DOMINICA CABINET RESHUFFLE AMID CORRUPTION CONCERNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000721

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL XL
SUBJECT: DOMINICA CABINET RESHUFFLE AMID CORRUPTION CONCERNS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires D. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

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Summary
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1. (SBU) Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced
on November 19 a cabinet reshuffle designed to curb
allegations of widespread corruption among his cabinet
ministers. The reshuffle fueled speculation among the
opposition that early elections are likely to be announced
for the middle of 2009. The opposition parties hope to ride
to power on the back of growing concerns over corruption and
ineffectual government policies, amid concerns that the
global economic downturn will negatively affect Dominica's
fragile, tourism dependent economy. End summary.

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Cabinet Reshuffle; Housing Minister Fired for Corruption
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2.(U) On Wednesday November 19, Dominica's Prime Minister
Roosevelt Skerrit announced a cabinet reshuffle designed to
curb allegations of widespread corruption among this senior
cabinet officials. Radio news reported that Skerrit dropped
public utilities Minster Ambrose George from his cabinet.
George had been under pressure to resign over allegations
that he was linked to the November, 2007 grant of an offshore
banking license to Private Capital Bank and an alleged
attempt by ruling Democratic Labor Party operatives to
extract money from the new bank for party and private
pursuits. Skerrit did not refer to the claims in his address
to the nation. He spoke briefly of the need for the country
to adhere to acceptable standards of governance, and
announced he would move Education Minister Vince Henderson
into the Foreign Minister portfolio.


3. (U) Minister of National Security Rayburn Blackmoore was
transferred to George's Ministry of Public Works, while the
PM himself picked up the national security portfolio. In
other ministries, Senator Sonia Williams was appointed
Minister of Education, Sports, Human Resources and Youth
Affairs. Dr. Eisenhower Douglas, the former permanent
secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture,
information and Gender affairs, was promoted to be the new
Director of Trade in the Ministry of Trade, Industry,
Consumer and Diaspora affairs. The other ministers were kept
in their previous positions.


4. (U) Opposition leaders were quick to dismiss the reshuffle
as "too little and too late". Judith Pestania, head of the
Dominica Freedom Party (DFP),asked in a press conference:
"Was Ambrose dismissed as Minister because he was tired,
stale and tainted, or is the PM accusing his entire cabinet
of being tired, stale or tainted, which is why he had to
bring in Sonia Williams into cabinet? We in the DFP remain
unconvinced that the matter has been fully addressed and the
government is being far from transparent and accountable."
Ron Green of the United Workers' Party echoed Pestania's
sentiments, questioning the timing of the reshuffle and
wondering why the national security portfolio was being taken
away from Minister Blackmoore.


5. (C) The opposition also used the reshuffle and growing
concerns of corruption in government as a rallying point,
staging several public rallies denouncing the government for
allegedly tolerating widespread corruption among the senior
members of government. Embassy contacts pointed out that the
newly formed Public Integrity Commission (PIC),is a step in
the right direction but is insufficient to beat back the
pressures coming from narco-traffickers to influence
government ministers. Former attorney general Bernard
Wiltshire noted that, with the collapse of the banana
industry following Hurricane Dean, farmers are widely
cultivating marijuana, and drug trafficking linked to
Venezuelan narco-traffickers is widespread and growing.
Wiltshire also asserted that many gangs have started coming
into Dominica, many of them linked to Jamaican organized
crime families.

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COMMENT
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6. (C) The removal of Blackmoore from the National Security
portfolio is definitely addition by subtraction. In a
meeting with the Embassy's Law Enforcement Working Group the
day before his reassignment, Blackmoore seemed at best
oblivious to the problems in Dominica's security
infrastructure, and at worst self-serving and arrogant. He
was clearly unaware he was about to lose his job, and spent
most of a two-hour meeting blaming other ministries and the
police chief for the gains made by narco-traffickers in
Dominica, denying his own responsibility, and asking the USG
to donate another 60-foot patrol boat to replace the one
Dominica has cannibalized. Skerrit's assumption of national
security duties cannot but improve the situation, especially
as responsibility for the issues will now be placed squarely
in his lap and thus encourage more attention to the problems,
though they will now have to compete with the many issues on
his Prime Ministerial agenda.


7. (C) Henderson's appointment to the Foreign Minister's
portfolio is likewise probably a net positive. Although very
sure of himself and protocol-conscious, Henderson has proven
a competent manager in Education, and has worked with us on a
number of programs -- most notably on the Centers for
Excellence in Teacher Training project with USAID. He is
also very close to Skerrit -- both attended university in New
Mexico under USG-funded scholarships -- so should be in close
alignment with his PM on foreign policy issues.
HARDT