UWP leader: cleanse voters list, implement changes, to realise electoral reform

Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) Dr. Thomson Fontaine has assured Dominicans that the party is committed to ensuring proper Electoral Reform becomes a reality before the next general elections. He made that statement during a press conference held at the Garraway Hotel on Thursday.

Last month the public was made aware of a draft legislation aimed at revising existing election laws in Dominica. This followed months of prolonged public engagements, rallies, and debate over the need for electoral reforms in Dominica.

It also was presented after the government spent over $700,000 to hire the Former Chief Justice of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Sir Dennis Byron to prepare detailed recommendations for bringing Dominica’s electoral laws up to date.

“The UWP wishes to assure the people of Dominica that we are committed to ensuring proper Electoral Reform becomes a reality before another general election is held,” he said. “We understand its critical importance in setting the basis for free, fair and credible elections. We also understand that the people of Dominica have waited a very long time to realise these reforms.”

He said therefore, the UWP will continue its efforts to educate the Dominican public and to take all necessary steps to ensure that after more than 20 years of agitation, submission of requests, and protest action that “we succeed in securing proper and formidable reforms.”

Dr. Fontaine also called on the public to take this opportunity, “as we move forward” to urge the government of Dominica to bring forward the legislation that truly captures the essence of setting the foundation for free and fair elections.

“It is therefore important to take on board the key legislation coming from Sir Byron as well as the several recommendations made by the UWP and the ERC with respect to residency, cleansing of the voters list, campaign finance reform among others,” he noted.

According to him, while the UWP welcomes legislation allowing for equal access to DBS Radio, and the introduction for the very first time of Voter ID Cards, “we however believe that the draft legislation in its present form have however fallen far short of public expectations.”

“And in our view, does not address some of the key issues, which we believe are essential to setting the basis for free, fair, and credible elections in Dominica,” Dr. Fontaine said.

He stressed the all-important matter of the cleansing of the voters list, stating that the Caribbean Court of Justice in its opinion on the conduct of the 2019 general elections in Dominica issued on July 5, 2022, observed that the electoral lists are central to legitimate and lawful elections. The duty to maintain the integrity of lists of electors falls to the electoral commission.

“The draft Legislation of Electors Act 2024 allows for the confirmation of voters on the list of electors, which currently exists,” he explained. “This list contains over 74,000 electors, some of whom have died, and others who will have an opportunity to confirm their status as electors.”

He said this is to be accomplished through the voter filling in form 31, which requires the elector’s name and constituency, where they were previously registered.

“It is the view of the United Workers Party that to allow voters to confirm their registration without provision of some form of identification only allows for further abuse of the electoral process,” Dr. Fontaine indicated. “We therefore, request that the legislation be adjusted in order to allow for those seeking to reconfirm to provide some form of government-issued identification, clearly indicate their current place of residence, and allow for severe penalties for a person who deliberately provides wrong information.”

He further explained that notwithstanding the Constitutional requirement, which allows the Prime Minister to call elections anytime within the five-year election cycle, and given the critical importance of guaranteeing free, fair and credible elections, “we stress the need to ensure that no elections will take place in Dominica before the confirmation period elapses and a new voters list published.”

“While our preference has always been for a complete re-registration, we are of the firm belief that if the above recommendations on the cleansing of the list are taken into account that, this will help strengthen the confirmation process,” Dr. Fontaine stated.

He continued, “ We note with much concern the removal of the residency criterion for confirmation on the list which was very much a part of the existing legislation. Section 53 (3) of the draft Legislation of Electors Act 2024 allows for the applicant, being a Commonwealth Citizen, not entitled to remain registered if he or she, having departed from Dominica, appears no longer to be ordinarily resident, must be applied to citizens of Dominica seeking confirmation on the voters list.”

Also on the issue of residency, Dr. Fontaine also mentioned that Section 9 gives power to the Chief Registering Officer and others assigned, to verify whether an elector still resides in a particular polling district as well as their residency status.

“Other sections of the Act must therefore be amended to make it clear that persons can be removed from the voters list where they no longer meet residency requirements, including the case of a Dominican Citizen who is no longer ordinarily resident in Dominica,” he remarked.

Furthermore, he said concerning the issuance of voter ID cards allowed for in the legislation,  the UWP urges that the required biometrics be part of the legislation with the minimum requirements stated to include a picture, address, polling district, constituency, and fingerprints.

Dr. Fontaine added that, notwithstanding the series of recommendations made in the Sir Byron Report on the need for campaign finance reforms, “It is regrettable that the draft legislation is completely silent in that regard.”

“It is important for this very serious issue to be addressed in the proposed legislation and adopted into the draft proposals,” he stated. “Recommendations were also made in Sir Dennis’ draft Electoral Commission Bill stipulating 65 as the age of retirement for the Chief Elections Officer, which we wholly endorse and which should be included in the draft government proposal.”

As political leader of the UWP,  he called upon the Electoral Commission and its Chairman Mr. Duncan Stowe to do their duty and submit corrections of the draft legislation to the government.

“The responsibility as was clarified by the CCJ and which is enshrined in both the existing and draft legislations, rests squarely on the Electoral Commission, which is the body charged with overseeing the conduct of elections in Dominica,” Dr. Fontaine indicated.

He believes that this all-important work should never be left up to a government, “especially one who appears bent on staying in office whatever the costs to the long-suffering people of this country.”

“Finally we call upon the people of Dominica to continue to forcefully insist that the government submits the desired legislation to Parliament for approval. The people of Dominica have waited a very long time for the passage of proper Electoral Reform legislation and there is no doubt that we can wait a little longer to get it right before it is brought before Parliament,” Dr. Fontaine said.