Chairman of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) campaign team, Vince Henderson has dismissed calls for electoral reform in Dominica.
The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) and another special interest group on the island, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), have been advocating for electoral reform to be implemented in Dominica before the next general election constitutionally due in 2020 but which could be called at anytime before that date.
Speaking at a DLP news conference on Friday, April 26, 2019 to launch the DLP’s candidate for the Morne Jaune/Riviere Cyrique constituency, Henderson stated, “I depart from my party when they talk about reform. I don’t think that there is need for an electoral reform. I think there is need for continued enhancement of the electoral process so that we ensure that as we move as a developing country, we can enhance greater efficiencies and accuracy in the electoral process.”
He continued, “Every report from every observer group have come to one conclusion: that elections in Dominica have been free and fair. You only fix something that is broken. I [wouldn’t] even venture into the reform mode for elections.”
Henderson referenced what he said is a recent report from the Commonwealth Secretariat which, according to him, has concluded that while there are some things that can be done to improve the elections system in Dominica, “there’s nothing amiss with the process.”
He conceded that the electoral process needs to be improved but insisted that nothing is wrong with it.
“I think we need to be honest with ourselves. The losing parties have always found a problem with the system, the same one that got them to office in 1995,” Henderson argued. “Therefore, I believe if we’re having an honest conversation on the electoral process, let’s talk of enhancing the system but not giving the impression that something was amiss.”
Some memory and a little bit of research has revealed that Henderson’s assertion does not accurately reflect the findings of the Commonwealth Observer Mission which was in Dominica for the 2014 general election. In its report, the mission does state that “the election was free for entry and the casting of the ballot, and credibility and transparency of the electoral process can be claimed.” However the Mission also concludes that “the election was not necessarily fair, due to: the lack of balance, and in some cases lack of professionalism of the media; the absence of campaign finance regulations and the resultant lack of transparency on financing, coupled with the exponentially increased expense associated with campaigning.”
The report also cited “multiple instances of treating and bribery, including the transportation of electors to the island to vote and the apparent abuses of incumbency, including a lack of impartiality in the provision of public services.”
Based on those findings, the Commonwealth Observer Mission proposed a number of recommendations for consideration. These include legislative reform to ensure, among other things, that “the financial independence of the Electoral Commission be provided for by statute rather than through, as was seemingly the case, assurances provided by the Minister of Finance.”
With regard to campaign finance legislation, the Mission proposed that “the Electoral Commission, guided by international best practice, draft appropriate reforms for national discussion and debate” and specifically recommended that the legislative reform should require “each political party to file a return within 28 days of the election, detailing the expenditure of funds spent on the campaign.” It said this should be carried out at a national and constituency level. The Mission also called for a review of the role and composition of the Integrity Commission “to allow for the strengthening of auditing and reporting mechanisms during an elections cycle, and in particular, to oversee campaign financing.”
Other recommendations made by the Commonwealth Observer Mission include greater controls on the use of state resources, “as well as renewed consideration and better management of when state goods and services are delivered to constituents,” prompt facilitation of public debate on the revision of legislation guiding the compilation of the voters’ register, and for elections to be more reflective of the wishes of persons resident in the Commonwealth of Dominica. It was the view of the Mission that any outcomes of this process should be acted on “as expediently as possible.”
The call for electoral reform in Dominica has been supported by other voices in society including Bishop of Roseau, Gabriel Malzaire in his homily on the 1st of January this year and more recently, a group of church, business and civil society leaders who have joined the lobby for electoral reform before the upcoming general election.
The recommendations from the report of the Commonwealth Observation Mission can be found in the Conclusions and Recommendations section on page 20, Chapter Six of the report.
With DLP gone his ceremonious existence on the broken back of an undeveloped country and people will end. So yes, he has every reason to bs Dominicans now that he is an “enlightened” man.
Sickening to say the least.
So Vince, are you calling the Bishop a liar and a fool who doesn’t understand the OAS and Caricom observer missions reports which stated that the elections were free but NOT fair. Well, boy Vince you have gotten too bright for your own good to state that the past elections were fair. Liar, liar your pants are on fire
UKDominican
April 28, 2019
“Vince knows that if his party lose the election he will not only lose his job but also his diplomatic status. And should he not have acquired U.S. citizenship during his sejourn in the U.S.A. he may become a persona non-grata at best.”
Be informed diplomats serving their country in the United States; it does not matter how long, even a hundred years, they cannot become citizens of the United States!
Even if they have children born in the United States, the children are not recognized as Americans; they are citizens of the country from whence there parents originated.
Vince can live and play diplomat, live here for a hundred years he will never be a citizen of the United States based on that!
One have to first be a permanent resident of the country for five years; after five years you apply for citizenship; however, if a crime (a felony) was committed by the applicant as a resident, they cannot obtain citizenship.
I listened to Dr. Henderson at the last press conference held on Friday regarding the Launching of sister Gretta. I listened attentively to the questions by the Press. Dr. Henderson’s style of answering any question, is to make light jokes and totally evades the question. He fills the space with light jokes and emptiness. You would expect that from a fake Dr. Unfortunately its all about the Labour party for the real Dr,, he is more focused on further blinding his followers to continue his grand lifestyle. Its all about using the people’s votes to remain in the elite class, while these same people perish. Its a big Shame that a man with a Doctorate in Law would prefer to compromise his expertise to remain in a certain class. People Loose their souls to gain the whole world, but really, what are we doing with so much…does it make us happy at the end?
Maybe that is the problem then, Vince does not have a doctorate in law, but he likes to boast. Ask him where and when he got his Ph.D. Difficult to fully trust someone like that.
Vince is in agreement that de party must change it’s weak candidates because de party is broken seriously and Skerrit made an attempt fix to it.
Vince, to avoid cleaning de voters list and making voters I.D. card available to voters will make DLP sores worse…..De more money DLP spend in election is de more seats they lose you not seeing that?????
Your strategy for winning this election is to kick sitting parl. reps. to de curb…….fighting against yourself.
When some one sells his soul that person is like a dead man walking……no soul……..doomed to self destruction.
Finally de PM Roovelt Skerrit has realized he is destroying himself…….none of the kings horses none of the king’s men can put humpty dumpty back together again.
You don’t have that much influence on our heads again Vince.
Truth and Righteousness will mash up ugly , greedy, insulting tiefing politicians…..live with it!
Both Ian and Vince are two washed up clowns!
Ian will never be able to make a living as a lawyer in Dominica or anywhere on the planet: I once read something he wrote, and spell the word could “cole.”
I saw Vince in Dominica with a pile of paper in his hand while he was the overseer of pit-hole digging to accommodate feces, talking about how many “townzand dollars.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
The word is “thousand!”
Perhaps they should adapt the names of the two carton characters ” Tom & Jerry; or perhaps Mot & Jeff and take their act on the road.
I doubt they could make a living as simply comics; so the alternative is to discourage electoral reform; hence the status quo will be maintained, the corked, bogus system which allows them to win elections will remain, ensuring that they continue to live like the parasites they are on the blood of the poor of the country!
The time is fast approaching only miracle will prevent labor ousting!
PM Skerrit said not too long ago that Dominica does not need an opposition party, now Vince is saying that we do not need electoral reform? Yes, after they finish destroying the soul of Dominica, robbing our children of decent education by removing Cape at State College for 15 years now, refusing to pay public servants decent salaries, keeping the populace in poverty by their inability to attract private sector investments that will provide broad sector employment, instead they have perfected the indignity of begging and dependency and Vince is still trying to deceive the public even more by his disgraceful utterances.
But then again they have to spill out piles of dung and ” bladjay sot ” as Vince is doing today so we can see what is in their mind and heart. These are the pointers that God is giving to us, the electorate so we can know how to vote at the next election. If you have ears to hear please make yourself hear because it will not come clearer than that.
first he saying no need for electoral reform. then in the meeting they saying they were going to pass reform but UWP keeps blocking them every time.
2 things to deduce from this:
(1) either they are passing reforms that are not in line with recommendations. For example, i tell you do abc, but you insist that you would rather do wtf, which only worsens or doesnt nothing to help the situation.
or (2) that UWP really just blocking reforms out of malice.
the first seems more believable and more resonable.
Scoundrel Vince, no electoral reform, no election. You are fully aware of the electoral reform the observers highly recommend, yet still you spewing this garbage.
You and your bunch of skulduggery must go.
You guys have wasted Dominica’s twenty precious years doing nothing.
Your time has come to pack up and be prepared to be seriously interrogated and possibly locked up.
I know that’s what you are afraid of.
By the way,don’t even think of switching accounts with Dominica’s money because we will find it and find you.
I met Mr. Henderson once at a family venue. I thought that this gentleman had some sense and direction . Obviously he has none. To make suggestions that we don’t need electoral reform is as stupid as the person who is making the statement. A professional must not become doped in red and and ignore the truth. If my father was not deceased that thinking of Mr Henderson would have sent him to his grave.
The Commonwealth and the OAS are complicit, by default, in the electoral fraught in Dominica, perpetrated against the citizens and legal residents. The Commonwealth Secretariat and the OAS have used their good offices to recommend fair and sensible electoral reforms in Dominica for many years. Sherrit has stubbornly resisted to do the this. Yet, these two influential organizations send observers every election cycle to opine about the manner in which the elections were conducted. On the day of the elections everything seems fine but the damage is done long before polling day. The observers give the election day a positive nod although their recommendations from previous elections were not implemented. Insanity! The OAS and the Commonwealth should refuse to send observers unless their recommendations become law. Many of Sherrit’s appointees will sell even their mothers to hold on to their ill-gotten wealth.
Vince knows that if his party lose the election he will not only lose his job but also his diplomatic status. And should he not have acquired U.S. citizenship during his sejourn in the U.S.A. he may become a persona non-grata at best.
Vince please, do not insult us. Not all of us have “memoire poule” and I certainly do recall the finding of the Commonwealth Commission, exactly as described by DNO. The last election may have been free but definitely was not fair. Only a careless man urinates on his own shoes.
To you the real Doctor, I guess there’s no need for laws in Dominica because you’re encouraging the people to break the law. I was expecting that from the Double Doctor not you my boy.
I wonder if Vince Henderson agrees with Trump that the investigation into the 2016 US Election was a witch hunt?
I wonder if Vince Henderson agrees with Trump that the Mueller investigation was illegal and should never have taken place?
I will not waste time with Vince Henderson because the man has absolutely no interest in returning to Dominica. If Vince was interested in Dominica he would gladly make himself available to replace Darroux as the DLP candidate. The man is well setup in the US, has his family in the US and picks up a pay check from Dominica every month. Vince doesn’t want to have to go job hunting in the US, where he will be supervised and will be making far less money than what he getting from Dominica. In fact when the DLP looses, Vince will have to look for two jobs to make ends meet.
Vince, uwp was not elected under the same system, you knows that, it is a total corrupt system now, i am ashamed of you vince, look how hands out could change a person, shame on you vince, shame shame shame.
Are you for real Henderson? But don’t worry, you won’t win these election, try as you may! All you will be held accountable in due course and I wonder what story you will tell then.
Remember before the late Osborn Reviere, who was the PM Skerrit brushed a side after the passing of Pierre Charles,, let’s not forget he told us that as bad as Skerrit is, we are even lucky Vince Henderson was not PM because he is far worse than Roosevelt Skerrit. Just think of someone worse than Skerrit existing! Osborn knew what he is talking about because Osborn was a labourite from birth and knows what Rosie and pierro went through and I could attest to that because I was with them from the beginning. People I so RED that even my eyes are red but I speak the nothing but the truth.
DNO it is your site and you have to do what you have to do to protect your site. So I understand you deleting part of my blog. But it is public knowledge because the late Osborne Reviere said in an interview that Vince Henderson is worse than Skerrit. I bet you can get that interview DNO because it was on national radio.
Should we conclude, that since a top Skerritt DLP Go’vt official, like Vince, has now publicly stated that there is no need for electoral reform, that’s why those reforms cannot be implemented after a decade and more?
Because the same Electoral Commission initially recommended reforms to the election process, to include Re-registration in Dominica, cleaning the Bloated Voters’ list and to issue Voter ID Cards. But remember the famous E-MAIL? Since that time the Election Commission has been blocked from doing what it is supposed to do to ensure FREE and FAIR elections.
The Commission must be allowed to carry out what it initially wanted, International Election Observers like the Commonwealth, OAS and CARICOM recommended just what Dominicans have been pleading for. But alas !!! Bet do not expect any reform. DLP’s plan is different. Problems my people… Be woke always. Be alert…. CHANGE is a MUST. To steal any elections is a CRIME.
Very good reporting DNO. This Govt had Better heed these extremely valuable recommendations, & implement electoral reform before the next general elections. If they ignore this crucial report from the Commonwealth Observation Mission & they fail to do so…
Coming events cast their shadows ..No wonder 30 special, loyal, red, police officers were given special training Vince!!!!! You all went as far as predicting that the people will take to the streets if no reform is given??
I think it was the late Osborne Riviere who said that you are even worse than Skerrit..This veteran had studied you both!!!.Wicked Souls!!
We need Voter ID Card too!!!
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
LAZY Skerrit Must Go Now
Vince has taken the cake as the most dishonest intellectual. He needs to take a hike with his semantic that reform isn’t needed but enhancements are what is required. Vince, the reports presented on more than one occasion stated that the elections were free but not fair. Any other interpretation is nothing but a lie to deceive the foolish. How can an election be fair when opposition parties are denied equal access to media resources of the state, or when the government seeks to bribe citizens in the diaspora by paying their airfare to come to vote and are also given spending money, or when the government sells diplomatic passports and uses the proceeds for its political campaign only. Fortunately you aren’t the brightest bulb in the room, Vince
Unfortunately the Vince Henderson I once admired and supported because of his humble beginnings and very close friendship with his deceased brother “Break-teeth”, has become tainted, corrupted, wicked and a leading voice AGAINST good governance. The other problem I have with Vince is his lack of transparency in telling us why is he back in Dca and no longer at the UN
.
Vince’ utterance is the first shot across the bow to test our collective response as it pertains to the need for electoral reforms. He knows that unlike what the people and opposition may think, elections WILL be called without any reforms to the existing process. His recommendations to Skerro has been accepted t wit;
1. Changes at the helm of the force to guarantee loyalty
2. Formation of the new unit (Republican Guard)
3. Giving police the insurance they have been demanding
4. Making a series of appointments in the public service.
Now Dcans, look out. Elections are right around the bend..June??
How elections can be in June and is now they starting to launch those candidates. Look we in May this week. Sot
An egregious,compulsive and inveterate liar…Are you illiterate Vince.??
The Commonwealth Election Observer team said that the election was free but not necessarily fair! Your deceptive liar! Who are you anyway to steal our democracy from us by stating that we don’t need reform?
This means that we have to do what we have to do!!
I will take my tear gas, but i am prepared to put my boots on the ground .
Sackway Com par wazon Vince!! Te way cow lar t bway!! Hardy!!
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
Lazy Skerrit Must Go Now
You”ll the same dishonest, immoral evil set of people so we don’t expect u to say any different Vince
For the same reason a criminal sees no need for law enforcement.
Fada if I have d audacity to say elections have been free and fair in Dominica u must be a bloody puppet. Boy do ur research and come again cause there is every need for reform.