Dominica celebrates 36 years as an independent state today.
But long before Dominica became an independent nation November 3 has always played an important role in its history. The day was originally observed as “Discovery Day” being the day it was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493. In 1965 Edward Le Blanc conceived the day as a one of nationalistic celebration or “National Day.” It was also chosen for the day of full independence in 1978.
Dominica’s first Prime Minister was Patrick Roland John but political discontent led to the formation of an interim government, led by Oliver Seraphin. It was replaced after the 1980 elections by a government led by the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) under Prime Minister Eugenia Charles, the Caribbean’s first female prime minister. In 1995 the DFP government was defeated in elections by the United Workers Party (UWP) of Edison James. In the February 2000 elections the UWP was defeated by the Dominica Labour Party (DLP), led by Rosie Douglas.
Douglas formed a coalition with the DFP but died suddenly after only eight months in office, on October 1, 2000, and was replaced by Pierre Charles. On January 6, 2004, Prime Minister Pierre Charles, who had been suffering from heart problems since 2003, died. He became the second consecutive prime minister of Dominica to die in office of a heart attack.
Upon the death of Pierre Charles, Osborne Riviere acted as prime minister but was soon replaced by Roosevelt Skerrit, who is still the prime minister today.
For more information on Dominica’s history please visit lennoxhonychurch.com.
i love u dominica
i love u dominia
I love my country … i miss it so much all i want to do is cry sigh
Will someone please delete Mr.Osborne Rivier’s name as Prime Minister of Dominica. You are confusing people. We have only had seven (7) Prime Ministers and five (5) Presidents. Thank you so much.
No discrimination but Dominica has the most beautiful national symbols in the whole world. I am Dominica…..Are you? Haven’t you gotten goose bumps when the national flag is being hoisted, the national song being sung or the national pledge being recited. God bless Dominica.
Shoulders to the wheel everyone!! Happy 33rd independence anniversary!! Let’s work together hand in hand for the development of our country; even when we disagree on methodology. Let’s peacefully yield to the majority if we can’t convince them.
Happy Independence Dominica.
Question: What about the North East and its culture being recognized??
I see Gloria Shillingford well dress up in cultural wear. But i must ask the question where is the Marigot and Wesley aspect of our culture featured???
Remember we do not speak patois or creole!! So where is our heritage and our peice of culture to be incorporated during independence?
I AM DOMINICA
I cannot help you on this topic. If you ancestors migrated from St.Kitts, Antigua or else where and was not able to speak the language you and a few people from that community should have get a person who speaks creole to given you all a few lesson.
Today we celebrate 33yrs of independence. Today we remember that our destiny is in our hands, and we are one people, one nation, united, by one land Dominica.
Good article.
To the haters, you have 364 days to hate, celebrate today, it is history, not about politics just history.
Happy Birthday Dominica, proud to be called your daughter.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOMINICA. APRES BONDIE C’EST LATER. THANK YOU!
Can someone enlighten my curiousity?. Was Osborn Riviere at any one time prime minister of Dominica? I can’t remember him being same.
FlyBoy, I was just about to make the same comment. DNO you should please correct this gross error and delete Osbourne Riviere from tlat lineup. There was a year he was the “reader of the budget address” at the opening of Parliament. But that was all.
yes he was for four days. the constitution of Dominica states that the country cannot have a prime minister for more than 48 hours. Since cabinet could not pick their leader in that period of time, Mr Riviere was appointed acting PM by the President til cabinet finally elected Mr. Skerrit as their choice of leader.
So Mr. Riviere was acting prime minister after the transition to eternal life of the then prime minister Charles?
No he wasn’t. He was acting PM for four days same as any of the other ministers of cabinet who hold the position when the PM is out of state…he should therefore not be in the lineup…if he was interim pm then this would be different but he was merely the acting pm. He being there then so should Ron Green, Blackmoore, Austrie and all the other ministers who has held the acting PM position…
happy birthday dominica,i am proud to be your son.
Mr Osborne Riviere was never the Prime Minister of Dominica. He was acting PM like any other minister who has held the position.
RISE Dominica RISE
Ever since Columbus the pirate saw your towering mountains
Your green bearded vegetation springs and fountains
Black volcanic beaches with flowing rivers one per year
Planting his flag he name you Sunday Island cause potential he saw of this land to be
My beautiful country Dominica rise.
Happy independence day to the Government and peopLE OF DOMINICA !!!!!!
Happy Independence Day To our beatiful Isle
A Happy 33rd Aniversary to my beloved Dominica! May God continue to bless and protect all Dominicans at home and abroad.
Happy birthday and independence to my beautiful Dominica. Though I may not be here physically to celebrate on your special occassion know that you are in my heart and prayers. Let us all take this opportunity to be kind towards each other. We should take time to reflect on how lucky we are to have come so far and accomplish so much. I say that because there are many countries in the world today which are not as fortunate as we are to capitalize on what we are enjoying today. We should thank the good Lord for making this memorable day possible. I am a Dominican by birth, a Caribbean by choice, an American by naturalization and definately a Dominican by destiny. Good luck to all.
happy independence day
Where are some of you Dominicans getting all these sour grapes you are eating? Please, try the grapes at Whitchurch. They are very sweet and will help you guys to get a more pleasant perspective of things.
Are you not a Dominican? Well if you are not, it would be better that you don’t type rubbish.Your fool.!
Well said
happy birthday to the sweetest country on earth.indeed its my paridise.
Yes, there is more to be done by all Dominicans for peace and opportunities for all in Dominica BUT we have come a long way since November 3, 1493 and since November 3, 1978. Happy Independence Day to all and best wishes for the future.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOMINICA.PROSPERITY, ABUNDANCE IN NATURE & PEOPLE GOD’S BLESSINGS ON YOUR LEADERS AND PEOPLE
Happy 33rd to all Dominican people both in Dominica and abroad. Let us give God praise and honor for enabling us to see another independence. Dominica will always be my home and I will always cherish every memeory of her in my heart.Now more than ever we neee to stick together to make this country better. Love U DA.HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Are we a wealthier, more caring and upright people after 33 years, or are we a more heartless, corrupt,carefree people where right is called wrong and wrong is called right?
@………… Good questions!
Sad to say after 33 years, corruption has taken Dominica to a new level.Poverty especially among the country folk has taken Dominica to a next level,the disrespect shown by our our leaders especially government leaders has taken Dominica to an all time low, the unemployment rate has taken Dominica to unprecedented level of poverty, the sale of our passports to crooks and criminals has taken us to the bottom level,agriculture in a casket has brought crime to the Next level,armed robberies has brought us to a concerned level,the failure to investigate crime (GON Emmanuel)has brought us to a scary Level,the politicization of the police force has taken us to an intimidating level..NOTHING TO CELEBRATE. I AM POORER NOW THAN I WAS A DECADE AGO,AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS ARE ON THE SAME BOAT WITH ME.
…and here we go again with the politics.G’s all u negativity making the country sound Worst then haiti and other poor countries. if u were poor u won’t be able to be coming on DNO, and don’t put other dominicans in ur boat selfishness.and one more thing No one is poor like pple in the old days stop fooling ur self
I am a patriotic Dominican and proud of my heritage. The independence celebration should draw out the feeling of pride and belonging. This year I just don’t have the enthusiasm and zeal as for the first time in 30 years I feel totally disconnected. I am proud of the fact that yes we are independent from the British colonial system and that over the years we have made our own strides and chart our own course. However I lament at the fact that mentally we have returned to the capacity of dependency. One is truly independent when one does not have to depend on handouts or “hand downs” to survive.
We were sailing the independence ship when our entrepreneurs , farmers and trades men were busy producing and contributing towards the development of the country.
The development of a begging culture surely is not nurturing to economic independence. There is no pride in sitting back and watch the Chinese hijack perform Millions of dollars worth of loan money for construction and less than 0.02% of the work force employed in the same construction are Dominicans-. This is definitely not in keeping with the policies and intension of our declaration of independence.
How can we honestly say that we have maintained our independence when we allow our very own local entrepreneurs to be out bid by foreign business people with no real interest in our economic wealth fare. The very same people who grew our economy from the ravages of hurricane David are now forced to play second fiddle to a few special interest people who are given special privileges that allow them to run our local businesses into bankruptcy.
I am also discouraged by the rampant and indiscriminate selling of our passports and that a band of passport agents are only concerned about the millions that they rake in. I lament the fact that I can no longer be proud of my passport since the only sovereign document and identity of an independent Dominican is now look upon as a farce .
I’m sure my contribution will be labeled as politics , damper to the celebration or anti PIP- call it as you wish but these are hard facts and the sad realities of today and tomorrow the day after independence we must return to those realities. For one reason or another some of us will prefer not face the truth but the truth remains. I can only wish every Dominican a happy festival but I cannot honestly wish us a happy Independence for the obvious reason. To be happily independent is much more than the usual fete at the end of October to November 3.
A Good piece!
happy birthday Dominica,be proud i am so blessed to be from this lovely island called nature Island.
Very beautiful island yes but do you know the amount of Dominican refugees all over the world every country I can think of have Dominicans. I am one too so I can tell you this is the perfect time to reflect on our progress after 33 years other youths fleeing to guadeloupe on canoe and BWA flow don’t care even if they die than to stay hungry in da again I say shame on the govenment and all those who upholding them
Only two comments? Come on. You can do better than that!
Itassi i am sorry that you feel that way,but i am a dominican living in the u.s voluntarily. I am not a refugee.I am a proud son of the soil.I have a house in dominica and i visit my homeland regularly.I thank the good lord that i was born in dominica and educated at the st.mary’s academy, the sixth form college , the dominica teachers’ college and the streets of massacre which were the foundations of my learning. God bless Dominica.forward ever,backward never.We must prosper sound the call,in which everyone rejoices,all for each and each for all.Are you heeding the call?
@itassi
How did you manage to claim refugee status in another country, if you told them you are from Dominica.
As far as I know you need a very strong reason to qualify for refugee status in another country. What did you claim was your reason to flee from Dominica? And who are all of those Dominicans with the same claim as yours.
CAN SOMEONE INFORM ME AS TO WHAT YEAR AND HOW LONG WAS MR. OSBORNE RIVIERRE PRIME MINISTER OF DOMINICA.
33 years and still under skerrit and labour mental slavery people getting 1000 $ or 400 us and being content with that while skerrit and his cabinet making millions per month and fooling them this has caused the hard work of people like Edward leblanc go down the drain. Is best we was under France or England still things would be much better our own people taking advantage of the under privilege keeping us poor and then come buy votes with 50 $ and ham for Christmas shame on the government they will be judged by the almighty
stupes get a life and stop being so political.i guess u still have the mental slavery in u since u against the countries independence.shame on u… u damn fool,guess u still living under ur parents roof and sucking on their salary.get a life
Not the time or place for this kinda comment u idiot !!
Itassi i am really sorry for you.I do not know what else to say.
I understand how you feel, many left to find a better life but by no means mean we do not love our country.
Congratulation Dominica on your 33 Independence day. I am Dominica. are you.
Congratulations to my beloved mother Dominica and my people on the 33rd year of Independence.
Let us love GOD, love our country, and love our brother and sisters.
May GOD bless you Waitukubuli.
Happy Birthday Dominica!!!! Cheers to another 33 years!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET DOMINICA
I HOLD YOU VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART,FROM YOU MY DEAREST I WILL NEVER EVER PART…………….
HAPPY 33RD BIRTHDAY DOMINCA, GOD BLESS OUR BEUTIFUL ISLE
On this day of November 3rd 2011, on behalf of all people of Dominica, I give thanks to You, our God of Love, for the Land of our birth–Dominica.
O God You have flourished our Dominica with beauty and splenour. You have caused her to stand tall through her structure of hills and mountains. And You have lighted her with sunshine that beams in her many waters, causing them to look like bodies of precious stones. Thank You dear God for our Dominica
I pray O God, that You will continue to walk her mountains, from where You shower her people with the blessings of Your Love. May we humbly receive You, dear God.
Oh God touch our minds, especially that of our men and women of government. Flourish them O God with the ideas that they can initiate, by Your guidance and control which will move us from level to level unto the paths of freedom and peace of Your Love.
May we always remain a God fearing people, relying on Your guidance and protection as we give You the Glory. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
amen!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Father as I join Lizavier4Jesus to be ever grateful to you. Continue to bless us as we give all the Glory and Honour and People let us join Lizavier4Jesus and we say Amen!
@???
And again! Amen! Amen!
Happy Independence To the land of my birth Sweet, Sweet Dominica
To my beloved island of Dominica! Happy celebrating! I remember when it was our 21st anniversary and we went all out with the festivities. I was 7! Now it’s been 33 years and I am 19! Goodness, me! But these are all very fond memories!
CEST POUR DOMINIQUE… HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOMINICA…
This is about Dominica, not PMs, this should be A-political. Bon anniversaire!
It IS about Dominica u idiot, its called HISTORY!!!! u’re so caught up in the political arena that u cant decipher………….
Happy 33rd Independence Anniversary to my beloved Dominica and to all Dominicans home and abroad. You are a blessed nation.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOMINICA, FORWARD EVER BACKWARDS NEVER, BLESSINGS