Keep your Sisserou Award

Most Dominican families would grab a Sisserou Award and cherish it with pride and joy. But, apparently, not the Karam's; or at least some members of that family.

"Keep your award; we don't want it," a key member of the family said, but others maintained that "Daddy deserves it."

According to a well-placed source, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit contacted family members, via email, to inform the Karam's that he intended to ask the President of Dominica to bestow the nation's second highest award on the Karam's at this year's Independence Parade.

"They also received a call from him (Mr Skerrit) on the matter but Peter Karam, the Managing Director of the family-owned business is totally against that move," the source stated.

But other members of the family, the Sun has been informed, do not agree with Peter's decision.

"It's the toil and work of their father, George Karam, which is now bearing fruit but others call (the award) a hypocritical move aimed at silencing them and they won't fall for it", the source said.

The Karam's have been strong supporters of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) for more than 50 years. During the 1979 riots, inspired by the Charles Savarin-led Civil Service Association (CSA), Acme (Garage) Karam, located on Cork Street in Roseau, was stoned.

The Karam's have managed one of Dominica's oldest car dealership; it has been operating here since 1959. George "Jojo" Karam was also the first to become involved in behind-the-scenes political support, backing the Dominican Labour Party, particularly during the Le Blanc era. Once in the 1970's, when no one went up for nomination for the Roseau Town Council elections, he filled the entire council with his family, who ran the affairs of the town for a full term. Later in life he moved into tourism, operating the Coconut Beach Hotel at Picard, Portsmouth, wrote historian Dr Lennox Honychurch.

Peter Karam has been the Managing Director of the business since his father's death. Lately, Peter has become a vocal critic of the Roosevelt Skerrit -led DLP Government.

"They have lost their way…that is not the Labour Party that George Karam, Patrick John, Arnold Active etc were part of- no, no, no," Peter Karam said.

Sources reveal that Charles Savarin's election to the post of President has made the acceptance of the award harder since Savarin was "a persecutor of Labourites and the award is in the name of the President of Dominica."

"That is hard, the Karam's, especially Peter, is not happy at all about that," the source said.

"They have no respect for the Karam's for the past 14-plus years; we are hurting. Tell them take their award and…we get very little business from the Government while others are smiling all the way to the bank," one member of the family stated.

Peter Karam, who is known for his frankness, refused to speak to the SUN of the matter.