Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is among leaders who have agreed for nationals of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to travel through the region with the use of national identification cards by August 1, 2011.
The heads of governments met in Grenada last week for the 52nd meeting of the OECS Authority where they announced hassle-free travel within the OECS, saying nationals will only be required to use an identification card or driver’s license to move from island to island.
Skerrit has described the move as an important aspect of the OECS economic union.
“If we cannot achieve that, there’ll be no need for a union,” he said on state-owned radio.
He said OECS leaders are looking to standardize the identification cards, with finger prints on the IDs “so that the information can be available even for security purposes”.
There is already a national ID card.. its called a passport.. just get a damn passport and travel with it.. pretty simple really. Though a national ID card – covering driver license, voted id, health card… everything.. which can be used for travel within the OECS WHY NOT!! Should have been done earlier.. please hold the politicians responsible.. they give you these little tokens when they want to make some positive press..
What we need is to break the Liat monopoly and make travel within the Caribbean much cheaper. The high cost of travelling from Dominica to the other islands is too rediculous. A family of four have to save for a year to be able to take a vacation in teh Caribbean? Ma gwe ca.
I miss Caribbean star and sun.. I know the founder was tiff but he was like robin hood to us lol.. We need OPTIONS!!!!!
I am with the PM on this one, Dominica is now part of something bigger, She is part of the collective called the OECS and most decisions will be made at that level. So we either unite of face extinction, long live the OECS.
Sounds like a similar economic plan to that of Europe with EU passports and what certain Latin American countries share. Good idea because when initiating an idea like this, you need to implement something official! No, driver’s licenses won’t do!
If it would make travellling through Anitgua Immigration any less of a hassle, i’d gladly sign up! I felt like a bloody terrorist the last time i flew through Antigua….. not even going through Canadian Immigration did i have such a stressful moment!
There’s only so much 1 can do with a drivers license and social sercurity card, but with a standard id card, used throughtout the Caribbean, it may mean hassle free travel!
Perhaps the next step qould be using these cards as voter id cards, because i do nto see the need to have a specific card as a voter id card, where one standardise card can be used!
The issue is the voting list which needs to be cleaned up! When that is cleaned up, then all voters should be asked to present an accepted picture id – passport, drivers license, social security…it starts with a clean and accurate list of all registered voters
with this new law being implimented, does that mean dominicas can travelled and work in other part of the oecs states without any working permit or not, and stay as long as they can?
great question, would luv to know the answer to that!
so we can afford national ID cards but can’t for voter ID cards man who you think you fooling,say that to your labourites not to the objective thinking Dominicans we know better.
Kyrptonite,
SKERRIT NEVER SAID NO to the Voter ID cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER SAID NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He said, instead of spending so much money for only the voter id card, we could make a NATIONAL ID CARD which will serve more than one purpose. This card could be used for voting, travelling and as a general ID for bank transactions and so forth.
Do you understand?
What did the Electoral Commission recommend 7 years ago for Elections to be FREE and FAIR? What did the OAS and CARICOM advise? VOTER ID CARDS. Doesn’t the Constitution give the ‘INDEPENDENT COMMISSION’ the RIGHT to genuinely request certain things to help it do its work of conducting elections better?
Didn’t the Parliament unanimously agree for VOTER ID CARDS and Govt. had decided to make the funds available to the Electoral Commission to provide VOTER ID CARDS? So why the turn around? Who refuses to respond positively, with funds, to the request of the Independent Electoral Commission and the decision of Parliament? A Lawyer sent an E-mail to Skerritt saying is madness the Electoral commission is thinking of. Remember? So does that ONE man have more POWER than the institution or Parliament in question? Since the last AG. came up with the deception of National ID cards instead, have you heard any statement or follow up? 7 YEARS have passed, no action, no word about Electoral Reform. Support your Skerritt or your party, no problem, but try to be frank. Why the TURN AROUND? Why are you all afraid of Electoral Reform so much? It will benefit each and every Dominican.
Standardized national identification cards with finger prints ( like the US green cards)!!! These represent a huge step in fighting crime. Big brother will have all the data needed on one piece of plastic and an enhanced data base. Even the great USA cannot agree on a natiinal ID card. These picture ID cards would also be excellent for voter ID. After all, in the great USA, the driver’s license is the prefered choice of voter ID. Since everyone does not have a driver’s license, some other form of picture ID is accepted.
Some have taken the opportunity to call for voter ID cards.Will we be able to use voter ID cards, driver’s license, national ID card or passport for voting during elections? If we can use either one or the other, why not focus on a multipurpose card? I guess the traveller pays for the ID card. Who pays for voter ID card? If the voter pays, many will be disenfranchised since they cannot afford to pay or won’t bother at all.
Those who question DA having a population of 69 000 and a voter roll of 67 000, that’s possible since 30 000 to 50 000 adults leave our shores in the last 25 years. Otherwise, our population would be over 100 000. We have tens of thousands of our nationals in the USVI, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Europe and yhe USA. We can clean up the voters roll by eliminating the dead people immediately. All it takes is a death certificate. Why can’t the Electoral Commission do it on a yearly basis?
Should we take off the names of our citizens who reside in Guadeloupe, Marie Galante or Antigua from the voters roll? How long should they remain on the rolls before we kick them off? Will you allow them to vote? Afterall, they are still citizens of Dominica!! What about those with dual citizenship? Should they be allowed to vote? Can you vote in Grand Bay because you reside there and still vote in Roseau because you work there? Why should you, as a US citizen, vote in Boston, New York or DC and still want to vote in Grand Bay or Roseau? Isn’t it one man one vote? I only want to provoke some discussion because electoral reform has to be carefully worked out to prevent disenfranchisement. But I agree that it has to be done, not rushed.
nicely said!
The Dominica Goverment have to be tough to rule this country, almost anything that has a longterm good in the development cycle comes under so much critism it is so ashamed to see that what ever is being done it tis crticized, yet they all enjoy the benefits. things take time let us appreciate long term value
That is true but everything cannot be long term while the masses struggles and starve but a handful are seeing immediate short term returns at the expense of all.
Come down to DA to work. Dominicans are to Lazzzzzzz
Offer me a job in IT Management, I will be there in 30 minutes..
thats a Joke……OECS citizens Must hold there Political Leaders responsible…. for keeping them in the slavery mentality………Just a joke…slavery still exist in the caribbean but in a different format!!
Caribbean folks need to be much more rigged on issues….they bend to easily towards like and dislike in looks…..rather than dealing with the issue at hand…the caribbean still has alot of work to do in terms of depth in reasoning issues….
Tell me please what IS the news here! Travelled from Barbados to Dominica on my Driver’s licence so many times already. Cool it Skerrit and OECS!
Smae here, I travel to St Lucia on my Drivers license all the time.
dear labourites that’s not new news lol,,,, i’ve traveled to b/dos n back with my social security back in 08 lol,,,, the new news we want to hear is voter i.d cards
Let me see you travel from Dominica to Barbados with your social security card, then a week after, move on to St Lucia with that same social security and stay over. Politics clogged up certain individuals brains so much, see how stupid an d low minded they sound lol! Cant even broaden your mind to a simple thing like that :O
“travel through the region”
Not “to travel from one country to another and back”
OMG!!
Good. Now when can we tavel to Europe without all thehassel of obtaining a visa? Like any other develop caribbean islands.
We’re too backward playing petty politics or politicians looking out for themselves, whilst other islands are looking out for their citizens.
For FREE and FAIR elections Dominicans need VOTER IDENTIFICATION CARDS. That is the MAIN ISSUE we all must FOCUS on NOW. The CONSTITUTION gives the Independent Electoral Commission the right to request such Voter ID cards. The Commission recommended, 7 years ago, Voter ID cards and to clean up the bloated Voters’ list as part of Electoral Reform. Thousands of Dominicans also are requesting that those cards would help to identify voters much better and enhance our electoral process, apart from other reforms.
Parliament discussed that important issue years now and decided to assist the Commission with finance to provide those VOTER ID CARDS. Dominicans, UP TO NOW Skerritt as Minister of Finance refuses to respect the Commission and the people of Dominica pleading to ENSURE our elections are FREE and FAIR. He out rightly REFUSES to bulge. Remember the famous E-mail to him from his ‘GOOD FRIEND’ Does that lawyer adviser yield more power than the ELECTORAL COMMISSION and the thousands of Dominicans? Is it their money, our the people’s money.
The DLP Govt. took people’s money from the Treasury to purchase secretly Rubbish Bins and Fertilizer. Those purchases were mired in all kinds of controversies. Dominicans got to know after the truth was revealed. But Skerritt and his Govt. do not want to hand over the necessary funds to the Electoral Commission for Voter ID CARDS. The OAS as well as CARICOM and many, many other concerned citizens here and abroad have been pleading, BUT TO NO AVAIL.
Why would a Govt. not want to Clean a VOTERS’ LIST which is UNCLEAN? Why would someone not want to sweep, clean up, a room which is UNCLEAN, or wash that UNCLEAN dress or shirt? Dominica’s population is about 69,000. How on earth could a VOTERS’ list have 67,000 names on it to vote? The long and short of the matter is that Skerritt and his DLP cohorts do not want FREE and FAIR elections. That is what many Dominicans have concluded.
Fraudulent Elections.? Is that what Dominica needs? Why would Skerritt not want to give the money to the Commission for it to do its work of conducting elections better? Why would Skerritt and his DLP Govt. not want to put the necessary mechanisms in place for FREE and FAIR elections? Why would a govt. want to continue to disobey the ANTI-BRIBERY ELECTION LAWS? Why would a Govt. refuse to allow all parties to air their views equally on the National Radio Station paid for by all Taxpayers of Dominica?
Is there a problem to implement ELECTORAL REFORMS? Or is there fear that if Reforms are implemented no party would be able to STEAL, CHEAT or RIG any future Elections?
So whereas Skerrit agrees to ID cards for traveling through the region, on the other hand, he is being stubborn, arrogant, and high-handed by deliberately refusing to put any Electoral Reform in place to ensure elections are FREE and FAIR. ID cards to travel, BUT NO VOTER ID CARDS FOR ELECTIONS. Unless reforms are instituted to better Dominica’s ELECTORAL PROCESS NOW, no future elections in Dominica would be FREE or FAIR. Some in ‘HIGH OFFICE’ are doing all in their power to prevent Electoral Reforms. FRAUDULENT elections is undermining and will continue to undermine our strive towards building true DEMOCRACY. Presently, Dominica is being served by an ILLEGAL LEADER, due to irresponsible behaviour and disrespect for Election Laws. FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY.
You sound like someone who has nightmares lol! relax and breathe. Don’t let your pressure rise. Leave it in the hands of the almighty Creator. Don’t spend the rest of the years under this government as a depressed individual. Live on and pray. Pray for them that hurt or stir you to anger. Don’t make it look like you need mental therapy. Just relax. God will take care of things. I am certain you spoke on this matter before. Why spend your days repeating the same thing. Whoever Jah has in the administrative seats are whoever He chose. It don’t matter if the got their by hook or by crook, He could have prevented it if He wanted. Don’t hinder you and your country’s blessings by biting and fighting. Just let go and His will be done. Just do what you can do best for the next election. PEACE! :D
Your pressure rising nuh? I could feel it. Are you mentally deranged, troubled about the truth expressed? It is not what is repeated, but whether there is any truth to what is repeated. It doesn’t matter if he got there by the hook or the crook? So if a party steals, commits fraud to get into power, Jah loves that? Your mind is really troubled by saying such nonsense. Who could have prevented it? Is Jah who puts corrupt leaders in the administrative seats Nuh? Well is best people do not vote anymore? Is Jah who put Hitler or Idi Amin in power? Well what a Jah? is any thing wrong by asking for FREE and FAIR elections or speaking against corruption or speaking against dictatorship. That is what the majority of people all over the world is struggling for? Justice, FREE and FAIR elections, Good governance, equality. Are you out of this world? Are you from Mars? Point out one thing that is wrong with the facts in those comments. Is not those who say GOD, Jah or ALLah who will be saved, but those who do righteous, honest, moral things. What have you been reading about the almighty creator? support for fraud, corruption, lying, stealing, cheating. Seek psychiatric help early before the truth blow you up.
lol! like I said, God is in control of everything. Why spend four years crying bout who became my boss by cheating when I could spend these four years furthering my education and eventually climb above him? Why not remove the skeletons from my closet before pointing out the dirt in my boss’s yard??
true say
you must be smilling because its going to suit you fine,i can hear you now saying “look we have a national id card so why we need voter id cards” and i know we can travel with social security card already. the longest rope has an end
i traveled using my drivers license from DA to other islands as far back as 2000. Why is this OECS hassle free (no passport required) travel thing news ? The real interesting thing is that most people don’t even know they could do that. Even back then immigration officers in the region would routinely ask for your passport, when in fact one can travel with any picture ID!! I would just present my drivers license and that would be it! Do you notice how they stamp yr passport and waste pages in the process, sometimes choosing a different page each time; when really they don’t even need yr passport according to the agreements signed?
As far back as 2003 or 2004 I traveled to St. Lucia with only my Social Security card. Have also traveled using my drivers license. In fact the only time I really need to use my passport is when traveling outside of the OECS. So I don’t see what this announcement is about when this has been in place for nearly a decade.
If they plan to standardize the cards throughout the region then fine. I have long felt that they should do so, and while they’re at it implement a regional database accessible at all ports of entry in all the islands with machine readable cards and swipe machines. This will accomplish a number of advances:
* Allow OECS nationals to travel hassle free between member states by simply swiping their ID cards when they depart and arrive.
* Eliminate the need for all those annoying immigration forms that you have to fill out every time you travel, and are probably just packed in a box somewhere or dumped afterward.
* If the information filled out on the immigration forms is currently saved it would eliminate the need to hire people to enter this data, thereby reducing operating cost. A kiosk could be installed at the ports for the traveler to key in the relevant data.
* This would greatly improve matter of security and tracking of criminals as one country could flag a fugitive in the database and determine if they have traveled to another country and where they traveled to. The authorities in the country they traveled to would then be automatically alerted. Immigration would also receive an alert if they attempted to depart from that country as soon as they swipe their card.
Try comming to dominica on a ID. U will see what HE talking about. Next fight out. DA is the worst port of entry for a forign national.
cant we not now already travel on a drivers liscence, or social security card,?should we not be haering of greater benefits when we arive in another oecs territory ,like working freely if we choose to , no work permit requirement , paper free travel within the oecs , like immigration cards etc,no duties on items imported between territories,an oecs drivers liscence, no need for a visitors drivers liscence , etc etc etc , a union we need is one resembeling the european union
totally agreed to the suggestion of adopting the European Union style………….I am a European/Dominican and it is very easy and hassle free to travel within the EU …….there exists no borders………no immigration cards………no immigration questions and no local address required.
the only thing that is required is an ID or passport issued by a EU country.
that would be good for the OECS, but i am very skeptical because none of the OECS governments will ever allow this type of free movement – they will see it as an infringement of their sovereignty.
Everyone wants to hold on to Power while the people they represent are suffering.
are we not just fed up of the way the immigration officers in Trinidad, Barbados and Antigua treat us???????????????
Dominican need an indentification card
Dominicans need voter ID cards
… so that the Arab Slave master and Skerrit will not cheat the people of Dominica anymore.
RUBBISH!!!