any international Airport, because actions speaks louder than words.
@Shrewd, it depends on what is marriage to you. A simple vow before God can turn out to be a better marriage than those with men and woman hanging on the right of the bride and left of the groom, which only last for 3-4 years, is so long
Here we go again! I expect to hear the big lie again. The international airport. Ladies and gentlemen let us think this one through. How many elections we have the urgent need of an international airport by Mr. Skerrit et al. The election gratification that go to sleep after the elections is here again. But this time Dr. Skerrit the vicious lies, the emperor new clothes syndrome is over. I challenge you to start building the airport. A change is coming.
Back in the day farmers used to say don’t let goats eat you plants because the plants will die. Skerrit reminds me of goat saliva that kills every grass that it comes into contact with. he is killing all we have planted in Dominica over the years.
“The prime minister maintained that as “a prudent and responsible government,”
A what..???????????, is Skerrit ok, or is he on medicine and on leave? I hope it will be a very long leave, say 19 years. H has destroyed our nature isle fo over 29 years now, and he is again pushing hush puppyish to us. This man is a real Political Clown, worse than the Kim Ul Jung (?) in North Korea.
Dominicans please run away from Skerrit, and take back our nature isle from this incompetent, corrupted government?
Skerrit must Go
I don’t believe Dominican are still taking the talk of airport seriously. I grew up in the 1980s and that was the talk of every election, and more than 40 years later we still don’t have an international airport, but the talk continues every time politicians want our votes. Politicians have gotten the hint that the talk of airport during elections will touch a soft spot in the hearts of Dominicans and some of us are still falling for that nonsense.
Dominicans used to be the most educated in the OECS too. Where are we now?
I believe that Dominica has the most coward men in the world. If it was not so they would not stand by to allow skerro to get away with all those atrocities.
Dominican women are strong.
I agree with you.
To all of you here; accusing the Prime Minister of lying–may God forbid this, but should He allow this, for whatever reason, I would like to see Lennox Linton and his group, as the governing body of Dominica, even starting the construction of an international airport, far more to have it in function in the first 5 or even the 10 years that they could be in power–this is my challenge to you people
Well! Did Lennox not make that promise as well?
Lin Clown you would not know the truth if it slapped you in the face!
You need to shut up Elizabeth, and stop defending the axis of evil!
You are pretending you know Roosevelt so well, whereas you do not know anything about the man!
Remember I am the man who introduce: first draw Roosevelt to your attention; be reminded it was at an address on Tobemory Drive in North York; you were oblivious to who he was; you went home, and saw him when he visited your village; nevertheless, he did not speak with you.
If memory serves me correctly Petter got hold of you and gave you some food, while brainwashing you; you returned to Canada, since then, you are defending Roosevelt as if he is your friend!
I can call Roosevelt a damn liar because he lied to me personally, I can present communication between him and I where he lied to me!
That I will not do; even if can present the lie he told me in writing!
You keep talking about God, in your crap, God don’t play politics!
Telemaque, you are so hungry for personal attention, you cannot wait to find someone, whom you may barely have met, to try to tell the audience you know them.
MAN, YOU DO NOT KNOW ME, and I most certainly DO NOT KNOW YOU!
I can’t understand how you can call PM Skerrit a liar when you are so bluntly lying about me, all of the time, read it below again:
“I am the man who introduces: first draw Roosevelt to your attention– you were oblivious to who he was; you went home, and saw him when he visited your village; nevertheless, he did not speak with you”.
DNO there is “no truth” in that passage above, and I am asking you please to take down that comment
Can you please not print those comments from Telemaque, always speaking about me the way he does? He is an awful liar, he lies about himself all of the time.
He speaks nothing about the news article; what he says is all lies; he is simply harassing me. Don’t I have the right to my choice?
I am trying my best to construct a response to your question “did not Lennox make that promise as well?”. I suspect I may have to go via the route of seeing your psychologist first, then your school principal to determine your intelligence level. Then I will write my reply. As a friend of mine likes to say, “Zorr!”.
Well, if that is in response to what I said, you have no argument; because Lennox has not served in government on the ruling side.
However, let me educated you to the truth, and fact of the matter that the UWP to which Lennox Linton belong:
Note: “within the four (4) years the UWP served as government Edison James started to build an International Airport in the country, when the coalition government in winch Roosevelt was a junior minister, shut it down.
All Lennox intended to do is ensure that if the UWP won the election five years ago, he would ensure that such an imperative, such essential project would be a priority, and anybody who believe otherwise is a fool!
Last election, everything the UWP said they intended do in the country if elected, Roosevelt and his Ali Baba team like repeaters said the same thing; they won, nevertheless delivered not a single of anything they promised.
Hence; Ross left because there is no International Airport in Dominica!
Francisco, Jesus christ is and will be the only blameless human ever. We need to take the mold out of our own eye before. We have a habit of accusing others of what we are. The only accuser known. We all by now know who he is. We need to stop fooling ourselves. While satan is laughing.
“Francisco, Jesus christ is and will be the only blameless human ever. ”
Let us not compare Jesus Christ to a human, because even when he was on earth, eating and drinking, got tired, and sleep, got angry, he was indeed God himself, the one who created heaven and earth, and all that is within!
Lenpro, your first thumbs is mine to you. If I could I would give you 100 of them.
That man is all over the place judging others by his own character.
I personally know that there is no greater liar on Earth by the way he has lied about me; he is the great master of this attitude.
He simply writes or speaks a whole paragraph, page, or even book in the form that no one can believe it is a lie; but he knows it, along with the one he is lying about.
That is why some people have accused him of plagiarizing and I believe them too.
That is a man who has no conscience, otherwise, he would not be able to deal with the wrong things which he is doing
Lenpro just read that man’s response to yours and understand how wacky is his reading comprehension.
Here is talking about you, comparing Jesus with a human being, when you are trying to advise him about his faulty judgment against others–especially that he judges people by his own attitude.
I have never interacted with someone who lies like this man, and yet he is always here to accuse the Prime Minister of lying–he will have his reward at God’s appointed time.
Lenpro, somebody is going to lock Elizabeth behind in jail and throw away the key to her cell!
This blabbermouth woman said she don’t know me; nevertheless, unless I am crazy like her; I think I just read where she mentioned interaction with me!
Well, madam Elizabeth, I doh know you; I doh remember interacting with anybody name Elizabeth oui!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
You talking about the wrong man; perhaps you believe you talking about me Francisco the Wesley kid, but I the kid doh know you, wrong man at the wrong address eh!
Don’t you worry about Lennox or the UWP for that matter. You’ve got plenty to do worrying about YOUR PM and YOUR party nowadays and defend the indefensible almost on a daily basis. I wonder if you’ve got any time nowadays to sing your hymns? Stay out of our business! Once The UWP is in charge we will show all you what we can do. Not for us but for our country.
Skerrit have dementia why this joker lie so much and some of those fools still there labour power what’s there in it for you all lazy let him give you all a job instead of going forhand out from him beggars have no shame lazy PM love to see you all in all you misery
The flag wavers are worse than Skerritt.
My dear people of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit is a LIAR and I can prove it. Mr. Skerrit made the following statement on the eve of our last general elections (Dec. 7th, 2014) at Castle Bruce. If you have forgotten, let me refresh your memory: “Once we win this election tomorrow. We will see the start of work on a new international airport. These are not pie in the sky promises, ladies and gentlemen. We have the designs and we have the financing. We are merely waiting for the mandate from you tomorrow to get the projects started…”
look at the full video on the DLP youtube page, he makes this statement at 11 minutes 56 seconds. I’m also pasting the link https://youtu.be/mXffsqGxo-g
Thank you Sir/Madame for that clip to remind us all what a supreme Liar Skerrit is. It is said when Pinocchio tells a lie his nose grows longer. When Skerrit lies his receding hairline recedes further. Skerrit told a multiplicity of lies last election and today he’s still wallowing in mendaciousness. The Prime Minister should be the highest moral exemplar in the country yet he has no morals. His tenure has been calamitous.
My people stop being taken as a fool and used by Skerrit,this man lies only and is just enriching himself,Skerrit spoke about an international airport 5 years ago that a US company would have finished built already,Skerrit is desperate to remain in power,where as with the good grace of God you all will be free,i know this man and he is no longer good for the country,Beware people.
So all of a sudden, he’s not in a rush? I think he may have said that 15 years ago, but no one was listening…. too busy looking at the dimples.
So I thought the decision to move forward WAS already made! What’s this nonsense about “We shall take that decision in this year of our Lord 2019…”. Why did he have to involve the good Lord?!
I think Skerritt is not interested in the airport because it would open up Dominica too much and hence he’d lose some control and his ‘Saviour’ appeal. Oyoyoyyyy!
Wow! Another lie exposed by Skerritt himself. Two weeks ago in St Thomas Skerritt said the Airport will be built soon, now he’s singing another tune. Wake up my people this man is taking you guys for a ride to no where.
Is Skeritt trying to confuse the people of Dominica or those Wesley? In December he said ”in January I will be going to Wesley to speak to the people of Wesley and woodfordhill about the land for the airport for which we have $6omillion to pay for the land ” he never showed up although he said he would be accompanied by advisers from overseas now he says he has contacts from many countries to build because it is not to be rushed .I guess the many replacements he has for Ross is not to be rushed or did he forget like the morrocan hotel where hundreds were to find employment ?
He did not go to Wesley because he knew what was waiting on him!
If Roosevelt was serious, there is a sight selected by an Airport Builder & Construction Company, between Wesley and Woodford Hill.
Use it!
It is the same site where the Contractors from Trinidad & Tobago were in Dominica to build when Rosie Douglas led coalition in which Roosevelt was a junior minister chased the contractors out of Dominica, and shut the construction of the Airport down.
The Wesley secondary school was part of the project too, Athie tried to shut it down also; Roosevelt and the rest of the gang said the Airport was too expensive to build,” and besides Antigua, and Barbados have one already.”
Roosevelt and the rest of the clowns said the land on which the Airport would be built was better for the planting of avocados, in preference to an International Airport.
Almost twenty years of Roosevelt blonder he even brought Gonzales to Dominica: told his fools we don’t need an International…
For anyone to believe that Skerrit will deliver an international airport to Dominica also has to believe in fairies, mermaids and unicorns and life on the sun. There are a few diehards who still believe Skerrit and the aforementioned. People such as Gary Ignoramus, A-none, Circus Clown, Question Mark, Dog Hater.
Here we go again Stadium,was a white elephant.Hospital was a pie in the sky.New Grammar School was a lie.New Rosau Bridge was a waste of money.E O Highway was a lie.$ 300 a month for 70yrs Skerrit fooling all you.Now international airport once again Skerrit lying When are these UWP IDIOTS GOING TO LEARN Everything Skerrit says he is going to do he does.These fools never learn.
Don’t change the subject clown . Is the airport we are talking about, at least your leader is.
@Toto, no subject is changed, Clown is simply pointing out that everything that our Prime Minister and his government plans to produce, you all claimed it would never happen, so then, he was lying; but those plans are up and in use today. So will be the International Airport, which again you all are denying.
Have you seen those plans Elisabeth? Well you very privilege then because I have not heard anyone in our country saying that. Are they a state secret. If yes, he should stop boasting and keep quiet till they finalise and share it with us and he can get some respect after all but this way nobody taking him serious.
Your name fits u perfectly, you really are a clown if your believing all the nonsense hes telling you.
The proof lies in the details. There must be specificity for people to believe. A lie told a thousand times becomes truth to many people. I’ve lost count as to the number of times this big, fat lie has emanated from the mouth of Mr. Skerrit. For Mr. Skerrit to repeat this lie, this election cycle again, clearly and unambitiously shows that he thinks all Dominicans are fools. This man needs clinical help for his serial lying has become like an incurable disease. The only things that have been consistently manufactured under Skerrit’s stewardship are lies, falsehoods, pain and misery.
Some Dominicans still following Skerrit!!?..it’s becoming harder to figure out who’s being played in this odd match..
Either Dominicans mad or Skerrit mad..lmao!!..another (different) story on the Airport again?..smh..wth, kinda obeah Dominicans under?
Do you remember Mr PM when you and your govt used to boast about night landing, how come LIAT flights are not landing at night anymore?
I’m sorry but you have lost all credibility when it comes to this airport. Every election you say your going to build an airport, you even said recently your putting aside 5 million every month towards the airport, and now you say your going to make a firm decision about the airport this yr? Give me a break
My boy, that is how many times you promise that now? Give us the details so we can see if you are telling lies again. The trouble is you believe all this make believe yourself.
Liar liar pants on fire pm you need to put your man pants on skerrit and his cabal need to go
Why not rush it all a sudden. …..this would bring in more money in the country…..what really is this guy focusing on……smh
Skerritt who says he has two doctorates can be so careless with the truth, and forget how many times he has given the citizens of Dominica the promise that his Labour Party is going to build an international airport in the country. Just build it man and stop making lying promises. You captivated some with your youthful dimples but that’s old now and we need to see results on the ground. Enough of the lying for a grown man. Messier quick, Skerritt lying again. Quack!!! Get out of the way Roosevelt and watch team Dominica deliver on the international airport. You have no monopoly on friends to assist in its construction and make sure when you get kicked out you leave the countries money there for Dominicans to do the things the country needs. Maduro tried to leave with planeloads of gold. You can try but you won’t succeed because well get our money back from you and your cronies. Skerritt the king of conte.
This man is so full of it. It just isn’t true. He must believe his own lies by now. What a Scharlatan of a prime minister Dominica has! And to top it all he says: in this year of our Lord 2019. What a hypocrite! As far as the land is concerned and I said it before, I own quite a chunk of land there… nobody has paid yet, nobody has bought yet, nobody has negotiated yet… OMG!
If the government is changed..wouldn’t the world bank give them the money? If they lose (dlp) the election, are they going with the money in the treasury?
Stuppessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssdssssssssssssss.. Airport my foot!!!!
Skerrit I can see Marva in the background..What have you all done to Marva???
People of the P Savanne constituency, just reject DLP..They disrespected Urban.You all did nothing Now Marva?
The buggy PM has lost it!! Vote against him!!!
to be a good liar you have to make sure you remember every lie you have ever said .
That sounds more like a conte during independence celebrations. He said ‘5’ solid proposals twice. What are the names of firms and multilateral agencies. Why does this guy have to lie sooo much during election. 15 years in office clearly means it was never a priority. The previous gov started the process, you wasted the money they already spent only to waste more. After 19 years of your party in office you here talking about rush process and white elephant. Is that because you rushed a bunch of projects that are white elephants today? You cannot finish a small Moroccan hotel, coffee plant cannot start, marigot has no health facilities you cannot maintain stadium and other government institutions. If these minor infrastructure you have failed miserably, why would i believe or trust you with overseeing airport. I am tired of this airport talking. Dominica is like a broken record stuck on the fools national anthem.
Eh bien, what happen to that abattoir? And Layou river hotel. After he win the court case to say that is our property now that place is a dump and the road going there one frigging mess. That whole river spoil right from Layou to the new Chinese bridge in the middle of nowhere. Yes Sir, I can see you run things.
Skerrit is a mad man. Skerrit doesn’t want an international airport. One day he’s going to build next day we doh have to rush. The fact is skerrit knows Dominica population has dropped and it’s hard to maintain the airport without population and he doesn’t create proper jobs to bring back Dominicans in there country instead he sending them to study boasting scholarships in every home but students hardly return to there country after they get there degree. Make a survey of how much students went to study and how much have returned to get a proper employment
One cannot blame any university grad who doesn’t return to Dominica. Idleness would be their best companion as jobs have vaporized under the current autocracy. Skerrit has run most things from Dominica. He has run businesses, RUSM, farmers, nurses, doctors, teachers, police officers and more. Rewarding him with a next term for his atrocious performance is insanity.