United Workers Party Stage Mini Protest outside of DBS Radio

Ron Green and other senior members of the Management Committee of the United Workers party (UWP) staged a silent protest outside the premises of the state-owned Dominica Broadcasting Corporation (DBS), against what they perceive as the station’s media blackout of opposition parties.

The various political parties were informed on Thursday 19th November, that the DBS Board was reviewing its policy on this election period and would be suspending all political broadcasts until further notice. Yesterday, the board issued a letter to the parties reiterating its Thursday position. .

But after more than a week of being denied access to the state owned radio and with only 23 days to go before the general elections, opposition parties are crying foul and calling for access to DBS. “What we have been told is that any ads and any other items have to be approved by the chairman of the DBS board. When you bring it to the chairman of the DBS board he sleeps on it. So we have brought in ads for our public meetings throughout the country. We have one tonight in Bath estate -and it has been refused’ Green said.

Green and other opposition parties have made several appeals to the board to reconsider its decision and allow equal access to the airwaves. So far these appeals have fallen on def ears. The Opposition Leader criticized as “unfair and untenable” the DBS’ position on the matter. “DBS is owned by you and I. It cannot be that we intend to have a democratic election on the 18th of December and we do not have access to the so-called DBS radio station. That is why we are here today in this silent mini protest to let it be known that this is unfair. We are calling for fair access to DBS radio and to GIS” he said

The UWP Leader said the situation was a carefully orchestrated move on the part of the government to silence the opposition by denying them access to the airwaves. “This is a simple matter” he said. “DBS and the authorities led by Prime Minister Skerrit have shot down access to the state radio; that is what has happened and we are upset with that and we are making the message loud and clear here this evening.”
Green said the UWP had in fact engaged “a group of lawyers that are now processing and intend to take legal action in that matter.”

While on the surface the DBS decision applies across the board to all political parties, former Prime Minister and former Leader of the Opposition Edison James, says it discriminates against the UWP and other opposition parties thus giving the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) an unfair advantage. He explained, “There is another station which the ruling party has free access to and we are hearing them all night all day on the other station. The only other station available to us right now does not have island-wide coverage.”

The UWP officials further pointed out that DBS reneged on its own decision in favour of the DLP and under the guise of broadcasting the Prime Ministers’ address to the nation.

“While they told us there would be no political broadcast on DBS until the board sorted it out, there was in fact full coverage of the Labour party activity in Mahaut that night” Green said. “Not just the Prime Minister’ speech which we can understand, but from 7:30 right through the end, there was full broadcast and they indicated to us that day, there would be no political broadcast until the board sorted out its policy.”

In the meantime, the UWP vowed to continue its calls for access to the sate owned media and to stand up for free and fair elections. Failing that, the party pledged to take further action.