PM Skerrit defends attorney general’s comments

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has defended recent statements made by Attorney General Levi Peter last week where he referred to opposition presidential nominee, Anette Sanford as a “drumstick”.

After facing a week of criticism Attorney General Peter addressed the situation last week, claiming that his comments were taken out of context.

As previously reported, Sanford called upon the Minister of Gender Affairs and the Minister of Kalinago Affairs to condemn the attorney general’s words and advocate for his resignation. She made it clear that she and her supporters would not rest until Peter had stepped down, paving the way for a new attorney general who would respect the Constitution and the rights of women.

A number of groups and women’s rights advocates in Dominica also called for his resignation.

“I don’t think this statement has met the threshold for resignation of anyone who would have said this,” Prime Minister Skerrit said while addressing a press briefing on Tuesday. “I think everything has to be taken into context and I believe that the attorney general issued a statement and he placed his comment into context and he also went ahead and apologized.”

He continued, “And I believe that his statement was sincere and genuine and I think that it should be accepted by all who believe that his comment would have offended them and accept this, and let’s move on.”

According to Skerrit, one has to question the sincerity of some people putting their hands up in objection.

“We have seen many of my ministers, my own wife, so many things have been said about her publicly, deceased madam speaker, even the current president, many things were said leading up to the election of the president,” he remarked. “None of these organizations who claim to be representing women of all races, of all creeds, of all class and political affiliation said anything?”

He added, “If you are going to stand for women, you must stand for all women. If you are going to defend women you must defend all women and you must not be selective based on political affiliation or who said it.”

The prime minister argued that when women in Dominica were called prostitutes, “these organizations as if they were non-existent in Dominica.”

He further argued that the same people who have condemned the attorney general’s comments and say they represent women are yet to congratulate a woman president.

“She’s a woman and she is a person of Kalinago descent…,” he stated. “The attorney general has apologized and I think it is the opportune time for us to move on, but it is still not too late for these very same organizations to congratulate the president.”

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