Former Minister of State in the Ministry of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture and National Food Security, Gregory Riviere, has admitted that the voters list is bloated and needs to be cleansed. However, he believes it can be cleansed outside of electoral reform.
He made the disclosure during a series of public consultations on electoral reform held in Marigot this week.
“I believe we have to do something with the voters list. I think the voters list is bloated, but we can fix the voters list outside of electoral reform,” he said. “There are procedures in place we can follow to fix the voters list.”
Riviere continued, “We have entities that are supposed to be doing their job.”
He called for the existing laws to be enforced.
“We do not have to be spending all these nights, consultations upon consultations to take a dead man off a list,” he stressed. “We don’t have to be spending all that money.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that he doesn’t believe the constitution of Dominica should be tampered with.
“This has served us well and I think it should continue as it is,” Riviere noted.
Riviere went on to state that he is not in support of two terms to serve as Prime Minister.
“Take for instance, I have been hearing a lot about two terms for Prime Minister. So that is what you want in Dominica?” he asked. “If the people want you, they will vote for you. If the people do not want you, they will dump you. That is democracy.”
He is also not in favour of the increase of expanding the electoral commission.
“What are we going to achieve by expanding the electoral commission? The constitution gives us two from the government, two from the opposition and the President determines who will be the chair. That is okay. All we need to do is get the electoral commission to work and as long as the electoral commission works we don’t have a problem,” he explained.
Building Contractor Stewart Paris asserted that there is a need for a voter ID Card during general elections in Dominica.
“While I stand corrected I cannot think of one jurisdiction in the Caribbean region or subregion that does not have a voter ID Card to help in the safeguard of this electoral reform process,” he stated. “In fact, I believe and I stand corrected again that Mr. Dennis Byron needs to have a voter ID Card on election day in his jurisdiction to cast his vote.”
Paris continued, “Someone needs to enlighten me on what it is that is so unique about Dominica that it must be the only one in this global jurisdiction in the Caribbean region that should not have a voter ID Card as a safeguard against fraudulent elections, fraudulent voting, and election rigging.”
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Representative of the Marigot Constituency, Anthony Charles has called for a fixed date for general elections.
“You see this thing about, I feel to call it and whole term people running campaigns I don’t like that,” he argued. “Set a date.”
Charles further argued that the constitution is weak.
“Back in the day, people used to move on principle…People don’t have no principle no more…sometimes I don’t even have principle,” he stated. “I cannot even trust myself to keep a date…”
He added, “We need a set date because we cannot take people’s word.”
Charles believes that the constitution has too many loopholes.
“What is wrong with setting a date?” he asked.
“I believe we have to do something with the voters list. I think the voters list is bloated, but we can fix the voters list outside of electoral reform,” he said. “There are procedures in place we can follow to fix the voters list.”
We know. But does the DLP want that? We know this already Feller! Recommendations have been put forward for it to be done. We know there is a procedure. But does the DLP want the list purged? To take off all the diaspora that havents been back since 2019 and the dead people they still have voting.
…you forgot all the dead people that need to be removed as well. They are all Skerrit supporter, you know.
Me,how are laws made in Dominica?Laws are made by the majority of elected members in parliament.Ask yourself,DLP 19 Independent 2,now you know.You people are talking diaspora while ignoring the locals.One question to you UWP lost 1,163 votes in the 2019 general election,where did those votes come from? Is it from the diaspora or the local people?That you will never answer.If from the locals it mean even UWP supporters have turned their backs on the party,making them unpopular.You will never admit it is the diaspora who decided not to go to Dominica to vote UWP.Losing 1,163 votes in Dominica is a big deal especially to a party with 10 sure seats.UWP and supporters must understand Dominica is Labour country and unless they start campaigning with that in mind they will NEVER win a election.Try to win over some Labourites like DFP did between 1980 and 1995.But again Skerrit will never make the mistake PJ did.The social programmes have seen to that,and exposed UWP as haters of the programme
As we watch and listen to the shameless DLP sycophants like Jean-Jacques, babble against providing the basic tenets of democracy such as a sanitized voters list and proper voter identification we should be even more triggered by the fact that the importation of bribed illegal voters is a multi-million-dollar venture funded by our CBI revenues in many ways. The people should be on the streets demonstrating not just for electoral reform but for a better economy, a dismal healthcare system, massive unemployment, elevated level of crime and abject poverty.
How is it that MEME,with all the money UWP had making shall bar we,they did not win the 2000 election?With all your education I am sure you cannot make a fish pot or a basket,it is all about skills and talent.Dominicans are like Israelites,in times of trouble they come together,like they did to kick out UWP.
There has never been election bribery in Dominica.UWP contested elections in 1990,95,2000,2005,2009,2019 and 2019 that is 7 elections and the MAJORITY of Dominicans have never voted then.Why did you not say plane tickets were bought and pocket change given in 1995?You useless UWPites must become foot soldiers.Go on the ground and convince people to vote UWP,instead of hiding on DNO and Q95 posting and talking crap.Johnson Bosso Boston is the oldest active politician in Dominica(more than 40 years)and he cannot convince 10 voters in the Mahaut constituency to vote UWP or DFP.But he is in everything talking on behalf of UWP.Now Skerrit has given more than 5,000 Dominicans FREE houses.He is paying more than 4,500 people in the NEP.He is also paying more that 2,700 senior citizens $300 monthly(because of that a lot of people and their children turned from UWP)More than 300 in the Yes We Care.Do the maths not counting the thousands who have been voting DLP before the social programmes.
Most of the old people that receive this payment are DLP supporters and ALL recipients of the NEP money are Skerrit/DLP supporters. How can you even attempt with your sick mind, to see anything positive in this. As far as the ‘free’ houses is concerned the story is the same, only Skerrit supporters qualify. Furthermore, this housing program is used to account fraudulently for missing CBI and other money laundering activities. Has anybody seen any independently audited CBI accounts? Have you, Mr. Clown? I rest my case. You should be ashamed of yourself with your poor attempt of even cheaper propaganda.
At this point in time it appears that our very constitution is one of the biggest threats to our democracy. It was written at the time we had decent, and morally honest people in politics who would never take advantages of the weak language in the document. However, today we are witnessing the presence of rouges and vagabond in government and every influential institution in the country. So, if it means amending our constitution then so be it. We need to do things right once and for all.
By the way, I dare say that this is not the Gregory Riviere I knew….wow, oh how politics and greed change people.
@Lin clown
The laws will NEVER stay as is…..You can go to the bank with this. You escaped Dominica like a refugee, yet still you stay in the bushes where you are and babble what you don’t know anout Dominica like a clown. Never knew the diaspora had soo many dumb Dominicans!
Paying someones airfare OR seafare, plus giving him pocket change so that he travels to Dominica under the instruction that he votes in a particular/ specific constituency is BRIBERY, which is an election crime, and this nasty vice must be arrested and eliminated in our elections.
Owning 1000 000 houses or building 1000 000 houses on island OR sending your relatives 1000 000 barrels are NOT qualifying criteria to vote here. You are 18 years and over? Pay your own passage and come reside/domicile in your constituency 3 months before the polling day.
It’s breaking the law of our country. It’s as simple as that. Skerrit should be in jail for that! But how about all those’Patriots’ who happily accepted these bribes. What about them? All of them should receive a free holiday at Stockfarm next time they set foot in country, all courtesy of the treasury. They are as much to blame as Skerrit is.
I agree with Rivierre 100%,the electoral laws should stay as it is,some people need to do their work.Paris is wrong a person does not need a voters ID card to vote,that is false information.Paris must tell the public where in the Caribbean somebody cannot vote without an ID card.His argument is weak.If a person deliberately leaves his voters ID home on election day but,has another form of ID you cannot prevent that person from voting.And if that happen to 23,643 voters in protest you cannot prevent them from voting.An ID card is to confirm you are who you say you are,that includes passport,DSS card or drivers license.
Yes you would love to say that. It’s a voters ID card we want, that’s it!
I’m with you pal, Gregory Riviere, in calling on the electoral commission to do it’s work. Skerritt put a passport seller as chairman of the commission and it’s clear that he’s too damn busy making money than to worry with any change in the status quo. On electoral reform he felt no way that Skerritt pushed him to the side in putting together this Byron led effort. The public hasn’t heard anything from him since the appointment of Byron to engineer this round on electoral reform. The Catholic Church has our pray for our sins by acts of commission and also of omission, this chairman needs to adopt this prayer. Come on, Duncan, give it up and go make your money selling passports to hoodlums and terrorists. Dominica deserves better.