ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) — The Dominica police have denied permission to the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) that had been planning to stage a march in the capital on Thursday as part of the efforts to remove the Roosevelt Skerrit government from office.

Police Commissioner Daniel Carbon in a letter on Friday to the UWP public relations officer, Nicholas George, said that the denial was due to “public safety and national security reasons”.

In the one page letter, a copy of which has been obtained by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Carbon also quoted Section 5(4) of the Public Order Act that states “any person who (a) takes part in or organises any public procession without the written permission of the  commission to do so or (b) who aids, abets, counsels or procures any other person to take part in any  public procession in respect of which no written permission as required under this section has been obtained from the Commission is guilty of an offence”.

The UWP had written to the police on March 15 seeking permission to stage the march as part of its efforts to get the government to resign or call fresh general elections.

Last month, National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore said that four officials from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) had arrived here to conduct an investigation into the disturbances that resulted in the damage and looting of several buildings in the capital on February 7.

“There is a need for a detailed comprehensive independent and transparent investigation into the riot and all preceding circumstances and events leading into it,” Blackmoore said, as the police questioned a number of UWP officials and other persons.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has already stated that the violence and vandalism were part of a strategy by the opposition to unseat his Dominica Labour Party (DLP) government.

But the United Workers Party (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) have distanced themselves from the accusations, calling on Skerrit to provide proof. Police have questioned senior officials of both parties.

The violence and vandalism followed a public meeting by the parties held on the street where the Office of the Prime Minister is situated.

Blackmoore said that “all possible action must be taken to prevent this from happening again in our beautiful country, Dominica”.