ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – A Dominican businessman, Jerry Brisbane, who is threatening to file a legal suit against Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, has called on him to dismiss his National Security, Immigration and Labour Minister Charles Savarin.
Jerry Brisbane said he is also seeking an apology from Prime Minister Skerrit over remarks made on a radio programme.
Brisbane, who had earlier written to international aid donors, regarding the Dominica government’s decision to spend millions of dollars to “build an unnecessary new luxury State house” said he had since started a petition seeking public support for the removal of Savarin, a government senator, who had had called for a boycott of his family’s business.
Savarin had taken issue with Brisbane’s decision to write two letters to the donor community, including the European Union and the government of China, stating concerns about what he called “government’s poor tendering practices and misuse of grant funds.
Prime Minister Skerrit had also called on Dominicans to condemn Brisbane’s actions.
“When I hear on national radio and other programmes that there are Dominicans who are in fact writing to our international donor community, writing to persons and countries who are assisting us, and saying to these governments and … the institutions that they should not give the government of Dominica any money to build Dominica, I believe each one of us must stand and be counted in condemnation for that action of some persons among us.”
But Brisbane said that he would, through his lawyers, write Skerrit demanding that the prime minister proves that he had written to international donors asking that they discontinue monetary assistance to Dominica.
He said if Prime Minister Skerrit fails to apologise, he would file a lawsuit.
Brisbane said at a time when the island is facing economic hardship there were some major projects including “important sea and river walls and the proposed state house,” that had not been properly offered for tender.
“Recently, Minister for National Security, Immigration and Labour, Charles Savarin called on the public via the airwaves to boycott our business O.D. Brisbane & Sons, a local company which has employed thousands of Dominicans over the years. As such, O.D. Brisbane & Sons is calling on citizens to join us in petitioning for the removal of the minister.
“Whatever Mr. Savarin thinks of the initiative of Jerry Brisbane to raise concerns with members of the international donor community about the wasteful spending of aid and concessionary loan financing resources in Dominica, he has a duty to be tolerant, respectful and civil,” the petition states.
Savarin said on a radio programme last weekend that it was his “firm recommendation” that Dominicans responded to Brisbane’s letters by boycotting his business.
“So no civil servant can take the European Union money that is paid to government as budgetary assistance and go and bring it for Jerry Brisbane…nobody working on a Chinese funded project can take their wages and their salaries and go and bring it for Jerry Brisbane…
“The people individually and collectively have to respond by boycotting OD Brisbane and Sons,” Savarin insisted.
Brisbane said Savarin had displayed hostility to citizens pursuing their civic responsibility to promote good governance.
“With this intemperate statement, the Minister of Labour mercilessly attacks and seeks to engineer the demise of a legitimate business establishment in Dominica where a number of nationals including farmers, lawfully enjoy the fruits of their labour.
“His immediate removal from the Cabinet of Ministers and the Parliament of Dominica is therefore an absolute public interest necessity,” Brisbane said.
Brisbane said he has also made the petition available on the Internet.
