![\"Commentary\"](\"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/commentary2.jpg\")
It is not often I want to respond to the derogatory, and to the denigration of my good name. I am not Lennox Linton.<\/p>\nIt is not often I want to respond to the derogatory, and to the denigration of my good name. I am not Lennox Linton.<\/p>\n
I read Mr Francis Joseph’s response to a commentary I take ownership for and published regionally. I noted his points and the inaccuracies of seat allocations following the 2000 and 2014 general elections in Dominica. But he has desecrated his objectivity by attacking the Elections Commission, the Prime Minister, and me, a diasporan, without cause.<\/p>\n
So why shouldn’t I write and express my own independent view on my take on what is happening in Dominica? Eh Mr Joseph?<\/p>\n
After all, I respect your right to write as you have and hold no animosity toward you for questioning my motives. Let me remind you that the Dominica of today with all its good laws that allow for you and Mr Lennox Linton unbridled use of the radio and electronic media to express your views, at times in defamatory tones, was secured by those of us who marched back in 1968 and stormed the Patrick John dominated House of Assembly bringing its debate on the Undesirable and Seditious Publications Bill to a halt. I was there in the thick of it and there lies the genesis of the post-independence freedom of speech you enjoy today.<\/p>\n
You may recall the contribution of the indefatigable Ed Dalrymple Scobie, that indomitable Diasporan who came back to Dominica when he was needed to start the public dialogue that ended in the dismantling of the emerging military dictatorship of Colonel Patrick John. It began with his pen and the publication of the Dominica Herald and went on to his fiery oratory with Eugenia Charles at Lagon. It ended with the Koolwash Revolution, an unprecedented people revolution which saw a constitutional overthrow of a government bold enough to cause its Defence Force to fire live shots on innocent protesting citizens in Roseau, killing a number of persons.<\/p>\n
So why not me? Why should I as a Diasporan not write and express my opinion as objectively as I can and say that Lennox Linton is not Prime Minister material and must be replaced now by a named ” clean” Opposition politician. I stand by my view having studied Mr Linton as a man leading the UWP nowhere. Much as I felt that Mr Skerrit had done enough to justify his 2014 electoral victory, the rejection of the Linton led UWP was a referendum on his suitability and acceptability to the majority of Dominicans to lead the country. He led the party to defeats in the eastern constituencies formerly held by the party.<\/p>\n
The party’s win in Wesley was due to the Labour Party making a poor candidate switch that led to its narrow victory. But the big winner of the election was the parliamentary representative for Roseau South who won against all odds in a strong Labour seat. Why, because he is a politician extraordinaire in the making with a great likeability factor and positive national connectivity and traction. He, of all the present Opposition Members of Parliament, is the only UWP high profile member that can build that party to what is required to wrest government from the Labour Party in 2019 or earlier. He is a clean young politician and I understand that he is presently under immense pressure of the vested Marigot-led oligarchy not to challenge Lennox Linton for the leadership of the party.<\/p>\n
I hold a respectful different view to the oligarchy in Marigot with Edison James and his group of perennial rejected politicians. In fact, there is no former Freedom Party supporter who will cast a ballot to reintroduce the Marigot oligarchs to the corridor of power. Without the support of Freedom, whose support remains without leadership, there is no balancing over to the UWP to carry that party to an electoral victory. That is why I maintain that a Linton led UWP will never beat Mr Skerrit’s Labour because the latter remains the better prospect than a return to ghosts of 1995 and Edison James with his hungry for power dead weights.<\/p>\n
Dominica is no easy country to govern because of its geography and its small population with small fiscal revenues. It is remarkable the progress made which I can attest to having seen it for myself and while there remains the need for upgrading of the health services it would seem that plans are underway in that area. The collapse of the banana industry started in the UWP period of mismanagement in Government and the vagaries of the international market and offensive regimes. Limes were taken out by disease.<\/p>\n
I hold no brief for Mr Skerrit who I have never met but who appears to enjoy national popularity and in spite of defamatory-appearing allegations of corruption being leveled at him, he continues to keep Dominica in high esteem both regionally and internationally. So why not me to speak in my own name and call a spade a spade and maintain that a healthy democracy as I fought for, and will continue to do so, must have a viable Opposition in Parliament and a real alternative choice for government when that time comes. Until UWP gets its act together, I see no choice for Dominicans at the polls. Mr Skerrit will win again if he chooses to contest as I would encourage him to do once Mr Linton is offered by the UWP.<\/p>\n
Herbert Volney grew up in Roseau, was educated at St Mary’s Academy, at the UWI (Cave Hill) and the Hugh Wooding Law School. He served as a Public Prosecutor, High Court Judge, was elected to the House of Representatives for the constituency of St Joseph and served as the first and longest serving Minister of Justice in Trinidad and Tobago. He is now retired but has a viewpoint.<\/p>\n
Opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Dominica News Online or its advertisers.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is not often I want to respond to the derogatory, and to the denigration of my good name. I am not Lennox Linton. I read Mr Francis Joseph’s response to a commentary I take ownership for and published regionally….","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":39536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n