The high court on Wednesday, 25th August, 2010 ruled that the petitions filed against Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit and education minister Hon. Petter Saint Jean on allegations of dual citizenship will go to trial.
The petitions were just two of several petitions filed by the opposition united workers party following the December 2009 general elections.
The others however were struck out when the ruling was read Wednesday morning.
Hon. Ian Douglas is minister for legal affairs. He told GIS news, he was not at all surprised by the ruling.
 Hon. Minister of Legal
Affairs, Ian Douglas
“I am not surprised. Actually, the ruling confirmed what we have been saying all along. I have personally felt, from the beginning of those cases, that it is a waste of time, a waste of the courts time and the opposition was merely trying to continue the ‘electioning’ and the ‘politicking’ after the country had made its decision.
We can look at it from all fronts. I mean the electorate went to the polls and legitimately elected the persons of their choice to serve them in the capacities of parliamentary representatives and members of parliament. What we have said and said all along is as long as you are a Dominican who has been registered on the register of elected voters, you have a right to cast your ballot for the candidate of your choice. That is basically what the court has said in layman’s language this morning that all the petitions especially those related to Hon. Ambrose George, Hon. Kelvar Darroux, Hon. Ashton Graneau, and probably others, one or two petitions which were really claiming the issues of bribery and corruption, all that were quite eloquently struck out.”
Hon. Douglas explained that this was a victory for the people of Dominica.
He noted that government had repeatedly said there was nothing fraudulent about the 2009 elections.
“The people themselves believe that and still continue to believe that there was nothing fraudulent about the election.”
Minister Douglas also commented on the allegations of dual citizenship which will be taken to trial.
“Those matters will go court merely to ensure that the law on this matter is clear once and for all. It is an opportunity for the court to deliberate on those particular issues of a citizenship and to give a clear and definitive ruling. I believe that the court feels it is an opportunity to deliberate on the matters and to give a clear and definitive judicial ruling and that is why this matter will be tried.”
The allegations of bribery and misconduct during the elections, the unfair access to the national radio station and the government information service were all struck out during this morning’s sitting. |
