ROSEAU, Dominica, Feb 22, CMC – President Charles Savarin Wednesday urged Dominicans to have a “peaceful, enjoyable and a successful Carnival” and allow the security forces to continue their investigations into the violence and vandalism that occurred in the capital earlier this month.

In a nationwide broadcast, Savarin said that the disturbances that followed the public meeting of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) were unfortunate and that the country has had weeks to reflect on the  events leading up to this “uncharacteristic display of lawlessness”.

Savarin said that several organisations as well as many individuals both home and abroad, including the political parties here,  had expressed “their condemnation of the riotous behaviour which has caused severe loss and damage to public and private property and has raised so much concern here at home, as well as regionally and internationally”.

He said the country must be thankful to God that there was no loss of life on February 7 and that it is now therefore for the police and ultimately the courts to determine whether the terms and conditions agreed upon for the holding of the meeting were adhered to and whether the rioting, looting, burning and malicious damage to property which took place later that evening were as a result of a failure to respect these conditions.

Both the UWP and the DFP have distanced themselves from the disturbances that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said was an attempt to overthrow his duly elected Dominica Labour Party (DLP) government by force.

Savarin said that the determination by the police should be “independent of any concerns or criticism of any minister of government or government action or policy including matters relating to the Economic Citizenship Programme, the Citizenship by Investment Programme Issuing of Diplomatic Passports, Operation of the Dominica Maritime Registry” among other issues.

He said these are matters which can be addressed in the parliament, in the courts, or through legitimate political action as the case may be.

“As citizens of a dynamic democracy, it is expected that political debate will be alive and well and that persons of opposing views will advance their opinions forcefully.  In so doing, however, we should resist the temptation to tarnish the name and image of our country or its vital economic interests.

“The responsibility for the peace, safety and security of the state and its people, rest on each and every one of us, whether at home or abroad.   This is a sacred responsibility in respect of which, we have taken an oath to uphold when entering upon public office as members of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Dominica.”

Savarin said as the island prepares to celebrate the Carnival on Monday and Tuesday next week he was urging all citizens “to peacefully go about their daily business and to allow those who are sworn to uphold the law, maintain order and ensure the security of the state, to go about their duties unimpeded and to ensure a peaceful, enjoyable and successful Carnival”.