With 20 Dominicans confirmed dead and facing what he described as a ‘national disaster’ following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, has invited all elected parliamentarians to a meeting on Saturday morning.
Addressing the nation on Friday Skerrit said at this time unity is needed and the 21 members will form a National Reconstruction Advisory Committee following the storm.
“As the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica I want to start the process of reconciliation for reconstruction. I cannot do this alone. My Ministers and Parliamentary Colleagues cannot do this alone. We need to unite, my brothers and sisters,” he said. “Accordingly, I have invited all 21 Elected Parliamentarians to attend a special meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock at Cabinet room in the Financial Centre Building. The voters of Dominica elected 21 persons to represent their best interests and it is those 21 individuals who shall form the national reconstruction advisory committee. I want for Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and all other Members of Cabinet and of Parliament to sit, beginning tomorrow, and input on the path forward for the recovery of Dominica from this terrible disaster.”
He said the meeting of “patriots” will draw up a strategy for “relieving immediate suffering, rebuilding our homes and infrastructure, diversifying our economy, and generating the wealth to improve the standard of living and quality of life of our people. Dominicans we can do this.”
The Prime Minister vowed Dominica will be rebuilt.
“Dominicans we shall rebuild Dominica,” he said. “I know there is pain and suffering across the nation. I am aware that some communities have not as yet been visited by Relief Teams or impacted by relief efforts.”
He also appealed to regional and international donors and called on Dominicans to turn the tragedy into an opportunity to rebuild the nation.
“I also want to make a national appeal to member nations of the OECS and CARICOM, friends of Dominica across the World, as well as regional and international donor agencies to help in whatever way they can,” Skerrit said. “Fellow Dominicans, let us turn this disaster into an opportunity to rebuild Dominica and to continue on the unique and impressive path of sustainable development that we have been creating since 2000.”
He described Dominicans as a resilient people.
“I want to remind you that we are a resilient people. We have experienced national disasters on many occasions during the last 400 years of our history. The lessons we have learnt from that experience is that when we pull together as one nation, nothing can stop us,” the Prime Minister noted.
Everything for Dominicans is a politics. Alas Papa God help us in our ignorance.. Those comments from those wishy washy people don’t deserve any answers.
I think that both parties-Red and Blue set up a Committee responsible for coordinating efforts to help build back our lovely Island once again. Such Committee should be accountable to the Government as well as the opposition. By doing so we will be setting the stage of getting rid of partisan politics in the construction of a New Dominica. There is no time for petty politics. We have a hell of a task ahead of us!
not long ago people was calling for all the corruption to stop and if it did not stop GOD would put a hand…..is that what we seeing now? may GOD help the honest had working farmers.
I wish to applaud Skeritt for a well written speech and his decision to include members of the opposition on the Advisory Committee. It is only an Advisory Committee, knowing Skeritt and the DLP, a man who has lost credibility with many Dominicans, that set up is just to improve his political rating. I cannot see Skeritt having members of the opposition sitting in the same room with him for six months, for him not to come up with some kind of plan to get rid of the opposition and have things his way. Older folks cannot forget Dominica had a similar group which was put together after the destruction of Patrick by the coolwash brigade and Seraphin of the Labor Party put in charge, after hurricane David, all members with the exception of the Laborites either resigned or were fired. Because of the serious of this situation, I hope Skeritt proves me wrong.
Good speech what? The speech in which the first 11 paragraphs were about “I”, “Me” and “My” while my people are still covered under mud?
If the man was serious about unity, why did he not find a way to have the leader of the opposition fly over the destructed nation and have him sit next to him during the address, since he was the first one to join Blackmoore on DBS to call for unity?
Skerrit has just found a way to silence the UWP, knowing very well that the Americans have not been seen in the rescue effort. While I support inclusion, Mr. Skerrit is not a friend of inclusion and will continue to do all he can to be seen as THE hero, as seen in this part of his speech, especially the last sentence:
” When the bad news broke immediately after this stimulating Conference, I tried to control my emotions. Yes, I was nearly overwhelmed by what happened. But I know that true leaders are those who keep their cool while others lose theirs.” . He wants to be seen as the true…
Give the man some credit, for his gesture of getting the opposition involved in some way. I suspect at this time he has discovered that he is not invisible, and no one man is an island, he has seen that there are powers superior to his own, over which he has no control.
Fear sometimes causes people to do the right thing: the only laughable nonsense in his commentary is where he spoke of Dominica suffering disasters for the past four (400) years. I do not know who is his history teacher; what I do know is as far as floods are concerned in Dominica recorded history, dating back to the 1800’s when even Roseau was washed away. In that era there were less than two thousand people residing in Dominica. That flood took place somewhere between the 1890’s and the early 1900’s
Hence 2015 – 1890 = 125 years; that boy must find a reason to either lie or exaggerate at every opportunity
“I suspect at this time he has discovered that he is not invisible,”
The word should be “invincible.”
I see it differently. God has spoken to all of us. The Opposition has never conceded they have lost an elections since 2000. How many elections have we had since 2000? This hopefully will make them realize that Dominica is one country and the divide they have created among us has been senseless, when tragedy strikes it affects us all.
Dominicans voted for the PM and the Labour Party as the best person and party to lead us. The PM has only one vote to give himself, it is the rest of us who have voted for him so stop blaming him and work with him if you care about Dominica.
Erika has shown us, Dominica is too small for all the division. Who has been calling for destruction and something bad to happen to Dominica. Well it has and you never heard that from the DLP. The mistake some made is they believe only some and not all of us would be affected. God has spoken now it is left to us to listen. We have a country to rebuild. Let us do it.
Gesture what? The speech in which the first 11 paragraphs were about “I”, “Me” and “My,” while my people are still covered under mud?
If the man was serious about unity, why did he not find a way to have the leader of the opposition fly over the destructed nation and have him sit next to him during the address, since he was the first one to join Blackmoore on DBS to call for unity?
Skerrit has just found a way to silence the UWP, knowing very well that the Americans have not been seen in the rescue effort. While I support inclusion, Mr. Skerrit is not a friend of inclusion and will continue to do all he can to be seen as THE hero, as seen in this part of his speech, especially the last sentence:
” When the bad news broke immediately after this stimulating Conference, I tried to control my emotions. Yes, I was nearly overwhelmed by what happened. But I know that true leaders are those who keep their cool while others lose theirs.” . He wants to be seen as the true leader
“Fellow Dominicans, let us turn this disaster into an opportunity to rebuild Dominica and to continue on the unique and impressive path of sustainable development that we have been creating since 2000.” Now labourties are saying to put politics aside and the very politician in Skerritt is telling us that prior to the labor party coming into power in 2000 there was NO sustainable development in Dominica. Hope the $1.5M for passports is returned to the recovery efforts as was that check given to the Foreign Affairs Minister when she was in Malaysia. But we are a people that can overcome. We survived 20 years of Hurricane Labor with PJ and his henchmen and have been surviving hurricane Skerritt for the past 11 so we can overcome a one day storm with ease
It’s a shame it takes a disaster for politicians to come together and work for the good of the country like this. This ought to always be the model for government of this country. Not divided, united. With a model like this, we can do anything.
i am heartt broken to hear and see the distruction caused by the storm and my pray goes out to the families who lost loved ones and those injured and pray that those missing are found safe . I also hope the politcal division and personal bad feelings caused by one nabour or family member supporing RED OR blue will be set aside bearing in mind that elections were almost nine months ago . I agree with the leader of the labour party that all 21 elected members should get together to decide the way forward .One could not miss THE PROGRESS WE MADE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS i guess he could not avoid this being himself
It\’s a very sad day for DA. I\’m in Canada and helpless .My grandma is in Delices I Haven\’t heard anything form her since.People in Delices Knows her a sister. Can somebody help me.
Please keep trying because the landline & cellular service in many areas around the island have problems, and it may take some time for the entire island to be up and running again. At Portsmouth there haven’t been phone service since Thursday morning.
A group of antiguans are trying to help, can arrive by yacht with donations and provisions but so far have not been able to reach anyone in Dominica to help us coordinate with Dominicans. Anyone reading this Please advise who we can talk to to organise this asap. Thanks.
If you really wish to help, all you need to do is load your yacht and sail to Dominica, when you get there you simply distribute whatever you have.
This is no time to lie, and talk crap that you cannot get in touch with anybody in Dominica. When Hurricane David messed Dominica, I lived in Antigua, none of us Dominicans living there yacht though I was in control of a ship called Felskove. We however individually collected as much as we could and made our way to Dominica with whatever we could donate.
I personally took home lots of food; along with medicine, including antibiotics, blood pressure, and diabetic medication, I delivered them to the clinic in Wesley. So, do what you can do and stop either lying or show off!
Dominica is resilient. She also has friends and allies around the world who love the people and the land and will lend a hand if asked to do so. We are saddened by the death and destruction but ready to help.
I am so sorry to hear about the devastation in Dominica! I remember as a child growing up in Dominica, the countless storms we endured and how we as a nation, were able to bounce back from the worst storms. I pray the Lord will strengthen Dominicans at this time and may He bless the country with His grace and peace. I pray for a speedy reconstruction and I would like to pay my respects and to offer condolences to those who have lost family members, homes and possessions, during this horrible storm.