Dominica has always been unique in many ways. We are the only island in the Caribbean with remnants of pure indigenous people; we are sandwiched between two French islands (extensions of France); we can boast of several intellectuals all over the world in leadership positions; shamefully, we’ve been associated with corruption in many forms, international gangsters and dictators who we vehemently defend; we are the Nature Island of the Caribbean, among others. I said all that to say, we are more than what we see or believe!
Politics in Dominica has become entrenched in our subconscious mind. Our daily activities are influenced by the party we are affiliated with. Where we buy our bread or where we do our grocery shopping is subconsciously determined by the inner machinations that we have allowed to define who we have become!
Where and by whom we sit in church is somehow a blue or a red thing! Party politics have to a large extent become a master of our mind.
After 10 years of existence, the United Workers Party (UWP) under Edison James formed the government in 1995. From all accounts they were a productive party but were defined in opposition circles as being corrupt. This essentially led to their loss at the polls in 2000.
My opinion is that this was a façade put on by the opposition. They were supported by the well-to-dos in Dominica. Also, James may have taken his party’s success, perceived or otherwise for granted and called early elections. They lost and a coalition took over the reins of power in Dominica.
Fast track to 2014. I concluded then that this was the best chance for the UWP to regain leadership of the country because they were, like Bob Marley says, ‘coming in from the cold’. However, throughout the years there has been calls for electoral reform because of a bloated voter’s list, accusations of bribery by the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) locally and the literal transportation of voters from overseas in time for Election Day.
This article is copyright © 2019 DOM767
