Linton tasked Diaspora to vote, but UWP won’t pay flight or ferry tickets. Opposition leader Lennox Linton made this assertion while speaking to Dominican natives resident in Antigua and Barbuda. He said Dominicans living abroad should find their ways home to vote in the coming elections, although the UWP won’t be paying for travel expenses since this would amount to bribery and vote-buying.
Linton advised Dominicans in the diaspora to plan their time and leave as well as put money aside for the trip home in order to cast their votes.
“We are not providing airline tickets nor are we providing ferry tickets either”, he said. “And we will not do that because we are a law-abiding party. We don’t believe dollar bills should vote.”
He urged people to vote according to their hearts and conscience and how well they rate the present DLP administration. He said while the UWP will not buy votes or force the hands of anyone by paying for their trips back to the country, the same cannot be said of the DLP government. He cautioned people not to accept bribes before voting since this places democracy at risk.
Linton accused the DLP of targeting people who want to come home from the diaspora so that they can buy their flight or ferry tickets. He said the government does this every five years, but discards the electorates once the elections are over. He said the DLP uses public funds generated from passport sales to do this, contravening the laws of the land. He said the government would have done better if they sponsored the trips of everyone regardless of whether they are voting for Green, Red or Blue.
“When they come, recognize it as your money; take it and do what your conscience tells you to do,” Linton said.
Senator Monelle Williams John Baptiste also pleaded with Dominicans outside the country to pay the debts they owe their country at the next general election. The UWP senator said
“In 20 years, they have destroyed what our forefathers bled and died for,” Baptise lamented. “They are on the verge of destroying our very democracy. You have to fight for your Dominica. It takes all of us, me, Team Dominica, Lennox Linton, Joshua Francis and all of the wonderful men and women who are standing here, sacrificing self and family for country. It takes you leaving Antigua, to come home and save your country.”
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