Catherine Daniel sanctimonious Rebuke Runs Hollow!

Updated: May 28, 2018
As a member of a ruling administration whose motto should read 'maximize use of public resources to maintain political power', Ms. Daniel (Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs, Family and Gender Affairs) seems unashamed to mislead and confuse the public under the guise of fiscal responsibility. In fact, the matter at hand, use of public funds transferred to village councils, has nothing to do with her ministry. Indeed, she is part of Cabinet, which by its very size (18 ministers, flanked by useless advisors) has been set up to abuse public resources as a reward for political allegiance. In that administrative body, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and community empowerment primarily serves as tool for unregulated abuse of island's scare finances. Sports in Dominica is in the doldrums, the villages are plague by neglect that is exacerbated by persistent political interference from Labor Party operatives and central government and the youth are fleeing Dominica in droves. So where does Catherine Daniel stand on this mess in which she has actively participated?

Ms Daniels is in the habit of making outlandish pronouncement. Last summer, Ms Daniel displayed a 'kabuke' dance of blaming Village councils for "lack of Accountability with funds provided to village councils by government" See post here . Now, Ms Daniels is at it again; this 'bee in her bonnet will not quit bugging her'. However, despite her fake outrage, Ms Daniels is an integral part of an administration that exist to abuse the public purse. The issue of poor accountability by village council was created by the Labor Party Administration which has perfected the illegal behavior to handing out funds 'willy nilly' for unsolicited projects to supportive or sympathetic village councils. Village councils which do not support the corrupt ethos of the Labor Administration are typically bypassed via creation of 'Village Improvement Committees'.  This has occurred in several villages including La Plaine, Marigot, Wesley and Canefield; when this is not feasible the Administration has 'Constituency Caretakers' or 'lackeys' to funnel state resources for 'vote-buying'.  These  'Improvement Committees' and 'Constituency Caretakers' are un-elected and serve the interest of the Labor Administration. They are illegal and unconstitutional but have been allowed to continue. This is a major part of the problem that Ms Daniels fails to address. She has selective amnesia. How convenient?

Ms. Daniel outrage is all the more troubling because she is an integral member of an administration which, for unknown reasons, have unable to complete multiple projects which  were funded by friendly foreign governments. These include the Moroccan-funded hotel in Portsmouth, the Venezuelan funded Abattoir and Coffee processing plants and the EU-funded geothermal generating plant. More recently, Dominicans have learnt that, after years of Administration's denial that Dominica owed Venezuela any monies for petrol and petroleum products, the island's debt of US$100 million was forgiven by Venezuela. Six months after this announcement by the Jorge Arreaza (Venezuela's minister of Foreign Affairs), Dominicans are still waiting to find out 'where de money gone?'. So, Ms. Daniel, stop throwing up smoke screens to mask your Administration's failure. Ms. Daniel, rather than scapegoating village councils, it is time for you to confront your colleagues in Cabinet regarding abuse of public financial resources.