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A CONFERENCE OF EMPTY CHAIRS AND WORDS

Some highlights of some of the speakers and our response!!!

Gabriel Christian said or inferred

1: Their party will not be red, green or blue; that it would be a rainbow coloured party. It would be United Progressive Coalition.

There was no genuine attempt to invite the DLP to this coalition. Indeed, the declared purpose published in THE SUN was the removal of the DLP from Government. Further, Gabriel Christian knows the contact information for every senior member of the DLP. Yet not a single invitation was sent. Emails are sent every day to the Prime Ministers Gmail, but no invitation. Shirley Allen, known sympathizer to the UWP, asked Astaphan for a contact number for the DLP. He declined to reply but no invitation is extended to him, Alick Lawrence, Steve Sabin or others who are known friends of the Prime Minister and DLP, particularly Steve and Alick who had been invited to and participated in the conference in NY to found the Roosevelt Douglas Foundation.

2: It would consist of persons from the UWP, DFP and members of the cabinet that are not tainted by corruption.

Big political joke for three reasons. The first is what is meant by tainted. The second, who is to decide, in the absence of a ruling by the IPO Commission or Court, which member of the DLP is tainted by corruption? To date, no evidence, complaint or charge of corruption has been laid before the IPO Commission or even made public.

Third, pray tell, who in the UWP between 1995 and 2000 is not tainted either by their participation or silence? For example, would Ron Green pass the test when he was in Cabinet when Edison James put his plan afoot to lease State lands for North Eastern Quarries? And what about when it became public that Edison intended to secure money from AID Banki on a business plan which declared ONLY STATE PROJECTS!!!! Would Mr. Green also pass the test when he remained silent during every assertion of corruption and mismanagement directed against the UWP Government between 1995 and 2000?

Therefore, it appears to us that if the taint of corruption is the criterion for exclusion, most of the present UWP leadership would be eliminated. Surely, Edison would be eliminated for his North Eastern Quarries drama and his receipt of money from Taiwan which every Executive Member including Ron Green either knew about or ought to have known. The real danger here was that the UWP received Taiwanese funds in exchange for our sovereignty! Campaign funds in exchange for a sellout; return DA to Taiwan!

Also, what about the so-called leaders of the Diaspora, some of whom we saw sitting at the head table on Saturday. Some even addressed the conference. What of their silent in the face of UWP corruption between 1995 to 2000? Is not their silence as damning an indictment, seeing that they only found their voices after 2000?

3: Persons contesting elections should be required to pass a test. A test of such matters as profit and loss statements and balance sheets. The test should be set by a commission consisting of members of political parties and civic organizations.

This astonishing statement sounds not only elitist, it sounds Iranist. In Iran all candidates have to be approved by a higher authority-which is fundamentally undemocratic. But the most offensive part is the stench of elitism emanating from this statement. Politics will now become the private domain of the middle classes, the rich and educated. Our entire system of politics is rooted in democracy by and for the masses, not the educated. This neo-elitist idea will eradicate tens of thousands from participating in the electoral process. Farmers and others, even other professionals not versed in financial statements, will be cast aside for the new politico elites! No western liberal democracy h has imposed such a startling restriction on participating in elections.

4: That their group were "natural resource nationalists" and their aim was to protect the natural resources for Dominicans.

This is code for no person other than me and friends must benefit from our natural resources. This statement has a tortured beginning. It was provoked by this government granting a company a license to explore geothermal energy in Soufriere and ScotsHead. The substantial portion of this  natural resource is in the Wotton Waven and Trafalgar area, and the Government has not agreed to lease one acre of this area to any foreigner or otherwise. We do not think we need add that this Clean Energy Corporation was also given a licence in Nevis!

However, what we need explained, and what all must demand an answer to is this; was Mr. Christian able to raise the funding and resources to get his geothermal contract off the ground? Why was this project with Government t for nearly 5 years? We know he wanted exclusivity. However, what we do not know was whether he had the capital or resources, or whether it was his position that Skerrit should use his influence with Chavez or the PROC to raise the funds for his venture!

5: He had broken ranks with the DLP on their decision to sell the natural resources of the country to foreign interest.

Ranks were broken by this government granting a company to explore geothermal energy in Soufriere and Scotshead, and the Prime Minister refusing to grant Diplomatic Passports to FOREIGNERS recommended by Gabriel Christian. We believe this has nothing to do with principle. We believe it has everything to do with seeking to exert influence and control over the Prime Minister and Government!

6: Government has given away the pumice and geothermal resources to foreigners and ministers were privately benefiting from it

Nonsense!! For a start the Colihaut quarry and Layou sand enterprises were awarded by the UWP. Second, how does a Government give away the natural resources when the substantial portion of this  natural resource is in the Wotton Waven and Trafalgar area, and the Government has not agreed to lease one acre of this area to any foreigner or otherwise.

This allegation of ministers benefitting is another redherring. Too often our apostles of doom make these general statements without a shred of evidence. We challenge Mr. Christian, the eloquent Attorney we know him to be, if he has the evidence, any evidence, to exercise his national and legal obligation and make a complaint to the IPO Commission. We spent too much time demanding the implementation of the IPO, to side step its authority, with marketplace gossip! In other words, he must put up or shut up!

7: Dominica is the only country in the Caribbean selling citizenship.

False. St. Kitts has an economic citizenship program too.

8: There should be 4 extra seats in parliament for members of the diaspora, including from Canada, UK and USA.

This is empty and misleading rhetoric. How will this be given effect without an amendment to the Constitution? And how will this be executed? By vote or proportional representation? Really? The last constitution review commission headed by Telford Georges recommended fewer not more members of parliament.

Further, this attempt by the natural resource nationalists to expand the size of Dominicas Parliament is a blatant attempt at expediency, which will expend the size of government and its expenditure against the background of the global financial crisis

9: He accused the Government of appointing foreigners as ambassadors one of whom had been arrested in the US.

For a start Mr. Christian has himself recommended that the Government appoint three (3) foreigners as ambassadors. Mr. King was arrested in 2009. The Government severed all ties with him by letter dated 30th January 2007! David Hsiu was appointed Ambassador to the PRC. Because of his previous relations with the DFP and UWP Governments, and his ties to the PRC Government, it was believed he was the most suited. He resigned and the Government of the PRC was advised of his recall by His Excellency the President. It is not uncommon for governments to appoint non nationals to diplomatic positions. And surely not if they are citizens!

10: He constantly evokes references to Roosie Douglas.

We appreciate Gabriels involvement post 2000 with the Roosie Douglas Foundation. Although, we are not sure what has happened since its launch. We do not recall Gabriels involved in the 2000 campaign. What we do recall is that in the La Plaine constituency he donated we believe computers to Ron Green rather than the DLPs candidate. When the DLP won the general elections, he asked the DLPs candidate to take possession of the computers and presented them to the DLP. We do not know whether this will be seen as flip flopping!

11: He expressed concerns about the outcome of elections being affected by Chinese economic citizens coming to vote.

Citizens regardless of race have the right to vote. However, no economic citizen can vote in an election unless he or she can meet the 3 months residence requirement for registration in the polling district. But here too we find this johnny come lately concern bewildering. The DFP and UWP sold several passports to Chinese and other nationals and we do not recall the DLP bellyaching about being afraid of losing an election because of Chinese, or of Gabriel complaining then about these Chinese nationals being able to influence the elections!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12: It was unacceptable that the major enterprises in Dominica, the banks, cable & wireless, Electricity Company, Television Company should be under foreign control.

The National Bank of Dominica is not foreign owned. This DLP Government inherited the foreign based banks, cable and wireless and the other companies referred to by Gabriel. The DLP Government is a democratic based institution. It does not espouse communistic principles or nationalization of vested commercial interests simply on the basis of such whimsical statements.

But things did change after 2000. Marpin is now owned 50/50% with the Dominica Social Security. For the first time since the UWP sold out Domlec cheaply to CDC, a Dominican entity, the Dominica Social Security, has a substantial shareholding in Domlec. In any event other than the limited protection given to Domlec, there are no legal obstacles to any Dominican starting the businesses he mentioned.

13: That his relationship with Skerrit had not been personal but philosophical and that Skerrit had departed from the philosophy of the DLP

The allegation that Skerrit has moved away from DLP is nonsense. The expression of the philosophy of the DLP in the 1970s and 80s cannot be the same for a DLP in 2009. The world has changed and so has the DLP. Had it remained the dinosaur that some wished it would, it may have become extinct, as it appears the new DFP is becoming.

Thompson Fountain

1: He complained about an application for a bank licence by some Dominicans.

It is true that a few years ago a few Dominicans applied for a bank license. Alick Lawrence law chambers, on behalf of the company presented an application for a non-bank financial institution license. The difference between a bank and non-bank financial licence is the initial capital required. A non-bank financial institution requires far less capital to get the grant of a licence. The application was dealt with by the staff of the Ministry of Finance, as required by the Banking Act. After a few months the Financial Secretary returned the documents to the lawyer requesting further documents/information. The application was never resubmitted to the Ministry of Finance.

Lennox Linton said

1: The fact that Dominicans were poorer because of governments policy on taxation. He said that there was a 91% increase in tax revenue from 2007 to present fueled by mainly increase in VAT.

2: Dominica has the highest cost of living, poverty and unemployment and lowest economic growth in the Eastern Caribbean.

3: the usual utterances of the lack of transparency in public office.

Point 1: Mr. Linton made no reference to the fact that the Governments policy had broadened the tax base and removed a significant number of people from paying direct income tax. In addition, he failed to mention the fact that the income tax threshold was raised, VAT is exempted on essential food items, the extraordinary work and funds spent on poverty alleviation, the reduction of fees at the hospital, elimination of taxes on pensioners income or interest, easier access too funding at the AID Bank, regularization of squatters rights, land reform and the provision of housing under the housing revolution.

Point 2: Mr. Linton failed to mention that a couple of years ago, Caricom undertook a study of the cost of living in Caricom. This Caricom report showed that Dominica had THE SECOND LOWEST rate and rise of cost of living in the previous 10 years!!!! Also, within the last two weeks or so the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank released a report that showed that Dominica had the SECOND HIGHEST RATE of economic growth in the OECS in the last year!

Point 3: Dominica is one of the very few countries in the region which has implemented the Integrity in Public Office Legislation.

Submitted as a collective effort in furtherance of our constitutional right of expression!

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