Prime Minister Hon. Timothy Harris
Roseau, Dominica – Dominicans on Monday defended their Citizenship by Investment Program from attack by St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris and accused him of meddling in their domestic affairs.
Harris is here on the Nature Island of Dominica to attend the funeral service of a Dominican, Brian Pacquette, who was a member of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force when he was shot accidentally by another police officer.
The outrage against Prime Minister Harris was sparked by comments he made with regard to Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment Program amid reports that Dominica is now the leading program in the industry, ahead of St Kitts and Nevis, once the leader. Grenada, St. Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda are also said to be ahead of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Dr Harris appearing on state-owned DBS Radio said countries with similar programs need to come together to develop standards for the industry and for the region as a whole to avoid a cut throat competition. “So that wherever you go, if it is a no in Dominica it is a no in any other island of the region to which you go,” he said, adding that speaking with one voice “we can give assurance to the critical international stakeholders, the US, the Canada, the EU (European Union) regarding the quality of our program and that there is no risk to the security of the program”.
But Dominicans were swift to be critical of Harris who it is said is responsible for the dismal performance and unattractiveness of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program.
It is said while Dr Harris was in opposition he spoke negatively of his country’s program calling it a “slush fund” and now he is the Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for the program is unable to revive it and wants to stifle the other successful programs under the guise of leveling the playing field and harmonized legislation and policies and seemingly as a water carrier for the Americans and Western nations who have similar programs, each with its own attractions and no harmonized policy. Dominicans responded to PM Harris’s comments on face book.
“If I was PM Skerritt (of Dominica) this morning… I’d tell Dr. Harris, PM of St. Kitts to check his scene. Focus on taking out his country on dem blacklist they on…everybody with money to hide. or a shell to set up…knows about St. Kitts look d other way banking principles,” wrote Samantha Robinson, who also mentioned the shooting death of the Dominica-born police officer.
She said she expected Prime Minister Harris as Minister of National Security to give a proper account and justice for the young Dominican policemen killed by friendly fire. Robinson said on FaceBook that the officer died on Harris’ watch in the service of St Kitts and Nevis.
“You coming with your smoke screen and give us advice to how to vet our CIP applicants? Why? You mad? Dominica passport is more sought after than yours? You spoilt your waters in Europe? We taking over? How comes you never pull us onboard when you all was rolling in billions of dollars?
Do not worry about us. Worry about all dem unsolved murders all hiding from international agencies according to 50 Cents”, Robinson wrote. She was also critical of Prime Minister Harris’ involving the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Europe in Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment Programme, stating that if she was Prime Minister Skerritt and Harris come talking about America and England, she would ask if America and England told Harris that they have a problem with Dominica.
Charma Johnson said Prime Minister Harris “needs to mind his country’s business, not ours”. Ursula Prosper is of the view that Prime Minister Harris “should clean his own back yard first” and called on him to give the people of Dominica an account for the death of the Dominican police officer who was shot in St Kitts and sent belatedly to Trinidad for further treatment where he died.
“That so-called PM Harris is on island for the funeral. What he has to do is to tell the family of the police officer how much (compensation) he is going to pay them (family) cause Pacquette got shot in the line of duty”, said Prosper in the FaceBook thread. “Tell PM Harris that is what he has to take care of right now and don`t poke his nose in our business”, said Prosper. Dominicans are also asking whether the country ever received the one million dollars promised by Harris in the wake of the recent flood disaster.