Why every Dominican should be outraged

By Hector ‘Spags’ John
May 18, 2016 at 5:38 PM

Democratic Labour Party supporters attend a recent rally.

Roseau, Dominica (TDN)
Recently, there have been increasing calls for the Dominican opposition to take to the streets to protest the government’s handling of the many problems plaguing the country, including the economy, crime, unemployment and moral issues. There is no doubt that these problems affect all levels of Dominican society, religions and communities. The incompetence of the Roosevelt Skerrit regime and its inability to adequately address these problems is wreaking havoc across the country. Of particular note is the lack of financial, technical and marketing support Dominican farmers have received from the Dominican Workers’ Party (DLP) government. Imagine the few banana farmers who have difficulty exporting their produce to regional markets, so the fruits and vegetables ripen and rot on the farms. Agriculture Minister Johnson Drigo promised that the slaughterhouse would be opened in April 2016. We are still waiting. Qualified nurses are quitting and being recruited by lucrative outside medical providers. Patients are waiting up to 12 hours in the emergency room of the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) to be seen by a doctor. Since the closure of Marigot Hospital due to termite infestation, residents from Kalibisiye to Clayfish River and the area around the main airport have been without a hospital. Employees of the Public Works Corporation cannot remember when they were last paid, but the former Minister of Works as well as the former board members could find money to buy by-elections. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on buying by-elections, but the SDLP government could not pay the local contractors they owed. The communities of Koulibistri, Kolihaut Dubuque and Little Savannah, which were affected by Tropical Storm Erika, continue to be abandoned by the SDLP government. Eight months later, some of the displaced residents are moving from one place to another, while others do not know when their housing, property and small business problems will be resolved. To make matters worse, the hurricane season began on June 1, 2016, without a disaster management office. As a result, there will be no training at the community level for villagers to deal with storms. The roads leading to the southeast of the island are dangerous and almost impassable in some places, endangering people’s lives. How do they get to town if the O’Delices section of the road collapses during the rainy season? This would cut off nearly 10,000 residents from the rest of the island. It has been months since three high-profile individuals were arrested and charged for sexually assaulting and molesting minors, but the Prime Minister has yet to publicly address the widespread sexual abuse of minors. Those who simply stand up for our children are being threatened and persecuted by government agents. Social workers are allegedly finding it difficult to do their jobs. Students at government-funded colleges and universities, both domestic and foreign, are finding it difficult to sit for exams and register for new courses because the government has failed to meet its promises to these learning institutions. The situation is getting worse, with primary school teachers having to buy teaching materials for their classes, while Ambrose George was sitting at the Scott’s Head bus station with a notebook and pen trying to buy an election. Shockingly, in violation of public service regulations, senior government employees were assisting in the preparations for a DLP event at Pointe Mitchel at around 2:30 pm on Friday, May 13, 2016. In terms of critical public services, the Dominican Fire and Ambulance Service has been completely neglected by the DLP government. Equipment is inadequate and outdated. Disturbingly, police officers who refuse to “fawn” on the Prime Minister will not be promoted no matter how well they perform. Authorities in several countries around the world have launched investigations into local companies and individuals involved in the Panama Papers. Why is Dominica dragging its feet? What are the authorities trying to hide? The private sector in Dominica is going through a very bad economic phase. The Joint Consultative Committee on the Construction Industry (JCCCS) has asked the government to rescind the contract awarded to Barbados NSG Management and Technical Services Ltd., valued at approximately EC$18.2 million, to replace the West Bridge. What is the situation now? The unions are not united and have a hard time motivating their grassroots. Leaders are weakened and in some cases even compromised, so they are afraid to act in the best interests of their members even when there is a legitimate reason. Finally, every Dominican who has been affected by the incompetence of this government, including farmers, teachers, sanitation workers, vendors, taxi drivers, nurses, police, firefighters, youth, parents and others, is feeling the pinch. Yes, we should all be angry and we should all unite to protect our country. The opposition is everyone who disagrees with the policies of this government. If you are negatively impacted by government policies, you should speak out.

Let’s stop looking at each other and unite to face this common problem. This is our fight. So stop using religious trappings, mortgages, scholarships and promotions as an excuse to side with the Dominicans.