Dominica Government Defends Decision Not To Declare State Of Emergency

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The Dominica government has defended its decision not to impose a state of emergency in the country after Tropical Storm Erika killed more than 25 people and left millions of dollars in damages last week.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told a radio and television audience on Monday night that 11 more bodies had been discovered and that 23 people including two French nationals are still missing and feared dead.

He said more than 400 people had been evacuated from the south east village of Petite Savanne and that rescue efforts were continuing as several communities remain cut off due to the damages to the roads.

Skerrit, flanked by Opposition Leader Lennox Linton and several business leaders, said that he had been advised against imposing the state of emergency because of the negative impact it would have had on the country that is seeking assistance from the regional and international community in its rehabilitation efforts.

“I have consulted those who I am to consult in the process and the advice I have received is that there is no need for a declaration of a state of emergency for Dominica.

“We have to appreciate that every decision we take there will be implications and therefore we have to study the implications and consequences of that declaration,” Skerrit said, noting that his understanding of a state of emergency would involve the suspension of “many rights of citizens.

“You will be suspending movement of people, you will be suspending people’s human rights, there are a number of things you will be suspending if you are to declare a state of emergency and therefore you are going to compromise your ability to do what you have to do in the interest of the country”.

Prime Minister Skerrit said it is important now to “focus on the task ahead and to brace ourselves as Dominicans to lead the charge because we are the ones who are going to have to lead the reconstruction of Dominica.

“People will come to help us, but they must not be ahead and we are at the back. We must be ahead and they are at our backs assisting us and urging us,” Skerrit said, dismissing suggestions also that his administration had been selective in the international countries it had been seeking support since the passage of the storm.

“Let me say very very clearly this is totally untrue, this is far from the truth. In other words this is hogwash. This government has written to every single country in the world and every single leader in this world and to organizations, institutions and to even individuals.

“We are out there we have had donor meetings. We have had our first donor meeting on Saturday, we had one today (Monday) where the preliminary report was submitted to the donors,” he said, adding that he had also personally sent a letter to the Spiritual Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, seeking assistance “because at the end of the day this country needs all of the assistance it can receive from every legitimate and legal source of funding.

“I am hoping that people can use their time for better things,” he said, adding “instead of trying to bring countries into disrepute at this time unnecessarily, it is not fair to the country…but any other country that we are seeking to say we have not written to or we have not solicited support from”.

Prime Minister Skerrit said there is “an outpouring of assistance to Dominica” and several regional countries had either sent in their senior ministers or as in the case of St. lucia, the prime minister himself to hold discussions with him on the rehabilitation efforts.

Linton said he would urge all citizens to put aside their political differences and come together for the good of the country saying “the diversity of Dominica is really required to unite at this time.

“Families have lost lives, families have suffered injury, families have suffered lost of property, significant damages to homes, there have been losses in the business community, the agricultural sector…and the national spirit you could say has been broken,.

‘We need to rebuild that national spirit and so I am pleased to be part of this parliamentary effort…to give guidance to and to ensure that the work to be done for the full recovery of Dominica is effectively resourced and it is done in the best interest of all Dominicans,” he added.