Commentary –
Let us stop pretending Dominica has a functioning democracy. The numbers do not lie, even if our leaders do.
We have a population of 72,000 people, with 60,000 registered voters. Yet, in the last general election on December 6, 2022, fewer than 19,066 eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot. Let that sink in, over 40,934 eligible voters stayed home, silent, defeated, and afraid. That is exactly the environment Roosevelt Skerrit’s Government needs to maintain his grip on power.
Out of those 19,066 votes cast, Skerrit’s Dominica Labour Party (DLP) secured 15,214 votes, representing 80% of all votes cast, which translates to 25% of the entire registered voting population and a pathetic 21% of the country’s total population.
And still with this minority, he captured 19 of the 21 parliamentary seats, effectively turning Dominica into his personal playground.
It Gets Worse
By Skerrit’s own political design, roughly half of his supporters are blind loyalists, the “ride or die” crowd who would vote for him even as he burns the country to the ground. That means that 7,600 votes are rock-solid. The rest? We must wonder, were they bought and paid for through patronage, favors, intimidation, and systematic manipulation?
So let us do the math:
- 60,000 registered voters.
- 19,066 people voted.
- 15,214 total voted for Skerrit.
- 7,607 votes – 1/2 were secured through guaranteed loyalty.
- 7,607 votes – 1/2 were potentially secured through bribery, fear, and dependency.
In other words, Skerrit only needed to manipulate or pressure around 12.6% of all eligible voters to stay in power. Meanwhile, over 40,000 Dominicans, 55% of all eligible voters, gift him a guaranteed victory by staying home, silenced by hopelessness, fear, and sheer resignation.
This is not democracy. It is calculated political theater designed to look like democracy, while being controlled behind the scenes by a regime addicted to power, protected by apathy, and fueled by corruption.
How Skerrit Keeps the Game Rigged
It is no accident that Dominica has no modern electoral reform. No independent election oversight. No safe voting for Dominicans living abroad. Skerrit knows the diaspora, the tens of thousands forced to leave in search of opportunity , can not be bribed with a government contract or threatened with losing their job. Their votes can not be controlled, so their voices must be silenced.
Why do you think Skerrit opposes voting rights for Dominicans abroad? Because if those voices counted, this corrupt system falls apart. The government survives on a careful cocktail of fear, economic dependency, media control, and selective favors, tools that crumble when exposed to free, unfiltered participation from Dominicans living overseas.
The Harsh Truth: The People Are Failing Themselves
Skerrit is not the only problem. Our silence, our resignation, our refusal to fight back, that is the foundation his empire was created and stands on. He can not win on merit. He does not need the majority. He just needs 40,000 Dominicans, 55% of all eligible voters to stay home, divided, defeated, and disconnected.
The game is rigged, but only because we keep playing by his rules.
- Every time we say, “It won’t change anything,” Skerrit gets stronger!
- Every time we stay home on election day, his grip tightens!
- Every time we stay silent while our neighbors suffer, we hand him another term in office!
Enough is Enough
Dominicans must wake up to the brutal truth, that our democracy is a hollow shell because we have allowed it to be. Skerrit’s regime thrives on fear, manipulation, and our own apathy. He shrinks the political field, silences opposition, and locks the diaspora out because he fears what would happen if we all stood up, spoke out, and voted with purpose.
We hold the numbers. He holds the fear. And the only way to dismantle this broken system is through mass participation, organized resistance, and unshakable unity, at home and abroad.
Dominica deserves better. But until the people demand it, loudly, unapologetically, and relentlessly, Skerrit’s corrupt game will continue. And every silent bystander makes him stronger, Period! The fight is not over, but our silence is Skeritt’s greatest weapon against us.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party: Time to Break the Cycle
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) stands firmly against this broken system. We believe every eligible Dominican, at home and abroad deserves a voice, and that true democracy only thrives when everyone participates.
We encourage and need every single person who stayed home in the last election to recognize their power and get out to vote, whether you are young, old, or somewhere in between. Your silence has been exploited by Skeritt for far too long, and now it is time to reclaim our nation’s future.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) is committed to:
- Fighting for electoral reform to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
- Advocating for diaspora voting rights, so Dominicans abroad can finally have their say.
- Promoting accountability and transparency in government.
- Ending political patronage, intimidation, and manipulation.
Defending Your Right to Vote Without Fear
When the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) comes into power, make no mistake or misinterpretation, any act of retaliation against those who voted for change will not be tolerated. Our government will act firmly and decisively, using the full force of the judicial system to protect every citizen’s right to participate freely and fearlessly in democracy.
NO DOMINICA should ever be forced into silence or abstain from voting out of fear of reprisal from any indivdual or party, whether through threats, intimidation, or economic pressure. This is not how democracy works, and it is certainly not how the great people of Dominica deserve to live.
We are not some foreign country where democracy remains a distant dream or where citizens are uncivilized or disconnected. We are proud Dominicans, a resilient, compassionate people who take care of each other. Our strength lies in our unity and our courage to speak out.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) believes in a Dominica where every voice is heard, where participation is celebrated, and where respect for Human Rights is unwavering. We will build a nation where fear no longer silences the ballot box, and where democracy is lived and breathed by every citizen, not just a select few.
Together, we will prove that Dominica’s future is brighter when we stand united, fearless, and determined to uphold the dignity and freedom that every Dominican deserves.
Team DRP