Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit yesterday criticised opposition legislators who continue to boycott the sitting of the Dominica parliament, saying they were obtaining a salary under false pretence.
Skerrit told Parliament that the opposition legislators made only a brief appearance so as to facilitate the swearing in of their new senator, Daniel Lugay.
“We have an opposition who come here to talk about transparency and integrity but have not said to the House (Parliament) that we have not worked for the salary they are receiving.
“We saw here the swearing in of a senator who came just to get his name registered on the payroll so he can get his salary at the end of the month,” Skerrit said.
The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has been boycotting the Parliament following the 2009 general election which it claimed were not fairly contested.
UWP Leader Ron Green, speaking to reporters yesterday, said that the party would continue its action to press the government to meet its demand for electoral reform.
But the prime minister reminded legislators that the last general election had been observed by regional and international observers that reported the polls to be free and fair.
Skerrit said the opposition’s boycott was sending the wrong message to the members of the public “that we can come in to work and within minutes get out and get a full day’s pay”.
