Volume No. 2 Issue No. 68 - Monday, February 16, 2009
Lest History Repeats Itself - We Need a Unity & Progress Government Now!
 By Gabriel Christian
On May 27, 2008, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Jinzhang met with Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Dominica to China David King Hsiu and accepted a donation of 100, 000 U.S. dollars made by David King Hsiu in his own name to the Wenchuan earthquake area.
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Concerned Dominicans and Friends:
Whether we have agreed with him in the past or not, we must all commend Lennox Linton for exposing the unsavory allegations now before a court in Tortola. Some of us had heard of these things and could not believe it true.
The events in the summer 2008 and the government's geothermal license sell out of the national interest which Adenauer "Washway" Douglas and myself condemned, brought us in for criticism from some we considered friends and "comrades."
Then, we warned that such corrupt dealings over use and control over our natural resources would not find support from us and threatened the future of the country. Declared persona non grata from officialdom, we stood our ground.
Now the program by Mr. Linton seems to shed some light into how government business in Dominica now often seems mired in the unethical.
This cannot be allowed to continue or we will lose our country. People will come into our country, seize it, and we will have no one but ourselves to blame where we knew better but shut our mouths, eyes, and ears and did nothing. We will be footstools to the paid-for citizens who have paid off our so-called leaders.
Cast about the world's landscape and witness the failed states which litter the globe. They are failed states because ordinary people, and the influential, allowed impunity to go unexposed and unpunished.
The IPO Chairman must act and tell Dominicans why he has not made a move to officially act on the complaint filed by Mr. Linton. Why Mr. Johnson? Why the silence?
As we read of Bajans such as Hartley Henry advising our government in matters of state such as at the Bellagio in Vegas or with regard to China and "our" Ambassador David King Hsiu one cannot but recall another Bajan by the name of Sydney Burnette Alleyne in 1979.
We saw that in 1979 the corrupt dealings of Patrick John led to social disorder and disturbances. Despite progressive Labourites pleading with PJ to change his ways, he would not. When he would not listen, he lost power.
Those of us who remember how misbehavior in office reaped the wrath of our people made this solemn warning last year, to no avail. Few in leadership took heed.
To Supporters of the Government
To all leaders of the Government and the honest men and women in the Labour Party: This is not what we struggled for a lifetime to do; put persons lacking in ethics and lawful behavior in charge of our affairs. We ask now, that you disassociate yourself before it is too late.
Most of you in the cabinet do not have a clue to what is being done in the name of our beloved homeland.
Do not be heard to say you did not know of the misbehavior of those who were given a mandate to work honestly on behalf of the state. The news of unethical behavior has only gotten worst, even where the government has had every opportunity to clear its name.
Cabinet members routinely tell me they do not know anything about the meetings in Bellagio, Macau or what official status is held by the likes of Rudolph King (now under arrest for fraud) and Hartley Henry (the Barbadian named in papers from the Hsiu lawsuit in Tortola).
We also had the case of the Russian Laschkin who served as our ambassador in Switzerland and was being sued in 2006.
To escape justice he used his diplomatic cover as Dominica�s ambassador and caused Dominica to file suit against the host country. That suit was later, under the pressure of embarrassment of the figures involved, dismissed. Attorney General Ian Douglas claimed to know nothing of all this.
And there is more to come from that angle of people being given diplomatic passports and sullying our people�s good name in the international arena; making us seem a nation of unscrupulous persons � which is not the case.
Dominicans are intelligent, law abiding and hard working for the most part and we must protect the image of our country at all times. Therefore this nonsense of having unsavory characters act as our ambassadors is a national disgrace and must stop now.
None in cabinet can tell me they agreed to such a sale of 700 passports for $100,000 each or they knew of the meetings at the Bellagio or Dorchester. Does not our cabinet have the authority to govern our affairs?
Shall we be governed by the whims and fancies of a few government leaders out for their own personal interest?
What role does Hsiu and Hartley Henry play in our affairs? What is their mandate from our people? What is the scope of their contractual or other relationships with Dominica's government?
Where are the memos they send to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as their names appear on our behalf in overseas dealings? At whose direction do these men operate?
Who will pay the bill when their conduct enmeshes us in commitments which result in lawsuits as that in Tortola?
Who is paying the Prime Minister's legal expenses? Our people? And why should our treasury shoulder the bill where the activities being sued about have nothing to do with the national interest or was not agreed to by cabinet?
Will it be said that our cabinet is made up of the deaf, dumb and blind? Or will they, rise up in righteous indignation and redeem the honor of the country and those who died to make us free?
To my friends and the patriots in government, I say: Clear your names. Make it clear that you reject corruption and the use of public office for personal gain. All civil servants must now stand up and expose corruption where they see it. How will you answer when asked: What did you know?
And when did you know it? Your children and your children's children will remember your heroism and honor when you stand for what is right.
All Dominicans of faith, honor and goodwill will applaud you. Only the ignoble, and their devious acolytes, will find fault with you. Of their threats you should never be afraid.
An informed and energized patriotic people will ensure that you shall survive the recriminations from those who only seek their own selfish interest not the national interest.
The road to tyranny is paved with the complacence of those who remain silent in the face of inequitable conduct.
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