by Gen Nowam
On the night of Friday November 22, 2019 a group of honorable Dominican patriots protested in Washington DC outside the Organization of American States headquarters. The protest erupted after Dominica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Francine Baron misled those gathered at the OAS, and indeed the world, by stating that it was Dominica’s Parliamentary Opposition which opposed electoral reform.
Their stance in defense of our suffering people will long be remembered.
They fear not the hatred of tyrants and their shills. Such hatred confirms that they are doing right.
Had the patriots gathered with a red hat, a red shirt and a ram’s horn to sing hosannas to the ruling idol they would have been given accolades.
Who were the OAS patriots.
The patriots who came to the OAS came, on a moment’s notice to raise their voices in defense of our abused nation.
They were scientists, veteran soldiers,policemen, lawyers, doctors and computer science professionals. They are exemplary Dominicans who pay their taxes and volunteer their time in their community and for the benefit of Dominica.
They came from Faraway southern Virginia and the mountains of West Virginia. They came from the mill town of Harrisburg. They came from the Maryland area. The patriots are hard working and busy people, who pay their taxes and aid Dominica whenever there is a disaster or other need. They are unpaid. They are not the thugs or assassins as the regime’s mouthpieces make them out to be.
Had the patriots hailed Skerrit as the Lamb of God, they would have been given medals.
Had the patriots said of the ruling idol, how great thou art, they would have been feted on state media that has been captured by a regime which, with cruel bias, excludes access to the lawful Parliamentary Opposition on Dominica.
But because they called out wrong in the best tradition of Dr. King, the anti-apartheid movement and other social justice causes, they are maligned in the worst way called thugs and assassins for speaking truth to a corrupt power.
By their stance in defense of our beloved country the message has gone forth that we – as a patriotic people – shall not go meekly into the night.
But liberty is not free. Liberty is not like the infamous coolout money handed out by Skerrit and the bribe brigade who make mincemeat out of public funds.
Like all good things in life we must work for it.
Herbert Volney and Tony Astaphan have called honorable Dominicans who protested the wrongs visited on our land by the regime the worst names.
What have either of these injudicious so-called justice seekers done to aid any just or worthy cause on Dominica?
Tony Astaphan likened those who criticize the regime as cockroaches who should be crushed with shoe. The shoe is the symbol of the Dominica Labour Party government.
Herbert Volney, the disgraced former minister of Justice in Trinidad, has been heard saying that Dominicans in the Diaspora are jackasses who must under a bridge. The same Diaspora whose remittances and aid have stave off even more hardship in what is a failed economy on Dominica presided over by an inept regime.
But what has been the nature of Dominica’s foreign policy apparatus in recent times?
Are the patriots the ones who hired mobsters, swindlers, crooks, criminals and mafiosi to represent Dominica on the world stage?
Who are some of those those fake diplomats have spoilt the good name of Dominica?
The news outlet Al Jazeera will soon disclose more in coming days but this is what we know now:
Dominican diplomats starring in this rogues gallery for the regime are –
The Chinese Ng Lap Seng who was arrested by the FBI for money laundering and bribery of UN officials. He was convicted and is in jail in the United States. He had a Dominica diplomatic passport.
Ali Reza Monfared who swindled 2 billion dollars and was hiding out in Dominica in the company of high regime officials. He had wined and dined Skerrit and some of those officials at his headquarters in Malaysia. Captured by Interpol he was tried and convicted. He is now taking jail in Iran; fined 1.2 billion dollars and sentence to 20 years. He had a Dominica diplomatic passport.
Former Nigerian Oil Minister Alison Madueke, one of the biggest thiefs in the history of that country’s government. She stole billions of dollars from that country. Arrested by Scotland Yard, they discovered she was a Dominican diplomat.
What good name did these distinguished criminals give Dominica on the world stage?
Yet you do not hear Skerrit criticise them. He was the commander of the regime and must have known of those appointments. Surely he must have known something of these “diplomats.” He did nothing to protect our nation’s honor and good name in that regard. Yet he has not resigned over such misconduct.
Neither Tony Astaphan or Herbert Volney can be heard condemning such misconduct in office. They are shamelessly silent. indeed, they are ruthless and rabid in their in the defense of such a regime.
You do not hear Herbert Volney condemn these Dominica “diplomat” criminals, but he will condemn Dominican patriots.
You will not hear regime spokesman Tony Astaphan condemn these criminals who were provided with our diplomatic passports, nor rebuke Skerrit about that. However, he will go into a frenzy to condemn patriotic Dominicans.
You will not hear regime foreign affairs minister Francine Baron rebuke Skerrit for those appointments. She has never come on radio or television to tell us of the damage done to our foreign affairs by such criminals who had been provided diplomatic passports.
It was wrong to hire those bandits as diplomats to ruin the good name of our land
This is the type of regime of which Francine Baron forms part. Such is the regime’s history and character.
True to such form, Francine Baron told the OAS the biggest whopper of a lie that it was the Parliamentary Opposition that prevented electoral reform on Dominica. Such a falsehood was told to an international audience live and in color. Are we suppose to go meekly into the night as sheep clad in red shirts, and accept such falsehoods?
No, we are not Mary’s little lamb.
No we shall not, like Mary’s lamb, follow Massa Skerrit everywhere he goes.
No ,we shall not surrender our dignity as a people.
No, we shall not stop seeking truth.
It was because the patriots sought truth that they asked the mostly absent Ambassador to the United States Vince Henderson to speak after Francine Baron presented at the OAS. However, Vince would not speak. He grinned and ducked, unable to explain the distortions of truth that had just been uttered by his foreign affairs minister. It was then the cries of shame came crashing down on him.
And shame it is that this regime has presided over what might well be the worst history of the appointments of international crooks as diplomats in modern history.
Shame it is that this regime has denied electoral reforms recommended by the Organization of American States, the Commonwealth and CARICOM.
Shame it is that the regime called an election without implementing electoral reform.
We are proud for having stood up for Dominica and by the grace of God we shall continue to stand for the best values and hopes for better in our country. Our people deserve better.
We want the entire world to know that the majority of honest Dominicans reject the destruction of our image in the international world by a regime that has repeatedly engaged in such lies and lawlessness.
Dominica, hitherto, had the respect of the world as an island ruled by honest leaders and populated by wise and noble people.
We strive to uphold that legacy. Let it never be said that we became a craven people crippled by the regime’s bribes called “coolout.”
Dominicans, let us be about working hard to save and prosper our country. Let us never let down our country.
In the words of our national anthem that we sang with passion on that cold Washington DC night:
Come ye forward sons and daughters of this gem beyond compare.
Strive for honor sons and daughters do the right, be firm, be fair!
True Patriots! Standing up for country. ✊🏾
These are the kind of men and women Dominics eeds who will stand up and be counted for what is right. Thanks for standing
Yes! I was proud to be apart of the team that stood up.