CCM, DFP speak after meeting with joint mission on electoral reform

Loftus Durand addressing a CCM electoral reform protest

President of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Loftus Durand, has expressed his disappointment at the “lie” he believes is being spread about the CCM’s attitude towards voters in the diaspora.

His comments follow the meeting of a Joint Special Mission made up of the CARICOM Secretariat (CARICOM), the Commonwealth Secretariat and the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS), to assist in the country’s efforts with various aspects of electoral reform. Over the weekend, the Mission met with principal stakeholders in Dominica’s electoral process, including the major political parties, electoral authorities, government authorities and members of civil society.

Speaking on Q95’s ‘Patriots on Q’, on Sunday, Durand indicated his belief that the government crafted a “falsehood” to give the Mission the impression that forces opposing the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) are against Dominicans in the diaspora returning home to vote.

“They gave these people the impression that CCM, the UWP, Freedom Party—whoever that is opposing this government… that it is these people who [don’t] want the people from overseas to come and vote. And to me, that is very deceptive. …We do not have a problem with our bon fide Dominicans living in China, living in New Zealand, living wherever they [are] living, to come and vote… So, to give these people that subtle deceptive impression that we don’t want overseas voters to come in to vote, that is very wrong. It is diabolical.”

Durand spoke favourably of the discussion, saying that it “went on well,” and called on the Dominican people to take action to effect change.

“Again, it all boils back to [us], the people,” he stated. “What are we prepared to do about situation in Dominica?”

DFP leader Kent Vital

Meantime, Political leader of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Kent Vital, whose party also met with the meeting of the Joint Special Mission, stated that although he was grateful for the platform, he warned that the committee may be part of a “perverse” plot by the government to hinder electoral reform.

“So, one of the first things we said to them is that number one, you have to understand that…while we are glad that you’re here, you’re professional, hopefully, you’re unbiased and you can shed light, but you have to be aware that you may be brought here for the perverse reasons of the Prime Minister and this government. Perverse reasons in the sense, that they jolly well know that we may just be close to election, and time is running out, and as the Chairman of the [Electoral] Commission had already started to do, indicate that there is not enough time to do the reforms that we need,” he said, on Q95’s ‘Matt in the Morning’, on Monday. “They may just have brought you here so you could corroborate, or you could agree with them, and therefore, they could use it to say ‘we are not doing this’.”

The DFP leader insisted that the introduction of voter ID cards and the cleansing of the electoral list are of top priority.

However, given that elections are constitutionally due in 2020, Vital called for decisive action from the government.

“We advised them at the end, that the two most important things would be the cleansing of the list and the ID cards. We said to them that you can advise the government that within our laws, there is time, or you can advise them whether or not there is time to ensure that those things are done before elections… If for any reason, you happen to agree with the Prime Minister that there isn’t enough time, please note that that issue is so important that you have to consider other things; possibly, for instance, advising them— although they will not do it— that they resign, and that an interim government be set up, and that during that time, the list be cleansed. So, I said that to force them to understand how serious a matter this is.”

Subsequent to its meetings in Dominica, the Mission will present its recommendations in alignment with international electoral good practice for the consideration of the appropriate authorities.

In June 2019, Skerrit announced the initiative, describing it as a continued expression of the government’s efforts to ensure transparency and to provide a platform for the public to express their concerns about electoral reform in “a respectful and peaceful manner.”

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19 Comments

  1. Lin clown
    August 14, 2019

    SEE how uneducated UWP supporters are.MR %,yes MR % does not know $50,000 divided by 6 is $8,333 recurring.So when these UWP idiots talk about CBI and OUR PASSPORT MONEY,we know these people are PARROTS.No wonder Linton says 3,961 by 50,000 is 1 billion and UWP agree.%,%,% if you want to know about the CBI just GOOGLE.The information is there or listen to EDUCATED PEOPLE SPEAK.

  2. Tj
    August 12, 2019

    Loftus and kent ora et la bora. A change is coming, we will a worthwhile government in UWP .

  3. Ibo France
    August 12, 2019

    Let me be brutally honest. Skerrit and his worshippers should never be trusted. They lie and engage in political trickery to win elections. So, for the past twenty years, they have been winning but not succeeding. Again, winning by political mischief, underhandedness and devilishness. Imagine for the past twenty years there hasn’t been anything transformative in Dominica. There is nothing to make one shout “Hurray!” Reforming the electoral system is a hoax for them, a big show and dance. They must relinquish power for the nation to soar again.

  4. Kalinago Justice
    August 12, 2019

    :?: I’ve always thought that the one-man corrupt rogue regime prime mistake invited these organisations at the last minute to justify his reason of not enough time for electoral reforms! He had more than enough time for years since electoral reforms have been on the cards! There should be no elections without electoral reforms no matter what these organisations say! :?:

  5. Lin clown
    August 12, 2019

    St.Jean you are right we Labourites will never vote UWP.After Maria you and your brothers left Dominica.We the Labourites stayed back and built DOMINICA.If we Labourites are CULT MEMBERS it is for the betterment of Dominica.We do not need your advice.There will be no electoral reform before the next election.St.Jean you and your LAZY UWP supporters can jump high jump low that is what it is.

    • too much
      August 13, 2019

      “If we Labourites are CULT MEMBERS it is for the betterment of Dominica” (clown). 😲 Jeeezous! Lemme get off this page eh.

  6. Joseph John
    August 12, 2019

    Mamma look duplicity. Look comess minded people. They call for electoral reform but when interventions is proposed by regional and international organizations they call it a “perverse” (conspiracy).
    They had all kinds of demonstration, meetings, press conference and interviews on Q95. But when the issue is given international positive proactive attention they object. The report is not even completed or submitted but they are already complaining like 5th graders and agents of chaos.
    They do not care to show their disrespectful attributes and bad behavior to international bodies. And those gangsters want Dominicans to vote them into office.
    Their goal is to degrade Dominica by any means necessary. (bell bowl)
    What happened to national pride ? Where is the patriotism ? Where is the love of country ?
    They take their grudge against Skerrit to a new high, the international height. The only thing they want is chaos.

    • Ibo france
      August 13, 2019

      This specific issue has been bandied around for well over a decade. The time for talk is over. Just bring the necessary electoral reforms that the vast majority of the people want. This nakedly corrupt government should stop pussyfooting around with this most relevant issue. The people crave for action not any more talk. The voice of the people is the voice of God.

  7. Casio
    August 12, 2019

    More talk? you are not going to get the reform you asked for. Accept it. the reforms that the DLP have proposed or acted like they wanted to pass arent the ones called for. Simple. (1) Clean the list and re-register everyone. and (2) issue voter id cards. Simple. But guess what. We arent going to get it this election. why? because they like it how it is. they may not win if anything else is changed.

  8. %
    August 12, 2019

    The DLP cannot answer questions on a whooping 1.291 billion dollars that is out of our treasury, you all think that those guys will facilitate electoral reform??
    In fact a clown trying to explain the missing money,invented a new maths. 50/4=8.333. A second clown present with him agreed!
    We have to force them to do it!!!

    • ??
      August 13, 2019

      Boy, the uneducated one pulled that one from his %$$# and some of you lap that up like it’s the gospel truth. What a shame. STOP being a loser and get with the program

      • RandyX
        August 14, 2019

        That program is nothing but another instrument for Skerrit to enrich himself and give him the means to fight elections and buy votes. The same thing that happened to the missing Venezuelan millions.

  9. We run as one
    August 12, 2019

    Hello mr st Jean , plz don’t confuse our great pm with Lennox Linton he that’s the Jim Jones and guys like you have the big jog of blue coolaide drinking

    • great pm my a--
      August 13, 2019

      Your leader is not great. He’s a con man. This DLP government is the biggest farce in Dominica’s history. When he loses this election and runs away, some of you will follow him into the “jungle” somewhere. Since when did Dominicans become fanatics for a PM? Look at how this man lives, take a good look at all the assets he has. He is not paid enough salary and benefits to live like this. Where is the money coming from?! Hello! He’s stealing from us! Wake up! Open your eyes! Wash your face in cold water!

  10. August 12, 2019

    Nothing Skerrit does or says will satisfy Loftus or Vidal. They are just bent on wanting to see the UWP regain power, which will not happen. They are anti-labor and nothing Skerrit says or does will appease their hunger and quench their thirst. They are die-hard UWP supporters. All Skerrit has to do now is to completely ignore them because he will never win over them no matter what. You can take a cow to the lake but you cannot force him to drink water.

    • jamie
      August 12, 2019

      Skerrit is a scam,and people like you have been bought for a few dollars,God is in control and he will not remain in power forever.

    • Jonathan Y St Jean
      August 12, 2019

      Merritt gas had over 8 years to enact electoral reforms in Dominica so why is at the 12th hour that he’s bringing in this mission after he told us that there isn’t enough time to implement reforms without valid and justifiable reasons? It’s all a game Skerritt is playing. Merritt wants what’s best for Skerritt but Loftus and Kent want what’s best for Dominica. Cult followers will agree with whatever Skerritt says or does. Do you remember Jim Jones in Guyana? People drank cyanide for him. I see a similar situation with Labour Party supporters.

    • Joseph John
      August 12, 2019

      @ds, Not only Durand and Vidal, but Linton, Francis, Letang. The dumb five who were last in class in the 5th grade who are the now leaders of the unreasonable wicked people gang bangers and mobsters.
      They are not interested in or are unfamiliar with procedure, collaboration , dialogue and negotiation. They remind me of a man in Roseau called La Lie who only knew how to be violent.

    • FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY
      August 13, 2019

      How can one believe a PATHOLOGICAL lying. The man’s got a chronic behaviour of compulsive or habitual lying. Unlike telling the occasional white lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or getting in trouble, he seems to lie for no apparent reason.

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