The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) plans to intensify its public mobilization campaign over the next six weeks as it reiterates its call to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and the Electoral Commission to “do the right thing” and put back the sections on campaign financing recommended by Sir Dennis Byron, into the Government’s Draft Electoral Legislation.
The ERC is also demanding that the government reinsert the provisions prescribing the selection, nomination and appointment to the Electoral Commission, and to pass into law particulars required for the preparation of voter identification cards as submitted by the ERC and which form part of “the People’s provisions for completion of the Electoral Reform Legislation.”
In a release, The ERC said it considers campaign financing regulations as a critical aspect of the electoral reform process and its deletion allows the Dominica Labour Party access to unlimited funds from unknown sources which it has used to:
- Charter planes and ships to transport overseas voters
- Import nationals from the diaspora who are not qualified to vote
- Engage high-priced international artists in Labour Party political campaign activities
- Possibly purchase candidates who have no history in political or community activity.
- Likely bribe electors
- Engage high-priced foreign consultants who manage the Labour Party campaign.
- Control of the news media
- Control of buses and sound systems to deny opposition forces access to these services
- Possibly paying of electors on election day
- Importation of expensive election paraphernalia
- Possibly accessing money from all sorts of unknown sources
The ERC is appealing to the political parties, private sector, civil society and Dominican citizens at home and abroad, to join in the final thrust of the campaign for electoral reform. The Coalition insists that any attempt by the Dominica Labour Party government to proceed to parliament without campaign finance regulations must be resisted and urges citizens to prepare for such eventuality.
“The struggle for electoral reform has been long and frustrating, but the end is almost here. All that is needed is for the Prime Minister to put back the campaign financing regulations, the recommended provisions for the appointment of people to the Electoral Commission as well the 65-year retiring age limit of the Chief Elections Officer in the proposed legislation,” The ERC declared in its release.
Additionally, the Coalition wants the government to amend the provisions for voter identification cards, for reregistration of voters to be done in Dominica and not overseas, and other minor amendments as presented by the ERC, “and the legislation will be good to go as an acceptable minimum requirement.”
The release goes on to state, “the ERC is confident that good sense will prevail, and the people of the Commonwealth of Dominica will enjoy an electoral system that is not contaminated with big money from unknown sources. Dominica deserves free and fair elections on a level playing field. By the grace of God, the Commonwealth of Dominica will achieve the electoral legislation that they will be proud of.”
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has rejected the ERC’s call for the inclusion of fingerprints in the voter ID card, arguing during his contribution to the budget debate recently, that this would make voting a criminal act in Dominica.
“We said we wanted a national ID card. We said, okay, take the voter ID card. Now they have issued a voter ID card. They want more things on the voter ID card that you find nowhere in the world. And the passport being the supreme document of our country doesn’t have a stamp. So why should we put systems in place to make it difficult?”, Skerrit stated… “Are we not a progressive nation, Mr. Speaker, where people are denied the vote because of the economic and social circumstances, and people fought hard in our world and part of our world for the right to vote, that we’re now in the 24th year of the law trying to put systems in place to deny people access to voting, a fundamental right.”
He made it clear that once he received the Electoral Commission’s submission on the Draft Electoral Legislation, it would be taken to Parliament.
If this government implement anything by ERC,we Labourites are ready to remove them from government.We will do what we did to Labour in 1979.IF any member of ERC or their UWP acolytes break the law they will be arrested.Time to stop that BS from people hungry for political power.When the corrupt UWP was in power between 1995 and 2000 there was no ERC.The people of Dominica do NOT need ERC.
In 1995,65.14% of the people voted against UWP.According to the laws of Dominica UWP formed government,because they got an 11 seat majority,and that was ok.There was no cry about dead people voting.No cry for id cards.No campaigning financing.No bribery and no diaspora voting in Dominica.UWP was incharge and on stage.The 1995 election was free and fair because UWP won.In 2000 UWP had more money than DLP and DFP combined yet they LOST the 2000 election without electoral reform.The same process that was in place when UWP won in 1995,it is the same process we have today.
Im sorry Grace but you do not speak for me. I am not satisfied with how people are voting in Dominica.
All I want to do at this time is remind Skerrit of Daniel 5:25, which reads, And this is the writing that was written,” Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin”.
Skerrit, time up. You can run, you can hide, you can curse or whatever. Time up sir and time will not wait on you.
I don’t want to associate with the name posted so I will address whoever as Evil dower. So Evil doer you said “ we Dominicans are satisfied with how we voting “ please understand that I am a Dominican and I am very dissatisfied with the evils taking place in Dominica, under this evil leadership
The lunacy of these hidden persons who continually FAIL to attach their names to their ramblings must stop.
You do not want reform this is and has always been clearly a political football. That much is now clear!!
You have always asked for a voters ID card. Never was there a fingerprint requirement in all your original proposals. Which Caribbean nation requires persons to give their finger prints to vote??? NONE NOT ONE!!! all of a sudden that the process is nearing the end you mysteriously come with this garbage about finger print??
You do NOT represent the view of the majority of Dominicans and we will NOT be held hostage in our country by you!!!
The madness must stop!!! To parliament we go!! IDs you get!!! All this foolish bullet points about “possibly” and “likely” are not worth anything!!!!
@deeyeshaveit, So who the heck are you sir /madam? Are you hiding behind DNO? Why don’t you make your name known with all your foolishness?
Let me reiterate this for the one hundredth times. Electoral reforms will only be realised when the masses take to the streets engage in sustained civil disobedience.
The million dollar question is :Are the UWP and its affiliates have the influence to galvanize the commoners behind this worthy cause? My answer is NO! It is critically imperative to have your on the ground to motivate and propel the people to action.
How can a leader, in absentia, galvanize public opinion sufficiently to get the full attention of those who have used corruption to retain power? The people need a serious injection of vigour and energy to propel them to action on this most critical and significant issue.
But who vote for them people there nor? Who they think they are to dictate to government what to do, and on who behalf they are advocating.? We Dominicans are satisfied with how we voting, period.
Grace please change your name to Disgrace. Evidently, you have an abiding love of evil and wrongdoings.