UWP expresses concerns over appointment of Chief of Police and deputy

UWP MEDIA STATEMENT

Intentional Violation of the Spirit and Letter of Dominica’s Constitution by His Excellency the President and Prime Minister

Roseau, Dominica, September 3^rd, 2020:-The Executive of the United Workers Party (UWP) TEAM Dominica views with trepidation the callous disregard displayed by His Excellency Charles Angelo Savarin, President of Dominica for the provisions of the Constitution of Dominica, which he is sworn to uphold. By his unlawful and unconstitutional appointment of Messrs. Lincoln Corbette and Davidson Valerie to the Offices of Chief and Deputy Chief of Police respectively in acting capacities from 1^st September 2020 to 30 September 2021 without ascertaining that the provisions of Section 92 (1) of the Constitution were diligently and dutifully followed, the President has heaped scorn on the Rule of Law in the Nature Isle.   .

On the issue of the Appointment of people to the Offices of Chief and the Deputy Chief of Police, the Constitution stipulates at Section 92 (1) that, “The power to appoint a person to hold or act in the office of Chief of Police or Deputy Chief of Police and, subject to the provisions of section 93 of this Constitution, the power to remove the Chief of Police or Deputy Chief of Police from office shall vest in the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, given after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and the Police Service Commission”.

Honourable Lennox Linton, Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition by letter received on Friday 28^th August 2020 was informed by the Prime Minister that he, the Prime Minister, acting “In accordance with Section of the Commonwealth of Dominica Constitution, I wish to inform you that I propose to His Excellency the President to appoint Mr. Lincoln C. Corbette, Deputy Chief of Police to act in the Office of Chief of Police with effect from September 1 2020 to September 30, 2021”. The Honourable Lennox Linton also received a letter on 28^th August, 2020 from the Prime Minister informing him that he, The Prime Minister, had proposed to the President that Mr. Davidson Valerie be appointed to act in the office of the Deputy Chief of Police from September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020.

Honourable Lennox Linton in his written response to the Prime Minister, dated 31^st August, 2020 stated inter alia, “As Leader of the Opposition I have been informed of the advice you will give to the President. But there has been no consultation by the Prime Minister with the Leader of the Opposition prior to advising the President as specifically required by the Constitution – our supreme law. I am available at your earliest convenience for the Prime Minister’s consultation with the Leader of the Opposition that must precede the Prime Minister’s advice to the President with respect to appointments to the top two positions in the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force.

“By copy of this letter, I am alerting the President that the constitutional requirement of consultation with the Leader of the Opposition for these acting appointments in the leadership of law enforcement has not been met to date, should he be minded to act in accordance with the Constitutional rule of law”

To date, His Excellency the President has not received any written communication advising him that the Prime Minister had consulted with the Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition neither has he been informed as to what was the Opposition Leader’s contribution in any consultation, which should have been considered by His Excellency before making the appointments.

These developments are very disturbing, bearing in mind that the appointments are to the highest Offices of the Nation’s Law Enforcement Institution. By their actions, Dominica’s Head of State, the Custodian of Dominica’s Constitution ably supported, aided and abetted by the Head of Government and Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, are sending  extremely dangerous signals to the Dominican Citizenry that the Rule of Law shall not be respected by them.

The Executive of the United Workers implores His Excellency the President to:

1. Acknowledge that an unlawful and unconstitutional act was committed and that the appointments be revoked; and
2. Ensure that future appointments to the Offices of the Chief and Deputy Chief of Police be done in strict conformity with the provisions of the Constitution

NICHOLAS GEORGE

General Secretary

United Workers Party-TEAM Dominica