Former Antigua senator urges Dominicans to support electoral reform

Anthony Stewart, former government senator in Antigua and Barbuda, 

Former government senator in Antigua and Barbuda, Anthony Stewart, has called on all Dominican citizens to be in full support of comprehensive electoral reform for free and fair elections.

He spoke at the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) rally at the Arch in Roseau on Sunday June 30th , 2019.

“The electoral process must be reformed and be reformed continuously because many elections are won and lost long before election day when the electoral processes are very loose and weak and not reformed and updated for a very long time,” Stewart said.

“I know some of you love the political party you support but I know all of you love your country of Dominica so I wish to say to you that you must love your country more than any political party. I wish to say to you that you must put your country above any political party, so if you are going to put your country before political party, then every citizen and resident of Dominica should be in support of comprehensive electoral reform,” Stewart advised. 

He said that in Antigua and Barbuda, electoral laws have been improved by issuing voter ID cards along with other laws.

“The improved law brought in pictured voter register. Our register used on election day doesn’t only have the name and the address and occupation of the elector. On that register, the picture of the elector is also there so when I come into that booth… I pass my ID over they look at the ID, they look at me in the flesh and they pass it to the other agents to confirm this is Anthony Stewart and they know that is a legal legitimate vote. So, no dead person can vote in our election now; no person who’s in the US and then come back for election can vote,” he explained.

Stewart said the improved law requires commonwealth citizens to reside in the country continuously for 7 years to qualify for the right to vote while all non-commonwealth citizens must become citizens of Antigua and Barbuda to qualify for the right to vote. The law also requires total re-registration of all eligible electors every 10 years, he pointed out.

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21 Comments

  1. JP
    July 4, 2019

    Nothing wrong in using national ID cards for voting. I reside in florida and i present my drivers license as long as i am registered to vote. Both parties need to work together in rectifying this simple issue.

  2. July 4, 2019

    So you’re saying you can leave in Antigua for seven years then apply for your citizenship and be qualified to vote in the election Mr Senator, but the born citizen after leaving overseas for seven years should be disqualified from voting in their native land ? B/S. thanks

  3. time has told
    July 3, 2019

    both parties want some kind of reform. the problem is agreeing on what to reform. the DLP says yes we did this and that in electoral reform. But uwp say ok but what was really needed was them and those which you refuse to do. For example the voter id cards for registered voters and the purging of the voter registration list are yet to be done.

  4. July 3, 2019

    I look at it the same way the present administration do not want electoral reform and they will drag it out as long as they possible can until there isn’t enough time. Dominicans at home you have to make the change and until another party is elected to get electoral reform and a proper Sensors done, we are not going any where, and we will never believe the PM would step aside, those are just political mom boo jump boo don’t fall for those tricks the place need to move forward. And since I’m on that can you all saw the video of Ian and PM in the big apple trying to convince Dominicans in the diaspora and the world that everyone in Dominica was taken care of after Hurricane Maria and that was a blatant lie that was shameful.

  5. July 3, 2019

    Excellent presentation my brother you were certainly a breath of fresh air even for the intellectually dysfunctional DLP “mouton batallie”; you were simply brilliant and the simple and explicit way you spoke could be understood by all who cared to listen. Thanks for the guidance, the way forward is much clearer now.

  6. Vote UWP
    July 3, 2019

    Dominicans can’t understand why Antigua’s economy is booming and ours going nowhere. Just listen to how this man thinks. Antiguans expect and accept only the best! And their leaders are giving them just that. We must be the same way. We must demand the best treatment; updated electors register for free and fair elections, a robust road network, imputs for our farms, opportunities for everybody’s children, markets for our produce, state of the art health facilities, and the list goes on. Yes, we can do it. The power is in our fingertips. Vote UWP. It’s time for change.

    • Vote UWP
      July 3, 2019

      And we need voters ID cards! Ayiyiy! How could I forget that one. On top of the fact that only some voters have an ID card; passport, SS card or drivers licence will not suffice for voting. The voters ID card has photo, name, d.o.b. plus, voter registration number, poling station etc. That way there is no confusion.

    • July 3, 2019

      According to Stewart Antigua has a law allowing for the use of picture ID. In Dominica the UWP is opposing the enactment of laws that will require picture ID for voting. According to lawyers like Charles no laws are needed the electoral commission can just implement the changes.

      • Ivenia
        July 4, 2019

        Anon, this is absolutely not true that the uwp is opposing law to enact reform. Please get the facts right.

  7. %
    July 2, 2019

    My take is, Dominica should not go into the next election without minimal electoral reform… I mean, Cleansing of the voters list and Voter ID card … It was very encouraging to hear from such wide cross section of society, which indicates to me that more people are pro electoral reform than anti electoral reform. We have been hollering for this from since 2005. My Goodness!!!
    No moronic and LAZY politician, or buggy old soup politician who thinks that “””he run things””” should prevent the collective will of the majority from being met!
    The turn out was good and the featured speaker was excellent…
    I am ready CCM or any other Civil Society Organisation for the next move: meeting, march, protest, demonstration, etc.
    S m g
    S m g
    L S m g n

    • KID ON THE BLOCK
      July 2, 2019

      The same handful of UWPites and you call that excellent?!
      The DLP meeting in Antigua had more people than that Nation wide meeting you all was announcing. The majority of Dominicans don’t take you people on. The introduction of Arthie even made matters worst.

      • Roseau Central
        July 3, 2019

        Kid on the block if you thinkn DLP meeting in Antigua had more people you dont think is because half the country take the free ride to go Antigua to the meeting just for the sewo hahahaha . All you idiotic skerit sheep really can sell out all you own self we. Alas skerrit sheep please think before you speak. You had to take half the country with you to clap in a meeting iin Antigua because the last meeting flop and you even coming here reminding us of all you dayfoe? Oh lord help them please its too sad.

  8. KID ON THE BLOCK
    July 2, 2019

    DNO, what about the THUMB print that he, Stewart, said that is also inserted or embed in that card as proof that no voter can vote twice?
    Another point of observation, just what this guy talked about electoral reform, isn’t that the same information the BILL the Government wants to go to Parliament to pass contains? AN IMPROVED LAW that will require ID cards, voters name and address and occupation, voter picture and finger print.. That is basically what Stewart confirmed. And that is exactly what the BILL READS. It looks like Luftus is just making a fool of himself or just be politically one sided wicked.

    • Ibo France
      July 2, 2019

      You are forever on the wrong side of most issues. This is due to your political obstinacy and your difficulty in comprehending the simplest of ideas. DLP wants National Identification Cards not Voter’s Identification Cards. This same anachronistic party is stubbornly resisting a complete redo of the voter’s list. It is adamant about going overseas for the re-registration of voters in the Diaspora. All of these with corrupt intent. The people must push back against these attempts by the unscrupulous current regime to hijack the next general election rigorously and vigorously.

      • July 4, 2019

        National id cards voter ID card once the id can identify you for who you really are, what’s the difference. What about a passport or drivers license? The process of voting should not be made difficult or cumbersome so that it prevents or discourage individuals from registering to vote. In the USA which many of us like to reference when we talk of democracy, courts have thrown out laws that require special identification for voting as they consider it a form of voter suppression.

      • KID ON THE BLOCK
        July 4, 2019

        Ibo MALAPROP France, maybe if I was accepting or doing your bids you would conclude that I am on the right side of most issues, right!?
        Well I don’t deal with hypocrites, LIARS and traitors like you.
        You find much pleasure in bashing the PM. Insulting and degrading him as you wish. You have commited your allegiance to Lennox Linton . Worship and adore him.
        Why do you take offence when I express my opinion in favor of Slerrit? I’ve told you before and I will repeat to you again. YOU are playing smart but You are far from being clever. You and your deceitful conning game can’t run me out of the race. I will continue to voice my opinion whether you like it or not. 5 MORE YEARS FOR SHERRIT.

    • Ok
      July 3, 2019

      Since you know what the said bill contains, you also know that if is laced with little clauses here and there that only benefit the DLP. Loftus is no fool, I assure you.

      • July 4, 2019

        What little clauses? Have you read the bill? Could you post a list of the little clauses in the bill that benefit the DLP?

    • July 3, 2019

      Are you for real bro? Do you live in Dominica? Were you even alive when the DLP government attempted to pass that BILL in parliament? guess the answer to the above questions is NO!!! “Better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt” go ask the AG he will tell you what are the other aspects of the BILL that they attempted to pass; and why the BILL was withdrawn; ………….!!!!!

      • July 4, 2019

        Wasn’t the bill requiring that picture ID be required for voting? Many of us seem to be on the same page but reading what we see in a different language.

  9. Laplaine Observer
    July 2, 2019

    Skerrit is running all over the place like a chicken without a head acting like he’s trying to find consultants to advise him on electoral reform. This system Antigua has seems like a simple non-complicated system that works. But the overall picture is, Skerrit DOES NOT want electoral reform, but we do.

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