Prime Minister and leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) Dr Ralph Gonsalves last Wednesday lashed out at Leader of the Opposition Dr Godwin Friday and the New Democratic Party (NDP) accusing them of not having a national interest but having a focus on power, status and selling passports and citizenship through a citizenship by investment (CBI) programme.
“You just lost the election, be responsible nuh, be responsible, responsible. But no, you come with a lot of foolishness.
“That’s why I tell my guys annuh, and gals, I tell my team don’t for one moment think that you all are interested in anything national. You are interested in power, and status and position, and the NDP. And you are prepared to sell the birth right of this country for it, including citizenship and passport,” Prime Minister told parliament as he made his contribution to the debate on the 2021 Budget Estimates presented by Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Camillo Gonsalves.
A major thrust of the NDP’s political campaign ahead of the November 5th, 2020, general elections was job creation and business. He party proposed to introduce the Citizenship by Investment proramme to woo foreign interests to his country to set up businesses.
The NDP had long time been contending that the CBI programme, of which Dominica has been hailed as have the best model in the region and beyond, can be used as a means to creating employment and reduce poverty.
Countries that established the CBI programme has been receiving tens of millions, in some cases hundreds of millions in revenue annually. But Prime Minister Gonsalves has forever been very critical of the programme, putting it down to a matter of simply selling passports and citizenship.
Please Lord take him from us, he is unfit for this or your Kingdom above.