The Days Of Impunity Are Over

The recent protest from the public illustrates a potent challenge for the Dominica Labour Party. The People's Party of Dominica welcomes the suspension of the deeply controversial amendment to the House of Assembly and Registration of Electors Act and applauds those who are engaged and who uphold the constitution. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) May 30, 2017 - The People's Party of Dominica welcomes the suspension of the deeply controversial amendment to the House of Assembly and Registration of Electors Act . This bill brought forth by the Dominica Labour Party seek to add clauses to interpret existing law pertaining to the bribery and treating provisions of that Act. We are delighted that the Prime minister now realize the need for further consultation on the matter, which we hope will eventually lead to the withdrawal of this particular proposed amendment entirely.

The Prime minister's description of the protesters as "mob - like rioters is a serious affront to the right of Dominican citizens to protest, which is enshrined in our Constitution. This is analogous to previous categorizations of dissenters to the actions of his administration as terrorists by another term or phrase. It also shows a certain level of disconnect by the Prime minister to the reality on the ground since to date, there have been no reported disturbances outside of parliament. The protesters should therefore be commended for showing resolve and discipline in the face of open aggression and hostility. It must be noted that it was the actions of the protesters which forced the the Prime Minister to suspend the implementation of the act. We hope that moving forward government will work in the best interests of the public at all times and not for their political party, personal gain, and certainly not for those who encourage, sympathize or enable questionable acts.

The Dominica Labour Party in its seventeen years of heading the government have presented unprecedented levels of scandals, lack of consultation with, accountability to and transparency with the public,and a total disregard for our constitution . This latest political crisis was instigated by the failure of the government to properly engage the people in matters of grave national significance. The reaction of the people should serve as a warning the the government that the days of impunity are over.

As a people, we must hold our government accountable and demand good governance and equal and fair treatment. Those who see criticism of the governance of the country as an attack as opposed to a constructive medium for dialogue, often do so because their actions cannot be properly defended or their intentions are not entirely genuine; the reality is, a genuinely intended act, even when deficient in substance, can only be strengthened through constructive criticism, dialogue and adequate consultation with those the act directly and indirectly affects.

We applaud every person, from every nation who joined in our fight to preserve our democracy, our values and our freedoms; whether via social media, blogs, local and internet radio, discussing the issues with family and friends and being on the frontline on the streets of Dominica.

We urge all Dominicans to remain engaged and vigilant to the actions of the DLP government, as we strive to protect our democracy from current and future threats.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing."(Edmund Burke)

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