ROSEAU, Dominica, Friday May 7, 2010 – The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) in Dominica is considering taking legal action following the decision by the Speaker of the House to vacate the seats of two MPs who were absent for three consecutive sittings of parliament.
Political Leader of the UWP, Ron Greene, gave that indication in an interview on Antigua’s Observer Radio yesterday.
His comments came a day after House Speaker Alix Boyd-Knight declared the seats of former prime minister Edison James and Hector John vacant.
The two had not attended the House since the December 18th, 2009 general elections. The boycott was to protest what the Opposition insisted were irregularities in the poll.
The Standing Orders of Parliament indicate that a legislator who misses three consecutive sittings can have his or her seat declared vacant.
But Greene said the UWP is exploring its options after Boyd-Knight’s move, including the possibility of going to the courts.
In last year’s election, the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) won 18 seats while the UWP took the other three seats. The third opposition MP, Norris Prevost, retained his seat after he showed up for a session of Parliament last Thursday.
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