Court dismisses petitions against PM Skerrit and Min. St Jean

Dominica: The 49-page judgement from Justice Gertel Thom, stated clearly that both petitions, filed by United Workers Party election candidates Ron Green and Maynard Joseph against Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit and Education Minister, Peter St Jean, were dismissed because the petitioners and their attorneys had failed to establish their case, that as pertained to PM Skerrit, they had failed to prove that he had become a French citizen of his own free will, according to a Dominica NewsOnline report.

The petitions filed had argued that both the PM and the Education Minister were not qualified for being elected because they were in breach of the electoral code, having held French citizenship on nomination day ahead of the December 18 general election.

Supporters of the Dominica Labour Party were jumping for joy outside the courts in Roseau on Tuesday afternoon after the ruling was made and a relieved Skerrit said that he had not denied having French citizenship, but made it clear that it was something obtained for him as a child by his mother, according to the DNO report.