The Evangelical movement and two of the island’s trade unions are supporting calls for electoral reform in Dominica.
The Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches (DAEC), the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and the Waterfront and Allied Workers’ Union (WAWU) made presentations on the matter at a National Consultation on Electoral Reform hosted by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) held at the Goodwill Parish Hall on Tuesday.
Pastor Lennox Timothy said DAEC is in full support campaign finance reform laws.
“We concur with the following positions of the inter-parliamentary meeting of 1994 in Paris, that every individual has a right, 1. to express political opinions without inferences, to seek, receive and impart information and to make an informed choice to move freely within the country in order to campaign for elections, to campaign on an equal basis with other political parties including the party forming the existing government,” he stated. “This should include campaign finance reform laws.”
According to him every candidate for elections and every political party should have an equal opportunity of access to the media, “particularly the mass communication media in order to put forward their political views.”
Moreover, Timothy said the DAEC believes that all should seek to do what is right, “and in this context doing right is taking every precaution to observe and follow the prescribed established law, the House of Assembly Elections Act.
General Secretary of the DPSU Thomas Letang said electoral reform will guarantee free and fair elections.
“Electoral Reform in our view is one of the biggest demonstrations by us getting involved, it’s one of the biggest ways that we can demonstrate our involvement in democracy,” he stated. “Because it provides for elections to be free and fair.”
He went on to say that it also sets the foundation for all who are eligible and qualified to vote, to do so.
“It sets a level playing field for all who are participating or offering themselves as candidates,” Letang noted. “It ensures that we will have an electoral list which is sanitized and one that allows us to remove from that list, those who have passed on and lead them to rest in eternal peace.”
Letang said the union stands for equality and equity.
He believes that one way of demonstrating this is by identifying with the call for Electoral Reform in Dominica.
Meantime; Secretary-Treasurer of WAWU, Kertiste Augustus said the electors’ list must be constantly reviewed by the Electoral Commission and the administration in order to remove from the list those who have gone to “the great beyond.”
“We have to address the question of migration, those persons that have left Dominica and have not returned in five years and more,” he argued.
He also mentioned the use of voter registration cards.
“When it was proposed I supported that because like Mr. (Lennox) Linton I see this as your passport to determine that you are the person that you say you are,” Augustus said. “My take on the question of the electoral list and the voters’ registration card is that the provisions that are in fact required legally must be implemented by both the Electoral Commission and the administration. And more-so with the administration since the administration is provided with the authority to do just that.”
Chooooopssssssss tell us something we don’t expect nah.
All of them is one comess
But good thing we not even taking them on.
They as good as nothing
You not seeing who heading them?
Lord Karessah already told us wat to do do we are not bother
They trying from all angles
BUT HARDER THEY COME IS HARDER WE KICKING ALL THEM FALSE PROPHETS AND THOSE EVIL SATANIC BULE BUGS DOWN.
So keep trying. Keep carrying water in a basket to full the 1000000000 gallons barrel.
Sacway sort Zoe yay.
ALL of you hypocrites left wingers in that room with half a brain, should know by now this is not the time to call for electoral reform, Mr Skerrit has got a big job on at the moment, his administration working hard all over the country, you guys should be ashamed of yourselfs Pm Skerrit should not discuss any electoral reform on till long after the election campaign.The government main concern now is getting people homes repaired electric and much more, Tell Lennox Linton, stop leading from the back and put his BOOTS on the ground and supporters of his instead of talking/writing crap all day help Dominica get back on track if you lots care about Dominica as you all saying!!!
After 18 years and billions spend, and nothing to show for it, now storm pass and all of a sudden Skerrit want make D/c the first reslient country??
Give me a break with allu margee
Are you serious? Are you saying that the government cannot multi-task (they cannot work on more than one thing at a time)? Life has to continue after the hurricane, and it has as evidenced by the fact that there was carnival in DA and the parties and celebrations are taking place even if people are still roofless! So if these things can happen, why can’t something as important as electoral reform be addressed? To use your phrase, “anyone with half a brain” should know that if the government can only focus on one thing at a time, it means that there is something is wrong with them – they are in the wrong job!
Why don’t some pastors focus on preaching the word, it should be your mission to bring souls to Christ. Stop getting involved in politics and let God do his work of building up and bringing down. Whilst you all busy politicking people are dying without Christ. This behaviour gets me mad as a believer!!! There’s too much work for believers to do and you all just preaching politics…
All of them are supporters of the UWP. Letang said the last time that he is not in politic but he tone of voice was like an angry person ready to attack.
Don’t you have anything of substance to comment on, that is on the subject matter rather than attempting to pick and chose what you want to talk about which is irrelevant to the subject at hand?
Who do you support, has any of them not made a silly comment like yours that it is the most corrupt Labour party in Dominica that you support and talk on behalf….. are you not ashamed of yourself.?
“All of them are supporters of UWP!! ? so what if so, you want them to be supporters of your most corrupt Labour Party? No thank you , I do not want to be stained. Labour must Go…Skerrit must Go.
What has the Labour Party under useless and ailed Skerrit done to lift Dominica up from Poverty? Are you or family one of those who receive regular handouts…what happen, you all don’t have jobs?
Every Dominican should support the call for electoral reform
Who ever win, should win fair and square
We can’t allow people to steal elections, because its a recipe for caos
A well informed citizenry is a huge asset to any democratic country. Why? The citizens would be capable of taking up independent positions on political questions. Having said that, there is a serious problem with the management of DBS. DBS is a State owned media entity. All political parties should have access since it is owned by the people. Instead of giving the people unvarnished information, DBS presently exists to disseminate only government propaganda. There is no objectivity. Management allows government propagandists to plant and slant news. It pushes the misguided agenda of the government and obstinately disallows the main opposition party access. The entire country should hear all sides of the political divide, then the people will be in the best position to make a well-informed decision at the polls. The country cannot progress when one individual or one political party manipulates everything public.
You all no matter what .. you all like to talk and be noticed. No matter what is done… you all will still be complaining. Negative and negatives. Distractors … cannot even talk about Love…. all you want is to attack one man and the Government … Ah Magwais sa! I want to hear something positive from you all …. bull up your boot straps … get to the rivers … fields and let me see you on the ground doing some positive work. Stop politicking now … it is work time … not mouth time… too much talk .. cheap talk… blame talk… Negative persons do not even like themselves and can see no good in anything.
I see your name is one of questionable thoughts or questionable political edacity.
You just confessing of your own behaviour in that you have said ” you all like to talk and be noticed. No matter what is done… you all will still be complain….” So Mr ??????????????? Ridiculous hiding behind behind ?????, your name is clueless and makes no sense but hits you hard in the face because you are thinking and talking crap. Run away from the company of Skerrit and his corrupt gang of the most corrupt Labour Party.
What is your stances in rebuilding Dominica?? What are you the Unions and Evangelical associations doing in relation to what is around the aftermath of Hurricane Maria?? What have you all done to aid the persons who were affected??? Do you know and understand that the Government cannot do it alone. What talk about election reform at this time. The talk should be about where do we fit and what can we do to assist at this time now. Everything now is made political …. We need to hear of your plans and how to help those who cannot help themselves.
@????? Am happy you realize the government cannot do it alone . In Dominica the nonsense that’s going on is sad ? To much Partisan politics . Everyone should come together and help build the country. If it’s a one man show, Dominica will be the same 5 years from now.
???????????????????????????What we are doing is trying to get this corrupt dirty hopeless and clueless Corrupt Labour Party out of government. They have failed us big Time. You with a question sign as your name, get the hell out of this gang of hopless illiterate politician. they are bad people from Craptain Skerrit to all those and his feet supporting his corruption and hopeless leadership.
“There is a deeper meaning behind simple calling for electoral reform.
Most of the political rhetoric from the corrupt labour government are about maintaining the oppression and poverty upon we the Dominica struggling people living in poverty for the past eighteen years. As this corrupt labour government behave poorly as everyday sinners they will soon pay for their evil deeds in the end. For many listeners, the deeper message is lost in the overwhelming chorus of “something is happening, but not in Dominica, burr n Dubai and other parts of the rab States…where these rich Arabs guys buy our passport to move freely about the world. We here in Dominica continue in poverty while these so called good citizens are the architects of poverty and economic slavery begging at Skerrit’s door step for bread everyday. shame,,,shame. Shame.. Nothing is happening. Skerrit must Go. shame on you
I would like to know the stance of the Dominica Bar Assocition an the Catholic Church on this. Do they have an opinion?
The irony is that Trump and Skerrit are connected. They met in New York, organised by super fixer Zampolli, our diplomat at Dominica’s U.N. mission in New York. Trump’s current wife used to work for Zampolli as a model, who introduced her to Trump and also attended their subsequent wedding in Florida. Do birds of a feather flock together?
@De Boys and Them – Replace Trump with Skerrit? You must surely be mistaken.
What’s wrong with Trump’s “America First” and “Make America Great Again” doctrines? Shouldn’t the leader of a nation be first concerned about the people of that nation and their development?
The way Skerrit & his clan operating, do you think dem fellas following a “Make Dominica Great Again” or “Dominica First” ideology? The way dat incompetent government in Dominica behaves at times, you get the impression that it’s a “Foreigners First, native Dominicans must come one after last” ideology they are following.
@ Channel 1was only referring to the quots from the Comey townhall meeting last night CNN. So based on statements in quotation marks I was simply suggesting that where we see Trump put Skerrit,, replace USA with Dominica and then cross out Republicans and put in Laborites. In other words the concerns expressed by the former FBI Director James Comey are the very concerns I have about Dominica as a former laborite
I am happy for the few that are standing for what is right in Da. Last night I listened to a CNN Townhall meeting with James Comey and most of the things he said affecting US, are the very problems we have in DA today. Here is a sample:
“I see the Republican Party, as near as I can tell, reflects now entirely Donald Trump’s values,” Comey said on ABC’s “Start Here.” “It doesn’t reflect values at all. It’s transactional, it’s ego-driven, it’s in service to his ego. And it’s, I think, consoling itself that we’re going to achieve important policy goals ― a tax cut or something.”
On what legacy Republicans hoped to leave behind:
“What I hope they’ll do is ask themselves, Republicans: ‘So what will I tell my grandchildren when they ask me so what did you do? Did you trade a tax cut for the rule of law, for equal protection of the laws, for the truth? Really grandpa?’”
Replace USA with DA, Trump with Skerrit and Republicans with DLP. As a former poto labor that’s where Skerrit…
The electoral system is most important to true democracy. There can be no real democracy without a proper electoral system in place. The Commonwealth observers and many reputable local and regional organizations have called on the present government to engage in electoral reform to improve the system. Skerrit has stubbornly resisted even to make minimal changes of improvement. This shows the man’s true character. Win by any means even if he has to manipulate the loopholes in the electoral system to unfairly benefit his party. I’m convinced that without the overseas voters, the numerous cases of bribery, the underhandedness, the political machinations, skullduggery and shenanigans, the DLP would be sidelined indefinitely. There would never be any electoral reform unless and until the majority of the people shut down Roseau for as long as it takes to achieve this goal. Nothing good comes easy.
We wish to welcome the support given by the Unions. We hope, we are not only listening to words and when the time for action comes, the Unions will be at the forefront. Roosevelt Skeritt’s survival, in terms of visiting Stock Farm, depends, entirely on winning the general elections and remaining in power.
Lol I had a feeling the evangelical leader was deep into politics after he criticized the new ministry relating to religious groups
like how the bishop is deep into politics to support a new ministry that he himself stated he doesn’t understand?
Ok Ok , now that you all have said what has to be done, lead the way into action to enforce our thoughts.