Storm: PLP Extend Best Wishes To Dominica

August 29, 2015

“The PLP extends well wishes and prayers to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt and the Government of Dominica and all the affected families and communities,” Shadow Minister of National Security Walter Roban said after the Caribbean island was slammed by Tropical Storm Erika.

The BBC report that, “A tropical storm heading across the Caribbean has killed at least 20 people on the island of Dominica, with dozens more missing. Tropical Storm Erika caused floods and mudslides that have set the country back 20 years, its prime minister said.”

Mr Roban said, “The Progressive Labour Party [PLP] calls on the Government and the people of Bermuda to come to the assistance to the island of Dominica.

“According to CDEMA, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, Dominica has been significantly impacted by Tropical Storm Erika.

“Reports coming in are revealing there has been loss of life and damage to the country which has set back its economy and will negatively impact employment and further strain the government in the rebuilding process.

“The PLP extends well wishes and prayers to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt and the Government of Dominica and all the affected families and communities of our CARICOM partner. We also extend the same feelings to Dominicans residing here in Bermuda whose families may have been affected.

“We call on the Government of Bermuda to enquire officially with the Government of Dominica how Bermuda can provide support in any way to the Dominican people.

“Members of the public are encouraged to also check with relief agencies such as the Red Cross or The West Indian Association of Bermuda to find out how they might help.”

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Comments (27)

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  1. Weird Folk says:

    Can’t the PLP just wait until Bermuda issues a formal statement of condolence? Why would a political party seek to ride a humanitarian wave? Can I assume you all feel deeply grieved about the humanitarian crisis’in Syria and Ukraine? Or will you be issuing a statement?

  2. john doe says:

    That seems like the best thing PLP can do n that’s giving other countries best wishes. Always trying to beat the oba to do it.

  3. Ringmaster says:

    Who is the real Shadow Minister? Above it states Walter Roban and in another medium the almost identical press release it by Walton Brown. Close enough I suppose.
    So how does the PLP know the Government hasn’t already, without their generous help, contacted Dominica and offered assistance? Bermuda and the world does operate without the PLP interfering all the time.

  4. Rico says:

    PLP, you’re not the government, we don’t care what you think, how many times will you put out a statement saying this or that, this is for the Government of Bermuda to address. You don’t see the republicans upstaging Obama.. Chill out..

  5. Sony says:

    Are you people for real stop this political nonsense their giving a country their best wishes & hoping they make it threw this hurricane who cares which party says what

    • We the People (1st!!) says:

      It really is sad. Some people just cannot humble themselves and also simply extend well wishes to the people of Dominica.

      You really have to worry about the agenda of some people’s comments above like ‘Weird Folk’ and ‘Rico.’
      Humble yourself!

    • Self says:

      Exactly!!! This really goes to show you how low the OBA supporters are. People have lost their lives and homes, and all OBAers care about is the PLP making a statement. How about showing some dignity and respect…especially since some people here have roots in Dominica. People you really have sunk to an all time low.

    • Hurricane says:

      @ Sony, you have to understand, these are obviously miserable, unhappy people, all they can do is b!%@h. In this case it really is pointless, but something they have to do.

      • Look Within says:

        Forgive me if I am miserable and unhappy. I lost my job of 11 years when the company I worked for left Bermuda because of the policies and practices put in place by the then government, the PLP. Fourteen months later I sold my car so that I could make payments on my mortgage. Two months after that my tenants informed me that they would be leaving Bermuda because their company was moving to Ireland. A few months later I lost my house. Sorry if I seem a little bitter. I hope you understand. I wasn’t on the Friends and Family list. I wish I was.

        • Self says:

          At least you have your life and with that, hope. This article is about the folks in Dominica that have NOTHING. I’m sure you’re not sleeping on the street, and none of your family members have been washed away.

        • We the People (1st!!) says:

          What a load of rubbish! Good try.

          How about this. The storm has killed at least 20 people and left another 31 missing. All of those people would rather be in your ‘situation,’ if it really happened.

          Lives lost and people find the time to PLAY politics. SMH you bunch of selfish and self-centred OBA supporters!

        • Hurricane says:

          Excuse you……..absolutely not. So easy to believe that the company you worked for under the PLP left because of their policies. I have news for you though, I lost my job because a locally company that I was working for outsourced it to a company in the USA. And guess what, this was under the OBA. Do I get on here a b**** about every the OBA does though……NO. I have moved on the best way I know how. Time to move on and if your position hasn’t changed after 11 years, time to LOOK WITHIN

          • Look Within says:

            @Hurricane, the company I left for moved and I can assure you they left because of the policies and practices of the PLP. They moved! They didn’t outsource, close, they moved.

            My position has changed and I am employed after I lost everything.

            @We the People and @Self. Not that it is your business but I actually have family in Portsmouth Dominica so I am very sympathetic and worried about what has happened there and I am grateful for what I have. They are safe, I know that. Also I was at one time a supporter of the old PLP. The Party changed after the Dr. Brown years and I do not like the direction they are taking. Let me be clear. I am not a supporter of ANY party however based on what happened to ALL of Bermuda in those 14 years; the Economy, National Debt, Missing Public Money, our Education System, Closing of Hotels, departure of International Business it will be a longtime before I can forget.

        • impressive. says:

          11 years ago,, 2004? That was in the height of the economic boom, which bursted in 2008/2009. So your company left because of policies of the PLp, okay,, fair enough. smdh.. My entire department left Bermuda in 2009 as they outsourced the service. This had nothing to do with politics, the company was cutting on expenses.. nothing more nothing less.

  6. Varied says:

    Once again, a political party actually does something decent and lo and behold, cheerleaders from the ‘other side’ come on with the sole purpose of bashing them. Good lord.

    This is about Dominica, offering sympathies and hopefully pointing people to where aid can go. Not political one-up-manship. Give it a break for once, cheerleaders.

  7. jt says:

    Benevolence thou art easy prey.

  8. San George says:

    Demonstrates how polarized Bermuda is and for good reasons.
    Good luck turning around the country’s fortunes under these conditions.

    Quo Fata Ferunt

  9. blowmyfish says:

    Why is PLP sucking up to the PM and Government of Dominica? They’re not special, they exist only because the people of Dominica put them there!

  10. Wow says:

    What about the folks to their west? Oh, yeah, they haven’t mattered for some time now. My bad.

  11. Tolerate says:

    Not gonna get into the whole conversation of who said it first and why. I will pause however and wait for demands, by many on the OBA catching up; and they will have hell to pay and be accused of every thing under the sun if they don’t. That’s the depths that our politics has come to in Bermuda.
    This is not what I’m on here for. This is the type of times that Bermuda should come together and show a unilateral response. A simple “The people of Bermuda under the OBA and opposition PLP (if they both EVEN NEED to be noted by name), would like to send our best wishes to the people of Dominica during their difficult time”. There ALL done; no politics needed; but like every-thing, the parties and their supports will use this as who said what first, and how much Bermuda should be donating.
    Remember a similar disaster in a certain Island that a certain minster played out like a political football.
    SMH

  12. Rick Olson says:

    How about some CASH or is best wishes the best we can offer?

    • Ringmaster says:

      Cash? Pre 2006, when the PLP was still financially successful under the guidance and steady hand of Eugene Cox, there would have been cash. However we all know what happened since then. If only his successor had been as financially astute, and firm with the Premier, Ministers and Civil Service, as Mr. Cox had been, Bermuda’s finances post 2006 would I’m sure have been in a much better state.

    • radical says:

      The only cash we have is borrowed.
      So do we use it to aid another country after a tropical storm, or do we use it to pay civil servants to “work” half a year?

    • Varied says:

      Guess so. 30 dead, relief efforts under way. This story has been allowed to disappear to the back pages, sadly. Ho hum.

  13. bwoybackakillme says:

    Bottom Line : PLP Trying to take headlines . Desperation smells like sweat .