ROSEAU, Dominica – The main opposition United Workers’ Party (UWP) is calling on supporters to stage a peaceful protest outside the Parliament today as Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit delivers the 2011-12 national budget.
UWP leader Ron Green told a public meeting in the village of St Joseph, east of here on Monday night that he had been informed that no provisions had been made in the fiscal package for electoral reform in the country.
“There is nothing in that budget for electoral reform. Nothing for voter ID cards. What does that tell you? Time for action brothers and sisters, we have to speak,” Green told supporters.
“We are calling on you here tonight to come down to the Parliament on Wednesday at 10 a.m. (local time) in order to express your concern,” Green said, assuring them that the demonstrations will be peaceful.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Skerrit said that he would not support the use of scarce financial funds to introduce the voter identification cards for citizens.
But he said that his administration is prepared to pay the EC$4 million (US$1.48 million) for a national identification card.
The UWP has been calling on the government to introduce the voter ID card as a means of ensuring free and fair elections in the country.
Skerrit said Tuesday that the national budget, to be presented later this month, will take into consideration the ongoing global financial and economic crisis.
But he assured Dominicans that the various social safety net programmes as well as the school transportation programme and the grant to secondary students would continue in the new year. (CMC)
