Every year, like clockwork, the Skerrit and his government suddenly springs into action. Teams are sent out to clean the roads, cut the brush, paint the sidewalks, and make everything look “beautiful” again.
But not for us, the people who live here year-round. No, this grand clean-up happens because tourists and the diaspora are about to arrive for Independence or Carnival. Suddenly, the country must look “presentable.” Suddenly, we are made to look like a land of order, cleanliness, and pride.
But the question is — why can Dominica not look like this every day?
Why does it take the arrival of foreigners or returning Dominicans for the government to care about how our home looks? Why is it that we, the citizens who live here, who see the overgrown roads, the garbage, and the neglect daily, are made to live in it until it is time to perform for the world?
This is the great game that only locals know. It is a show, a clean-up for the cameras and the visitors, a short-lived performance meant to convince the world that everything in Dominica is fine. That the country is thriving. That Skerrit’s government is doing its job. But once the celebrations are over, and the diaspora return abroad, the roads will once again grow wild, the drains will clog, and the piles of garbage will return.
We see this cycle year after year, and we have grown used to it, too used to it. We accept it as normal. We tell ourselves, “That’s just how things are.” But it should not be. This country could look clean and cared for all the time if there was true leadership, if there was real respect for the people who live here, not just the ones who visit.
What many in the diaspora do not understand is that visiting Dominica and living in Dominica are two completely different worlds. When they come, they see the fresh paint, the trimmed roadsides, and the flags waving proudly. But they do not see the daily struggle, the unemployment, the poor infrastructure, the frustration of being forgotten the moment the celebrations end.
This is not a matter of cleanliness; it is a matter of priorities. If the government can mobilize workers to clean, fix, and beautify for Independence, then it can certainly do the same for the rest of the year. It chooses not to. Because it is not about the people, it is about the image.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) intends to change that. We believe the country should always look its best, not just when the world is watching. Clean communities reflect pride, respect, and discipline. Under a DRP-led government, community clean-ups will become a regular, ongoing routine, not a once-a-year performance. Every community, from the Pennville to theSctotts Heads, on both coast deserves attention, care, and consistent upkeep.
Because how can Dominica portray herself as a serious, proud, forward-moving nation, seeking international investment, if we only tidy up for show? True progress is not seasonal — it’s sustained. And under the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP), Dominica will finally look and feel like the beautiful nation it truly is, every single day.
TEAM DRP