Dominica

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The Dominica government Tuesday night declared a national state of mourning in honour of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who died earlier following a long battle with cancer.
In an emotional address to the nation, Prime Minster Roosevelt Skerrit, who described Chavez as a personal friend “who held my hand in the brightest and darkest hours of my tenure and indeed as the prime minister, said that all flags will be flown at half mast from Wednesday until the morning after his burial.

SANTO DOMINGO—More than 25 business support organisations (BSOs) across the region participated in a regional workshop aimed at equipping them to support their respective private sectors. The training was through the 2nd Regional Trade Information Training Programme and Data Processing and Collection Mechanisms Training.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has brushed aside critics of his administration’s geothermal energy plan insisting that it represents the best hope for attracting foreign investments and improving the socio-economic wellbeing of Dominicans. Addressing the inauguration of the Trafalgar/Shawford/Fond Canie over the weekend, Skerrit said that his administration remains convinced that the geothermal project would bring relief to electricity consumers and that it is unfortunate that critics are continuing to object to the project.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica will use a meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday for support for its renewable energy development programme.

The Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said the meeting “will discuss and seek agreement on a CARICOM Energy Policy.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he has had an “excellent” meeting with officials in Morocco and that Dominica would benefit in the tourism and education sectors. “We had an excellent meeting in Morocco. During my meetings there, I had an opportunity to review our relationship with Morocco,” Skerrit said. Dominica established diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2010 and as part of a technical cooperation agreement; Morocco is involved in the construction of a 58 room hotel in Portsmouth, north of here.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he wants his regional colleagues in 2013 to adopt a new approach and seek to address present day issues confronting the region. Skerrit is also warning there is no quick fix to the current economic challenges being faced by small island states including his own. “I think at the CARICOM level we have to spend more time looking at the economies and talking about the struggle of the people. The CARICOM agenda sometimes is too fixed. It has to be flexible and able to address the ongoing issues.”

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica said Monday it would continue to strengthen its relationship with Venezuela noting that the island had benefitted significantly over the past years. “You would be pleased to know that Venezuela continues to be a major source of development assistance for the Commonwealth of Dominica and therefore relations with your country remain a matter of high priority in Dominica’s foreign policy,” said President Eluid Williams as he accepted the credentials of newly appointed Venezuelan Ambassador Hayden Owanda Pirela Sanchez.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Lawyers for Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit have defended the decision to go to the courts regarding the decision of the Integrity Commission to probe allegations that the head of government had breached the Integrity in Public Office’s (IPO) Code of Conduct. The Commission was due to have started its hearings on Monday, but Justice Brian Cottle last Friday granted the lawyers leave to apply for judicial review against the decision of the Integrity Commission.

ROSEAU, Dominica, Feb 19, CMC – High Court judge Lionel Jones has reserved judgment on whether or not to uphold an application to strike out a challenge by the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) to the nomination of Eluid Williams as President of Dominica. Opposition Leader Hector John filed the lawsuit in October last year claiming that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s nomination of Williams for election to the office of the President of the Commonwealth of Dominica was “unconstitutional, null and void”. Hector is also challenging the procedure and process of the election.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Tuesday urged the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) to accept the latest wage offer for public servants as the government concluded agreements with teachers and police officers.
Skerrit has also warned that his administration would most likely trigger legislation that would allow for the establishment of a tribunal to deal with the impasse.