In our country where too many families are stretching every dollar just to survive, one image says more about the state of Dominica’s leadership than any political speech ever could, Melissa Skerrit stepping out in a $965 USD designer belt.
Let that sink in!
Nearly three months wages for many Dominican workers, wrapped around the waist of a woman living off multiple government paychecks, courtesy of the same taxpayers who are scraping by in a collapsing economy. It is the definition of elitism, and it exposes exactly how far removed the Skerrit household and the Dominica Labour Party have drifted from the people they claim to care about and represent.
For years, Dominicans have watched leaders get richer while the country grows poorer. But this level of tone-deaf flaunting, this bold, fearless display of luxury in the faces of struggling citizens, is something else entirely. It is arrogance dressed in designer labels. It is wealth acquired through public funds paraded like a trophy. And worst of all, it sends a message – They No Longer Feel The Need To Pretend!
The gap between the ruling Skerrit and the everyday Dominican has never been wider. Children are going to school hungry. Parents are juggling two or three hustles—not jobs—just to make ends meet. Entire communities remain without stable access to jobs, housing, or basic social supports. Yet the First Lady, Melissa Skerrit, sees nothing wrong with publicly showcasing an accessory most Dominican families could not afford, even after years of saving.
- Five government salaries in one household.
- VIP lifestyles funded by you.
- Luxury fashion in a land where some can not afford bread.
This is not leadership. This is extraction, taking from the public and feeding a political class that lives above the very system they have broken.
It is not just Melissa Skerrit’s belt. It is the culture it represents. A culture where government positions become personal ATMs. Where loyalty to the ruling party is rewarded with contracts, appointments, perks, and access, not because of merit, but because of connections. And while the Skerrit and his family indulge in extravagance, the rest of Dominica is told to “make do,” to be patient, to accept things as they are.
No responsible government flaunts luxury when its people are hurting. Only a regime comfortable in its own impunity does that.
Melissa Skerrit’s designer wardrobe is not the problem; it is merely a symptom.
The real problem is the unchecked entitlement, the fearless display of wealth, the disconnection from the realities of poverty, and the complete lack of shame in using taxpayer-funded positions to elevate a political class into royalty. She flaunts it openly, almost as if challenging our people to see if they are smart enough to notice it.
And let us be clear, anyone who defends or excuses this kind of behaviour is a threat to our country. If you can look at a Melissa Skerrit flaunting a $965 USD ($2,605 XCD) luxury belt in a nation drowning in poverty and say “nothing is wrong,” then you are not standing with the people; you are actively standing against them.
You are a traitor to the hard-working Dominicans who struggle every single day to pay their bills, feed their children, cover rent, afford basic groceries, and keep their heads above water.
Anyone who chooses blind loyalty over truth should be ashamed of themselves for refusing to admit the callousness, greed, and disrespect this display represents. Because when you normalize excess at the top while the people suffer at the bottom, you are helping destroy the very country you pretend to love.
Dominicans deserve leaders who live the reality of the people, not leaders who use the people to finance a lifestyle they could never achieve on their own.
A $965 USD belt…
- It will not fix our hospitals.
- It will not reduce poverty.
- It willl not create jobs.
- It will not rebuild the country.
But it does reveal exactly who this government serves, and it is not you!
Team DRP