At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, a Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) will be deployed to observe the country’s general elections scheduled for 6 December 2022.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, constituted the five-member group of observers, which will be led by Kenya’s former Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture and former Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Amina Mohammed.
The Secretary-General said:
“The Commonwealth has a long and proud history of standing in solidarity with citizens as they prepare to choose their leaders.
“Under the chairmanship of Hon. Amina Mohammed, I firmly believe that the observer group will provide an informed, comprehensive, and impartial assessment of the electoral process.”
The observer group will arrive in Roseau on 30 November 2022 and stay until the completion of the electoral process. During their stay, which will see them deployed throughout the country, they will be supported by a team from the Commonwealth Secretariat led by Ms Chantal Sciberras, Adviser and Head of Europe in the Governance and Peace Directorate.
The COG will observe all aspects of the election process – from the opening of polling stations and the voting process to the counting of ballots and announcement of results – and determine whether the elections are conducted in line with international standards as well as the domestic democratic standards to which Dominica has committed itself. They will also meet and hold briefings with stakeholders, including election management officials, representatives of political parties, civil society groups, the media, and other key stakeholders.
As per the COG’s mandate, observers will act impartially and will adhere to the standards of the Commonwealth Guidelines for the Observation of Elections as well as the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.
Two days after election day, the Observer group will issue an interim statement outlining its initial findings. A final report, which will include the assessment of the electoral process and a set of recommendations for reforms to improve future elections, will be presented to the Government of Dominica, the Electoral Office, and other stakeholders, before being made public.
The group will depart Dominica by 11 December 2022.
The Commonwealth Observer Group members are:
Hon. Amina Mohamed – Chairperson
Former Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture and former Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Kenya
Hon. Liberata Mulamula
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, United Republic of Tanzania
Prof. Praja Trivedi
Commonwealth Envoy, India
Mr Ian Hughes, Assistant Chief Electoral Officer of Elections Commission, Antigua and Barbuda
Mrs Wyvolyn Patterson, Journalist, Jamaica
About The Commonwealth Observer Group:
- The Commonwealth has been observing electoral processes for over four decades. In that time, more than 160 elections have been observed in 40 countries.
- Commonwealth Observer Groups (COGs) are independent and autonomous and will normally be chaired by a former Head of Government or senior political figure.
- They are composed of eminent persons from a range of fields, including electoral commissioners, parliamentarians, legal experts, gender experts, human rights experts, and media experts.
- Members are drawn from all regions of the Commonwealth and are appointed in their individual capacities. All missions are supported by a small team from the Secretariat.
- Each COG is constituted by the Secretary-General following an invitation or welcome from a country’s election management body or government.
About The Commonwealth Secretariat:
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states. Our combined population is 2.5 billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under. The Commonwealth Secretariat supports member countries to build democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people, and address threats such as climate change, debt, and inequality.
For more information about The Commonwealth, visit https://thecommonwealth.org/
Follow the Secretariat on Twitter and Facebook: @commonwealthsec
These his ‘observers” are being brought in so that the dictator Prime Minister will not look like the dictator that he is. It is all a sham and make believe. These observers are all his friends they are not neutral. Time for the Dominican people to rise up and put a stop to this dictator. The United Nations should get involved.
In a real country these observes would observe a land slide of stones / rocks falling from the airport to their hotel. Dominica has a lot of mountains and rocks / landslides usually occur here in dry season as well as when it’s raining. So they just need to experience some good landslides of rocks
One man have the entire population of Dominica bowing and begging for everything. Isn’t that kool? I saw one “journalist” (dressed in a yellow shirt) asking Skerrit a question. Skerrit then made light of the question and the “journalist” also made light of Skerrit’s response to his question. So you see where I’m going with this? No one stands up to Skerrit. My citizenship is on the brink. Dominicans aren’t ready yet.
Here are the reports from the previous election observers (2009, 2014 and 2019)
http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/observers/dm_observers_reports.asp
Disclosure of campaign finances, deceased people on voter lists, disparities between constituency sizes, and voter ID cards are just a few of the concerns which these observers have confirmed lead to unfairness.
Repeated remedial recommendations after each election have been ignored, yet they continue to claim the elections are free and fair!
Fix this before it becomes unfixable. If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.
Your comment is so instructive and thoughtful. Why should any right thinking person take this flippant organisation seriously?
Here is an organisation which has repeatedly recommended to the present regime that specific reforms are needed to be done to the electoral system in Dominica. Roosevelt has robustly rejected such. What is most mind-boggling is that this said organisation has seen it fit to send observers to give validity to this pseudo election.
I absolutely attach no value, significance to anything associated with this empty, talk-shop assembly called the Commonwealth.
Dr. Amina Mohame, please stay at your home- don’t get involved with this guy’s pappy show. Your good reputation is at stake- Unlike him, your good name, reputation and professional integrity are much better than riches.
What are you going to say to your colleague’s madam after you participate in this waste of time, shameful, undignified and low-class exercise? Is it possible that they may laugh at you? When you play with dogs you get flees.
Good Luck Doc
How can I have confidence in a handpicked group by a partisan woman who told the opposition in Dominca to go suck salt if they weren’t pleased that the Skerritt led party was running the country? This will just be a rubber-stamp of the election which was called without having the promised electoral reforms. This looks like an unethical international conspiracy against the people of Dominca.
This is just a case of quid pro quo for sure. You scratch my back, I in turn massage yours. All these once well revered international and regional organisations, today, they have proven themselves less than reliable and reputable.
Roosevelt went beyond the call of duty to get and retain the Baroness as the Secretary General of the Commonwealth. It has paid off handsomely and perfectly for him.
What the hell Patricia Scotland and Roosevelt trying. Is there an election taking place in Dominica for them to come and observe? Since their last trip to Dominica when they said encouraged Skerrit to give us reform did Skerrit change anything?
I just want Skerrit and Patricia Scotland to know that the commonwealth observer group is not welcome to Dominica at this time and Skerrit is responsible for their safety because we not going to stand there and watch Skerrit steal another sham election
Patricia Scotland is not liked in Britain. She is not trusted.
Every discerning person knows the Commonwealth is a sluggish, flawed, overrated, defective, outmoded organisation.The UK formed this organisation to reminisce about its past when the sun did not set in its empire.
If the Commonwealth had worth its salt, it would have divorced Dominica from the membership by kicking it out as a pariah nation.
The CCJ. Stated that the elections in Dominica are tainted under the present electoral system.
They stated that no further elections should be held until the system was corrected,
The PM appointed a previous head of the CCJ to carry out this task.
On the eve of presentation,PM called a SNAP ELECTION.
ALTHOUGH when you consider the arrangements made by the PM for the campaign this is a well prepared strategy.
Main point,WHY has the Secretary of the Commonwealth accepted the invitation of PM TO OBSERVE this fraud in view of the CCJ stated view that No elections should be held under the present system.
The CCJ. Stated that the elections in Dominica are tainted under the present electoral system.
They stated that no further elections should be held until the system was corrected,
The PM appointed a previous head of the CCJ to carry out this task.
On the eve of presentation,PM called a SNAP ELECTION.
ALTHOUGH when you consider the arrangements made by the PM for the campaign this is a well prepared strategy.
Main point,WHY has the Secretary of the Commonwealth accepted the invitation of PM TO OBSERVE this fraud in view of the CCJ stated view that No elections should be held under the present system.
Man stop your foolishness UWP frustrated the system they place an Injunction…least we forget..
Labour will beat them again….with their nonsense
But there is no election so what they coming to observe there? An election between Skerrit eleven verses Skerrit eleven? Well Here is the scorecard:
1.Raymond Blackmore kicked out Skerrit zero $$$
2. Senior Regie Austrie kicked out Skerrit 0 $$$
3. Ian Douglas kicked out by Skerrit zero $
4. Roselyn Paul kicked Skerrit $$
5. Lady Daniel kicked out by Skerrit $$
6.Kent Edwards kicked out Skerrit zero $
7. Dr Darroux kicked out by Skerrit zero $$$
8. Addis King retired hurt and in pain
Retired hurt:
9. Chaka Lockhart bounced & hurt by Skerrit $
10. Octavia Alfred bounced &hurt by Skerrit $
11 Greta Robert bounced & hurt by Skerrit $
12. Federal Grant bounced & hurt by Skerrit $
13. Denise Charles bounced & hurt by Melissa $
So the first eight players are already bowled out by Skerrit and sadly the observers weren’t present.
So what is left for the observers to see is if those that were bounced and almost retired hurt by Skerrit and Melissa will come back to bat…
Your comment is senseless…You have issues
I would argue that YOUR comment is utterly senseless. You are a typical brainwashed Labour supporter. How many envelopes did it take?
Now all shop going to run out of salt!
Here comes Roosevelt Skerrit bowls to Chakra Lockhart and a loud appeal from Skerrit!!!! But wait a minute nou. Only one team playing against themselves, with no umpires and on the same old venue? Well since there is no umpires and no opponent then let’s look on the Big Screen to see what Skerrit appealed for(
Big Screen is showing Skerrit overstepped, it’s a big noball but despite what we all saw and what the world sees on the big screen. Skerrit has stolen the results and he bringing down the world to pretend that he has a game on. Skerrit stop pretending man because we all know that you stole the match before a ball was bowled!!
What they coming to observe tmnou? Skerrit in recent times the OAS, the Patricia Scotland lead group ( who is on record telling us that opposed your corruption to go suck salt), and the CCJ told you in no uncertain terms that you election is tainted and corrupt and needs to be fixed to have free and fair elections. Have you fixed it? So why spend more money to bring down observers to say elections are once again stolen?
Those of you that understand cricket I want you to compare what Skerrit calls election to a cricket game between Australia verses Australia. So ICC although they know the game is being stolen by Australia yet for the sake of formality they sent umpires and match referee not to officiate the already known stolen game but just for the record. They know Australia has already paid umpires, ground staff, match referee and even TV network for the stolen victory, just to pretend that there was a game. That’s exactly what Skerrit has done. So is election is Skerrit vs DLP
Political similarities:
Roosevelt Skerrit’s net worth or net income is estimated to be $1 million – $10 million dollars. He has made such an amount of wealth from his primary career as a Politician.
The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, is listed as one of the richest Politicians with a net worth of approximately $1.5 Million.
Amina Mohamed net worth or net income is estimated to be between $1 Million – $5 Million dollars. She has made such amount of wealth from her primary career as Politician.
Here we go, the CM buts on another very expensive show which will have to be financed by our already empty state coffers. Skerrit for sure is the master of smoke screens.
What’s the point of having observers to an election, that is already unfair due to the CM failing to implement the promised reforms. If Dominicans allow this farce to go ahead, I predict the downfall of our country as we knew it. Skerrit has fooled all you well and good!
“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt….” – René Descartes
The COM, OAS and similar “Observer Missions?” are enablers of corruption and dictatorship. They serve no useful purpose to persons who are suffering from the ills of electoral corruption and demise of democracy in Dominica and other countries around the globe. Same for the Commonwealth Secretariat – a relic that has run its course
The report will simple be a ‘copy-paste’ exercise. Indeed, these persons could remain in place in their respective countries and compile the report. Rubber-stamping Mission is a more appropriate definition.
A total waste of time!!!
Here is the BS,a handful of UWP supporters thing the majority of Dominicans are stupid.In 2019 just before the election,Lennox Linton,leader of the parliamentary opposition,told Dominica he know the election will not be free and fair.Despite it not being free and fair UWP would still win.Linton was sure UWP was going to win an election that was not free and fair.Dominicans never forget.
And who constituted the 2019 one?I am sure the UWP agents at the 21 polling stations in 2019 were not stupid,blind and moomoo.The UWP professional advisers are very good at advising them on how to lose elections.What they should do is set 🔥 on the road to prevent the observers from coming.
How much did yours truly the Prime Minister pay Scotland and this, his “observer? None of those people can be trusted they have been bought. Instead of his “observers” the United Nations, Britain and the US should send people to investigate his dictatorship.
Alibaba maybe even paid them already so they could say election was free and fair. But don’t worry Mr Alibaba the entire world already knows your trick already and will therefore consider it stolen already
The election is not going to be fair regardless of who he brings down to try and make it look legitimate.
But the man stole the election already and he bringing down groups to say it was fair? Man you are a cancer to Dominica
Roosevelt’s lying ways are unrivaled. The Commonwealth, once again, has allowed itself to become a victim of this godawful charlatan’s devastating lies.
Fool me once shame on you,fool me twice shame on me. Seems as though Roosevelt will fool the Commonwealth to perpetuity.
“The Commonwealth, once again, has allowed itself to become a victim of this godawful charlatan’s devastating lies”.
After all, Ibo France! Why can’t you simply remain quiet for once in your Life?
It is said above: “The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states” Did you not read this?
Now you are stating in your foolish comment, that an “association of 56 sovereign states” has allowed “one man” to make them the “victim of his lies” what nonsense is that?
And what are the lies which you speak about over and over again?
When exactly do you plan to remove that broken record of yours from its turntable, and put on a new one that will move smoothly, with it lyrics, verse to verse, and a melody that will enlighten the minds of your listeners?
Instead you are leading them astray, because they do not know any better than you do; what a sad situation!
@Liztheungodly
You function outside the circumference of truth, logic, common sense, integrity, fairness, et cetera.
Stop your menacing comments and go and enjoy the rest of your sunset years of your life.
The COG will observe all aspects of the election process – from the opening of polling stations and the voting process to the counting of ballots and announcement of results – and determine whether the elections are conducted
Here lies the problem. This is a waste of time and money if all you do is come an witness the voting process. The whole election process is not just about voting day. This is the reason it is always said to be free and fair. If i sell drugs kill people to raise money to build a hospital and you just come to the breaking ground say the whole process is legit then you are enabling drug dealing and criminality. I know the outcome to the observer mission. There will be no tampering of ballots, no obstruction of people coming to vote and no intimidation. And Commonwealth observer is going say the same shit they have done for year with no regard to the events leading to election day. Furthermore sousey sel has a conflict of interest in Dominica
Be content with your puny intelligence, making such silly analogy, If I sell drugs to kill people to raise money to build a hospital, and you just come to the breaking ground say the whole process is legit then you are enabling drug dealing and criminality. This is a classic example of what political partisan beliefs can do to the mind, deceiving you from making an intelligent analysis regarding the issue. The food of the intellect is thought, thinking not rigid belief, but again you are entitled to your opinion. You, Ibo France the fanatic political operative and the rest who dominate this medium with thoughtless and dogmatic beliefs will not prevent the will of The MAJORITY, from supporting the Government they see fit to Govern the Country amidst the chaos and mischief of the opposition.
I would like you to tell me how the Commonwealth Secretary-General has a conflict of interest in Dominica, such ignorance of your understanding as to the role of The Commonwealth, so long
@Liztheungodly
You function outside the circumference of truth, logic, common sense, integrity, fairness, et cetera.
Stop your menacing comments and go and enjoy the rest of your sunset years of your life.
Gary your verbose statement is of no significance. You have this propensity to try to eviscerate people of integrity. However, you pay homage to the arch villain (Roosevelt) and his parasitic hangers-on.
So, what should be the criteria for “free and fair elections” if you reject the standard globally accepted yardstick?
How nice. How nice, can you believe these individual colonialists trained and self-serving commonwealth oppressive and abuse protectors of oppression in their own countries with all their issues, leaving their own country plagued problems to come and supervise an election that cannot and would not be allowed to take place in their own countries.
Observe! Not one of them is coming from the United Kingdom of the United States, the apex of democracy.
Skerrit was correct when he said Dominicans are docile and peace loving, because none of these characters would venture or interfere in Jamaica’s, Trinidad’s or Guyana’s election because they know what a potential outcome could be.
They should remember saying: the person who gives you the cow is not the one that going to help you feed it.
“Observe! Not one of them is coming from the United Kingdom of the United States, the apex of democracy.” Do you know a country that invites “Observers” from a specific country to observe their elections?
And, did you just refer to “the United Kingdom of the United States, the apex of democracy?” Are you serious or high on some bad grass?
Total joke and ineptitude. There should be specific checks and balances in place before an election. After the horse has bolted workmen are sent to patch the gate.
The United Nations, Commonwealth, OAS, CARICOM and many other international and regional organizations are useless pieces of instruments.
This trip by Dr. Mohamed is a wasteful use of money. It does nothing to stop the ubiquitous and entrenched corruption that has dogged elections in Dominica for decades.
Does the good lady’s presence in Dominica do anything to stop illegal voting, cleanse the bloated voters’ list, ensure voters register where they normally reside, produce voter ID cards?
This effort by the Commonwealth is nothing more than a mockery of monumental proportion. Just remember who is the present secretary- general. She did nothing to bolster free and fair election in Dominica. The corrupt status quo remains firmly in place under her watch.
“But where wee be there nah” skerrit invitng who? and sousey sel approve, is so we come; woman what the h–ll is wrong with you, why should we still be tolerating you and skerrit bs; ladies and gentlemen your only presence in in Dominica is to get that that monster off our backs shame on the commonwealth secretariat; we don’t need you guys here stay the hell out of our damn business.
Read carefully pal, our salty baroness herself constituted the five member group of observers. You think she has no vested interest in the outcome for her sponsor Roosevelt Skerrit? I’m not so sure and I have a sneaky feely that these commonwealth observers may well have been handpicked. Forgive me but given the history noting between these two nothing would surprise me and makes me feel uneasy.
yes, U right. So what do you plan to do about that? Just keep on posting blogs?