RE: Tennyson Joseph warns Skerrit and Other Caribbean Leaders

This sentence strikes me as the ‘cornerstone’ of my steadfast conviction in ‘believing’ in our democratic ‘due process’; in believing that those ‘entrusted’ to protect the integrity of our constitution (our judiciary and IPO commission), possess the willingness to fulfill their sworn obligation to the people (as mandated by law), through their actions and not their silence or acquiescence. It is increasingly obvious that this perception is ‘held’ by many honest and decent citizens of our land, and should demonstrate ‘the will of the people’ is entrenched and will settle for no less than transparency and integrity in our elected officials.

“The defense of our democracy must be the work of a truly independent judiciary, an honest and non-partisan media, a well educated and fearless intellectual class, and a committed and truly patriotic civil society that is not a slave to the political directorate”.

The Courts are the foundation of our democracy and I believe they will uphold the law and defend Democracy in Dominica, regardless what my critics think! Do not construe my objectivity as weakness or being naive.

• Democracy is a universally recognized ideal, based on values common to people everywhere, regardless of cultural, political, social or economic differences;

• As an ideal, democracy aims to protect and promote the dignity and fundamental rights of the individual, instill social justice and foster economic and social development. As a form of government, democracy is the best way of achieving these objectives; it is also the only political system that has the capacity for self-correction;
• Democracy is based on two core principles: participation and accountability. Everyone has the right to participate in the management of public affairs. Likewise, everyone has the right to access information on government activities, to petition government and to seek redress through impartial administrative and judicial mechanisms;
• It therefore requires the existence of representative institutions at all levels and, in particular, a parliament in which all components of society are represented and which has the requisite powers and means to express the will of the people by legislating and overseeing government actions.