Posted by 
Opposition boycotts first sitting of Parliament
The first sitting of Parliament since the Dominica Labour Party captured 18 out of the 21 seats in the December 18th 2009 General Elections commenced today, but without the presence of the official Opposition United Workers Party-who have decided to boycott the proceedings for several reasons.
Among them “unprecedented irregularities, fraud and breaches of the law of Dominica,
And despite claims by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit that the proceedings will not be affected by the absence of the Opposition and business will go on as usual some persons are of the view that things will just not be the same.
“I don’t see how the parliament could go on without an opposition,” noted one individual.
Ron Green said however he is going ahead with plans and today, the seats usually occupied by Opposition members remained vacant.
The Opposition has also-for the first time announced a decision to form its own parliament.
An announcement that it has been criticized for by several individuals, including Patrick John, a former Prime Minister of Dominica.
John told a local radio station this week that he did not agree with a decision by the Opposition to boycott parliament because of several reasons.
He cited the fact that the law recognizes one parliament and it would only confuse the population.
The Peoples’ Parliament is a collaborative effort between the Opposition and the Movement to Restore Democracy.
The organizers say the event which was hosted at the Harlem Plaza earlier today is the best way of keeping in touch with the people away from parliament.
