Twenty Nineteen: Year of intense political tribalism

As 2019 comes to a close we are wondering whether the events which marked the year were scenes in a drama movie or in a nightmare.

So intense were the name-calling, back-biting, jostling for position that the 2019 general election campaign was like a civil war. Election 2019 will be remembered as a year of political tribalism. Thank God, no one was killed in the heated campaign, but the hurt will affect the psyche of the nation for many decades.

In the end the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) won by the wide margin of 18 seats to three but the opposition immediately accused the DLP of stealing the election and it has refused to legitimise it.

With the country so divided, with the wounds so raw and with the anger and animosity so intense between rival groups, one wonders how will the government effectively implement its plans and programmes. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Here are some of the major news stories that made 2019 memorable