The Interim President of the Electoral Reform Coalition, Loftus Durand has rubbished statements made by Minister for National Security Rayburn Blackmoore that the rally organized today in Roseau for electoral reform is to create violence.
In a statement on Tuesday, Blackmoore assured the public that further reinforcement will be provided to the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) to ensure that any display of violence or incitement to violence will be dealt with “rapidly, swiftly, and decisively”.
However, Durand made it clear that there will be no violence perpetrated against anybody or against their property.
“We also need to send a message as well to Mr. Blackmoore, the National Security Minister, that there will be no fear there, there will be no violence perpetrated against anybody or against anybody’s property there, so no need for trying as Security Minister to instill fear in the number of persons that will turn out to that activity,” he remarked.
Durand called on the Dominican public to gather at the arch in Roseau to let their voices be heard.
“On May 31, 2023, we are asking all Dominicans to gather between the two bridges that is, the outgoing and incoming bridge into the City next to the arch in Roseau to come in a united voice and speak clearly that the long drawn-out matter of electoral reform must come to an end,” he said.
He continued, “We cannot afford, ourselves, as a country to go into any general elections again with the taints that the CCJ pointed to…”
Durand called on all to let their voices be heard in very unambiguous ways as to the freeness and fairness of the country’s electoral process.
“We need it cleaned up once and for all,” he remarked. “That is the call we will be making on the day.”
Meantime, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said during a site visit by Cabinet of the new housing development center in Grandbay on Tuesday, that the opposition forces continue to paint a bad picture of Dominica.
“What these elements are doing, while we know our country is safe, when people see things on the news and read things on social media from overseas they believe this,” he argued.
He continued, “What is going to happen, people will not want to come to Dominica because they say Dominica is not safe, the hotels are empty, the taxi man cannot make money, the tour guides cannot get work, the vendors cannot sell, the ladies on the Bayfront cannot sell anymore, America will stop flying into Dominica…”
Skerrit further argued that the opposition does not want to celebrate the positives that are happening in the country.
“They will not celebrate the good that has happened for people as small as it is. They don’t celebrate it,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister encourages the public to be wise.
“This is not who you support or who you don’t support, you have to support what is right, what is good, what is constructive and what is God-driven,” he encouraged. “It’s not about me. It’s not about the Labour Party, it’s about Dominica and the future of our children and ensuring that we have a government that cares for the senior citizens, that we provide for them.”
Skerrit added, “And we live peaceable lives respecting each other, loving each other, and working as one family being our brother’s keeper.”
The rally is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.
how can it be free and fair when the constitution speaks against treating and bribery. To the point where diasporas are given free boat and plane tickets on chartered vessels. where people are openly selling their vote and making videos on social media to prove it. When people are only given support if they openly support a certain party. How is that free and fair? When dead people still voting, when snap elections are called 3 years ahead of the next election season. How is that fair? When reform that has been called for for over 2 elections cannot take place even when the same man hired by the PM has submitted his reports and suggestions but yet nothing has been done to institute any kind of reform. When people who have ben out of Dominica for past the alotted time frame can still just come in on dlp chartered jets with tickets bought by dlp operatives on their behalf to come and vote for dlp. spend 2 weeks in dominica and party with dlp at rallies. how is that fair? There are laws
What has the comment below got to do with Electoral Reform???
Comment:“What is going to happen, people will not want to come to Dominica because they say Dominica is not safe, the hotels are empty, the taxi man cannot make money, the tour guides cannot get work, the vendors cannot sell, the ladies on the Bayfront cannot sell anymore, America will stop flying into Dominica…”
A lack of fiscal and strategic tourism planning will directly result in the above comment and is incorrectly being attributed to a rally for voting reforms.
This rally illustrates the number of people who are unhappy with the current voting system and their wish for the leading party to execute the reform as per the promised timelines.
The purpose of a democracy is to give priority to the will of the people through free and fair elections. Democracies should also protect individual rights and freedoms, promote equality, and ensure that government policies reflect the wishes of it’s citizens.
You run things man, according to your own words. The good as well as the bad. Maybe you cannot see the difference between the two, that’s your problem. If you can not fix it, we’ll get someone else.
I don’t care what Blackmoore or Skerrit have to say in this matter. We want electoral reform and we want fair and open elections going forward. If those two don’t like, they know where to go!!!
We have always had “fair and open (whatever this means)” elections in Dominica. This is how the UWPwee won in 1990 and how it maintained its seats in Parliament, through the fair elections in the polling booth. Do not let Linton, Ibo France, their preferred media outlets, et al. tell you otherwise
how can it be free and fair when the constitution speaks against treating and bribery. To the point where diasporas are given free boat and plane tickets on chartered vessels. where people are openly selling their vote and making videos on social media to prove it. When people are only given support if they openly support a certain party. How is that free and fair? When dead people still voting, when snap elections are called 3 years ahead of the next election season. How is that fair? When reform that has been called for for over 2 elections cannot take place even when the same man hired by the PM has submitted his reports and suggestions but yet nothing has been done to institute any kind of reform. When people who have ben out of Dominica for past the alotted time frame can still just come in on dlp chartered jets with tickets bought by dlp operatives on their behalf to come and vote for dlp. spend 2 weeks in dominica and party with dlp at rallies. how is that fair? There are laws
What I don’t understand is, there was an election just held very recently, the next general election is due many years from now.
The electoral reform process is well on the way, the commissioner is in the process of presenting his report, let the process take effect, give the parliament time to debate it, if those things are not done by at least September 2023 then the opposition can plan protest action, but not in the middle of the report being presented. The timing is very I’ll adviced. Once again can this opposition function effectively in opposition…… hmmmm idk
@Desibird
Because Skerrit is such a deceitful human being, he interferes with the work of the Electoral Commission, so meetings like those should be held every month..Only someone like you can trust this evil human being who passes as a Prime Minister!
What a demon and devil!
Desibird, at best you are naive. I am convinced that Lord Byron completed his mission and submitted his report to Mr. Skerrit some time ago but our P.M. does not like the recommendations because they do not match his designs. Lord Byron will not make the amendments that Skerrit wants. You will find that the report will be published by the end of this month by whichever means with Lord Byron not denying that it is as he wrote it. Skerrit has no choice but submit it to parliament, as he promised to do. He is now trapped and still figuring a way out but trust me there isn’t one. The die has been cast.
I understand your confusion, but you must not know the nature of the beast. The UWPwee opposition does not have a record of proactively supporting or promoting genuine development for Dominica. They are all about confrontation and disruption because they believe that in some way this strategy will gain them political office. It has not worked! So, your analysis is the logical route, but the UWPwee is not about logic. It is about creating social discord.
Putin it sounds like you singing for an Apartment, you selling your country for a temporary place of shelter to rest your head, selfishly not thinking of your children who cannot inherit the Apartment.
You are such a fool. UWP is no longer the opposition to the government. Noone!!! from the uwp sits in parliament. ITs obvious that Lennox Linton and the UWP live rent free in your head. That is all you can think about. So much that you have yet to acknowledge that we have had a new opposition since the last election.
Anyone watching from overseas will be impressed to see freedom of speech and the right to peaceful demonstration being carried out in the spirit of true democracy.
These fools cannot force electoral reform on the majority of Dominicans.This meeting is a UWP political meeting to reinstate Lennox Linton as UWP political leader,and to backstab Thompson Fontaine.Since Lennox Linton is no longer political leader he has lost a monthly salary of .$8,000.The majority of Dominicans are not interested in electoral reform,and ……………. can force electoral reform on the people.CCM is dead,NJAM is dead,MOM SEWE is dead and UWP is dead.Electoral reform will come when Labourites say it will come,and it will come when every living Dominican in and out of Dominica has the right to vote.Where was Linton and Loftus Durand after hurricane Maria?Linton and supporters of UWP rejoiced when Dominica was destroyed wiped off the face of the map.Today Dominica is back,those crooks,traitors,arsonists,thieves,backstabbers and lazy lying habitual criminals talking about electoral reform.
@Lin Clown
I always laugh when you refer to Dominicans as fools!
Go attend night school. Can you pay yourpassage to come home? You cant!! You must be one of those sleeping in old abandoned cars in the USA…So for your own dood stop being a nuisance, because you do not even know the meaning of electoral refofm.
SACK SOT!!
Have the Rally. Rain sleet snow or shine. It is your fundamental democratic RIGHT!!! do not let these people tell you otherwise. You do NOT need to ask for permission to protest. You can inform the police of your plans and even ASK THEM FOR PROTECTION and it is their obligation to provide. If not they should respond and tell you when they can walk with you or at least keep you and your people safe. That is also your right that they have to oblige you on. These people act like they will forever be in power. What if next election they are kicked out. and THEY themselves have a disagreement with the new government and THEY themselves feel the need to protest. Any citizen can protest in a democratic nation within the confines of the law. Let blackmore and Skerrit fool all you still. that is all an attempt by them to control you all and brainwash you all to just sit down and shut up and take what they giving you, whether you like it or not.
Nothing, absolutely nothing is more important to DEMOCRACY than a fair ELECTORAL SYSTEM.
A clean, incorruptible electoral system ensures that the people get the government they earnestly desire. What reason(s) should an incumbent administration fight so passionately and ferociously against such a noble cause?
Only a ruling political party that is completely bereft of scruples, morality, righteousness and sanctity will take sch a poster as they are doing.
Dominica has become a poster boy for bad elections and unrestrained public corruption. Corruption has became the rule rather that the exception. We now have daily corrupt practices of bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, and the ongoing corruption of the electoral system.
This day, May 31, will become a significant date on the calendar in Dominica. It will be a turning point for positive changes or a continuation of the morass, quagmire and mediocrity in the country.
And poor thing, the Labour Party still wins convincingly. When last did you ever ride a donkey?
BLACKMORE should send the reinforcement to the site of the two alleged murders on island, and not have them for the Electoral Reform meeting. SNIPERS and NAVY SEALS are not supporters of the opposition or the various civic groups.
I SHALL be present, and i am calling on all able bodied citizens who can attend to do so!!