Even in the depths of our country’s worst and most prolonged economic slump, with the Dominican population suffocating under the burden of the escalating cost of living, Roosevelt Skerrit is brazenly marshalling his supporters and a demoralised population, to converge at Dublanc this Sunday to commemorate, ostensibly, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Dominica Labour Party (May 24th 1955).
It is important to say from the outset that the present D.L.P under Roosevelt Skerrit, has long abandoned the values and principles of the founders and early leaders of the party. The record of Emmanuel Christopher Loblack, who co-founded the Dominica Labour Party, with another champion of the poor, Phyllis Shand Allfrey, is one of unswerving commitment and dedication to the struggles of the poor and downtrodden in Dominica, first through his leadership of the Dominica Trade Union and then his early leadership of the DLP. Edward Oliver Leblanc transformed the lives of working people during his leadership of the party and country. During his thirteen years at the helm of government, no one can point to a single act of impropriety. There was not even the whiff of corruption during his tenure.
Over the last twenty-one (21) years, Skerrit has weakened the party, removed any viable contenders to challenge his authority within the party, destroyed democracy within it and built this personality cult. While he has amassed an enormous personal fortune, his policies have destroyed the economy and created a culture of dependency and begging. It is against this backdrop that he is going all out to Dublanc to try to keep his base under his spell.
But Roosevelt Skerrit is clearly delirious to be holding a rally at this time. The Dominican economy is virtually at a standstill, reflected in a sharp downturn in economic activity, record business failures, rising unemployment, increasing poverty, a cost-of-living crisis, mounting government, consumer and private sector debt, migration of our youth and a population in despair.
January 31st 2000 election ushers in new era
It all started so well just over twenty-five (25) years ago. Following the January 31st 2000 General Election, I was genuinely convinced that Dominica was on the cusp of a dynamic new era, led by the visionary Rosie Douglas.
Labour’s vision for the country was clearly articulated in the 2000 manifesto. The vision was to build a new economy, a fundamental imperative for the incoming information age, in tandem with developing agriculture, light manufacturing, bulk water export, renewable energy, eco-tourism and modern infrastructure to include new roads, modern port facilities and the construction of an international airport.
Rosie’s big idea was for Dominica to see its future development beyond the narrow prism of the OECS and CARICOM. An association with the European Union was his ultimate goal. He began the work for Dominica to develop a special affinity with African Americans. He floated the idea of a Martin Luther King Holiday in Dominica to attract African Americans to our shores. He very much saw Ross University as part of Dominica’s future as he envisaged building a Medical- tourism industry in Dominica in collaboration with them. He opened a dialogue with the University of New Orleans in the United States and other universities in Europe with a view to them establishing offshore campuses in Dominica.
Ominously, he expressed alarm at the amount of the money that was spent in the election of 2000, calling it “very wrong” and called for spending limits at elections. He vowed “to evolve a political culture that is intolerant to corruption”.
Following the death of Rosie, Pierre Charles was thrust into the hot seat. His tenure was difficult and came at great cost to his health. He was charged with the responsibility of steering the economy through very choppy waters. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa in 2002, he outlined his government’s vision for Dominica to generate at least sixty-five (65) percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010.
In late December, 2003, he cut short his sick leave by two (2) days to attend a make-or break meeting with donors and creditors in Barbados.
On January 6th 2004, the unthinkable happened with the sudden death of Pierre Charles. The new Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, in his first remarks as Prime Minister gave an inspiring address, promising “simple leadership, leadership of the people, by the people and for the people”. Later events cast doubt about the sincerity of those early pronouncements.
Now is an opportune time to assess Labour’s stewardship over the last twenty-five (25) years. Rosie gave us a blueprint for the future. Pierre Charles restored sanity to the public finances. Roosevelt Skerrit became Prime Minister at a time when the economy was out of intensive care, had bottomed out and was well on the road to recovery. He made some early moves, like the diplomatic switch to China and the strengthening of relations with Cuba and Venezuela which were viewed by many as being progressive and in line with what Rosie and Pierre would have done.
But the decision of the Dominica government to discontinue Dominica’s longstanding recognition of the Polisario Front and support the imperialist agenda of Morocco against the people of Western Sahara, was a decision which both Rosie and Pierre would have opposed.
And in what was seen as a major rebuff in Algiers was the failure of the Dominica government to sign an economic cooperation agreement with Algeria. All the necessary paperwork had been completed. All that was needed to be done was for Roosevelt Skerrit as Prime Minister or Vince Henderson as Foreign Minister to sign it. They never did. That agreement envisaged cooperation with this oil and gas rich African country worth over US$50 million over ten (10) years.
For over a decade now, the Citizenship by Investment Programme(CBI) has been the government’s flagship and single biggest revenue earner. Dominica has sold thousands of passports to people from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, and other countries with rogue regimes.
If this Government continues on this reckless path of selling our citizenship on this scale, our population which is largely of African and Kalinago descent, could effectively be displaced by these new economic citizens within a single generation. It has happened in other countries before. It can happen again. If we don’t learn the lessons from our history, we will pay the ultimate price and lose our country.
When Pierre Charles brought the Integrity in Public Office Act to Parliament in 2003, he thought he had laid the foundations for the eradication of corruption in the governance of our country. Instead, corruption in public life, malfeasance, misfeasance, breach of trust, conflict of interest and nepotism are the order of the day in Roosevelt Skerrit’s Dominica. And with no campaign finance legislation on the statue books after 25 years of Labour, our elections can never really be free and fair.
Geothermal contract and the Israeli company
While we applaud government’s efforts to harness our geothermal energy resources, it was a mistake after forty-seven (47) years of independence, to grant a management contract, and for that length of time (25 years) to an Israeli company. Also take note that this company is not investing any of its own cash in this project. Given the Labour party’s historic commitment to Democratic Socialism, we believe that the commanding heights of the economy should be under the management of the state and not a private entity and certainly not a company from Israel.
The International Airport
The international airport we are told will cost in excess of $1.3 Billion, which is roughly the size of Dominica’s entire annual economic output (GDP).
Before a bulldozer moved to the site, the Government should have published all the completed studies and reports on the project. It is extraordinary that work on the airport started while studies were still being undertaken. In most countries in the world, possibly with the exception of China and North Korea, a project of that magnitude must be analysed, scrutinized, reviewed by Planning, parliamentarians of all sides, business lobby groups, environmentalists, conservationists, local groups, among others before any physical works can commence. No such process was followed in Dominica.
In the absence of detailed information and an extensive consultation process, one cannot make an informed judgement on the Government’s decision to embark on such a project. Further, monthly or even quarterly reports on the monies being spent on the airport have not been forthcoming. In most countries the developers would be obligated to submit themselves to scrutiny in front of a parliamentary oversight committee.
The debacle of the Ross University exit
The Portsmouth economy has been left economically scarred since the departure of Ross University School of Medicine in 2018. The school was one of the economic pillars of the Dominican economy contributing more than a third of the country’s total annual economic output (GDP).
The spirits of Mike and Rosie Douglas must be restless, that after all the time and resources they invested in the school, a Labour party government allowed it to leave Dominica for Barbados.
Roosevelt Skerrit is sticking two fingers in the faces of the people of Portsmouth by inviting Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, to address his rally in Dublanc where hundreds of Portsmouth people will be in attendance. Mia Mottley has taken bread directly from the mouths of Dominicans, including at least fifty people from the Colihaut constituency who worked at Ross University. Not to mention the farmers and fishermen from Bioche and Dublanc who supplied fish and food to the school. By her actions, in facilitating the establishment of Ross in Barbados, Mia Mottley is no friend of Dominica and Dominicans.
Agriculture
The agricultural sector has suffered under this Government. A case in point is the demise of the export banana trade to the UK. Dominica made over $30 million dollars a year on average in the late 1990s exporting bananas to the United Kingdom. Today we have lost that market while our neighbours, Saint Vincent and St Lucia have a presence in the UK market.
Government has announced its goal of agriculture contributing $700 million to GDP by 2030. Based on existing data and on current trends, it is a virtual impossibility that this target will be met.
Twenty-five (25) years in office and the promise of refrigerated boats to transport agricultural produce has not materialized.
The calm before the storm
The Labour party machine is gearing up for what it hopes will be a major show of the party’s strength in Dublanc on Sunday. But in reality, there is very little that Labour can boast about given its longevity in office.
Many people will take the free transportation. Others will go for the food and drinks. Some will go, not because they support the government, but because they fear they could lose their jobs under the NEP, or lose the monthly $300 for the over 70s or lose government housing if they don’t show their faces to the leader.
But this activity on Sunday will just be the calm before the storm. It is Skerrit’s last hurrah. This government has run out of road to manoeuvre. The economy is in shambles. Skerrit is a busted flush. He will try to cling on to power for as long as he can. Political chicanery will be used to remain in power. He will continue to use the Police and the legal system to intimidate the opposition and quell dissent. But no matter what he does now, this regime is approaching its endgame.
Mr. Skerrit could choose to go now before the economy collapses completely. Or he can hang on. If he chooses to stay put, he will be swept aside by events. The anniversary of May 29th1979 passed recently. The Prime Minister will do well to study what gave rise to the most eventful day in Dominica’s recent history.
Sean Douglas
May 31st 2025
The views expressed here are not those of Emonewws
