UPDATE: Electoral Office takes responsibility for error with date for nomination day; insists nomination day is November 19

 

Dominica State House – the residence of the President

It seemed as though President of Dominica Charles Savarin was going to miss a 3:00 pm deadline to respond to a request from the Leader of the Opposition, Lennox Linton and a group of concerned citizens to cancel nomination day. However, the Electoral Office has stepped in with an explanation of the matter.

The request to the president is contained in a letter sent by attorney Cara Shillingford on behalf of Linton and the group in which she cites eight grounds under which the president has to consider the request for the cancellation and threatens further legal action if the President fails to accede to the request.

The attorney, in her letter, reminds the President of his responsibility under section 55 of the constitution that gives him authority to set the election date for as late as February 5th, 2020.

The letter also cites the non-existent date of Wednesday, November 19th and speaks to the 10-day gazetting requirement before nomination day.

The letter also points to the promises made by the Electoral commission to cleanse the voters list, and shares information about a meeting between the returning officers and the Chairman of the Electoral Commission and Commissioner Alick Lawrence without the knowledge of or invitation of the two commissioners appointed by the Leader of the Opposition.

Issues such as the promise of voter ID cards and the recommendations of international organizations such as the OAS, CARICOM and the Commonwealth were also raised in the letter.

Shillingford told Dominica News Online (DNO) shortly after 4:00 pm today, that she still had not heard from the President.

However, just prior to publication of this update, DNO received a copy of a letter sent to the president of the United Workers Party in which the office takes responsibility for what it describes as a typographical error and maintains that nomination day is on “19 November 2019 as stated in the Writs.”

Below is the three-page letter from Cara Shillingford.

 

Download (PDF, 529KB)

 

 

 

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22 Comments

  1. msav
    November 19, 2019

    The most important recommendation from the team from the OAS and Commonwealth is that NEW LEGISLATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE ISSUANCE OF ELECTORAL ID CARDS. This is consistent with the governments;s position that new legislation is required. UWP is wrong in its assertion that the cards can be issued without the appropriate legislation. Given that fact the effort should be aimed at completing the required legislation.

    If the UWP objects to re-registration of people in the diaspora. For resolution of this matter, the question which should be asked is , what measures that can be put in place therefore to satisfy the UWP that the individuals being re-registered in the Diaspora are indeed legitimate? The constitution guarantees the right to vote of people who have been out of state for up to five (5) years. This is where it seems to me the discussion should be taking place. What proof , evidence that both parties can come to an agreement on? Given the consensus now for new legislation.

  2. dissident
    November 19, 2019

    electoral office is out of place to correct on order coming directly from de President’s office.
    de President should take responsibility for his error

    But……de electoral office see a blunder

  3. November 19, 2019

    I cannot understand why a department whose responsibility to supervisor local and general elections for ever in Dominica, knowing that the electoral reform is presently, a Hotly-debated topic, presented to the tax payers a document that has profound affects on the lives of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and having experienced wordsmiths and civil servants of long-standing that such an essential documents went through how man hands and eyes that this error was not picked up.

    You’re damm right you will take responsibility.

    WHO ELSE DO YOU EXPECT?

    As a matter of fact, an inquiry should be conducted to pin point the culprit and question their competence to continue in that position.

    That same night, people were setting fire and damaging road side infrastructure clamouring for election reformThis is not an error of a high school children misspelling a word in an exam. This is the official conduct of the business of the state. In perhaps the most…

  4. Ras B
    November 19, 2019

    NOw having read m/s Shillingford’s letter to the president, I retract my earlier posting on the issue. I would suggest that M/s Shillingford proceeds with the threat of legal action since a response was not had by 3:00 pm; Unfortunately, it is too late.

    It is now patently obvious that the President is a stooge of the labour party. He must, therefore, be rooted out and prevented from continuing the crimes of Labour. Mr. Savarin, your actions do not seem to have the interest of Dominica and Dominicans at heart.

    I foresee violence at and around elections that you and the Labourites would have engineered, fuelled and encouraged. Whilst you sit in the convenience and lavish of the statehouse, the regional and international community is watching and unlike 1979, you will not escape justice. You need to start showing the impartiality expected of the office. Remember the words of King Short Shirt in 1979: No Power, no weaponry can extinguish a people’s will to be free…

  5. Mexican
    November 18, 2019

    That’s not good enough. That “typo” excuse, is a real flimsy excuse in such a serious matter s such as this. The Electoral office is just playing the role of the proverbial ‘fall guy’.This ineptness is legally flawed and would not be allowed to stand in any mature jurisdiction.

  6. SMH
    November 18, 2019

    But isn’t today November 18????? Why is Ian’s letter dated November 19????

  7. Da to d bone
    November 18, 2019

    Nonsense..But she is a damn blue..time will tell. Wicked set of unpatriotic Dominican

    Elrctoon must call all you not the masses..

  8. Ibo France
    November 18, 2019

    Even the simplest of things the current government gets wrong. For an important matter like this they are off. These gangbangers can’t ‘shoot’ straight. This just goes to show their colossal incompetence. One more blot on their record. The only thing they are good at is winning elections by fraudulent means. They win elections but they don’t succeed. Just examine the economic and physical state of the country. Look at the deplorable state of Roseau, the Capitan City that should be the face of the country to visitors. Just imagine the impressions they take back to their homelands. Skerrit and his yes men have turned pristine Eden into a Hell-hole country. The man has long lost his way. Send him home on Election Day for the good of all Dominicans.

  9. Galileo
    November 18, 2019

    Waw. Cara you are an excellent lawyer. No need to get involved in these trivialities to seem important. Even speaking about taking the matter to court?

  10. Ambrose George
    November 18, 2019

    There is only one day as the 19th of November 2019. So whether it is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or any other day is irrelevant. What matters is the date the 19th of November and the learned Lawyer should know that.

  11. November 18, 2019

    A phone call would be sufficient. What constitutional crisis?

    • dissident
      November 18, 2019

      phone call to who?
      de man should know how to do his job…..in de haste to call general elections without cleaning de voters list and without voter i.d cards
      a seating of parliament was already called then overnight skerrit vitte pwasay run call elections….both skerrti and savarin blundered
      de problem is de PM should not have residence in de same building that de President have his office……they making plans together in de same room and making a boo boo like dat….just goes to how corruption plays out in de end!!!
      that official letter is de best most honorable response

    • November 18, 2019

      What matters is the date 19th November. Could have been any day because there is only one 19th of November 2019 and the learned Lawyer should know that.
      So there is no constitutional crisis.

    • Colombo Thomas
      November 18, 2019

      Goodness… Gracious.. It that silly season of blind followers of Politicians. The date is correct and not the day. Clearly a clerical error. What is there is to response? To say it’s a constitutional Crisis is mind boggling. A simple phone call is sufficient. Trying to make a mountain out of a mold.. Most objective news sight would not give this prominence. Only DNO.

    • DC
      November 18, 2019

      I have had it with UWP. These people really think that everyone should subscribe to their wish. Then they accuse the PM of being a dictator. Unbelievable! I can never in my lifetime support UWP! Never! It’s always demands! demands! My way or else. Give me a break for crying out loud! We shall trample the UWP on December 6th. You went into hibernation after Maria and now that we have made a remarkable recovery you want to sit at the throne. Get thee behind me UWP! Hypocrites! DLP, for the continued transformation of Dominica!

    • %
      November 18, 2019

      @Anon
      You sound more like a jack azz than a lawyer..
      That’s not your league, why embarrass yourself!!!
      Skerrit
      Whey is di money?
      Whey is di money?
      Whey is di money?

    • Child of Itassi
      November 18, 2019

      This isn’t about your sewing club. Adherence to the constitution of a country mandates chronologically documented evidence is essential in determining who said what to whom, when, where and why.

    • Ibo France
      November 18, 2019

      Typical DLP supporter with such simplistic thinking. One has to be formal when dealing with matters of the State and the President. Formality takes precedence in this case. Anon, a phone call to the President about this matter? Are you just being facetious? This should be unsurprising coming from one of DLP’s staunchest supporters.

      • Galileo
        November 19, 2019

        This is the most foolish comment I have ever seen from you. Your standards are dropping. Why would you want to be stereotypical. Any idiot knows lumping people in as a big group is simplistic. Who or what is a typical labourite?

    • kalaloo
      November 18, 2019

      seriously?…where do u live bro

  12. %
    November 18, 2019

    Problem is, those DLP candidates don’t read, so it has to take the opposition to bring that to light! Their strength is at stealing elections.
    This reminds me of the missing 1.291 billion $$$$$$$. About 30 DLP buffoons had not read one word from their own document in front of them in the house!
    Skerrit
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?

  13. %
    November 18, 2019

    The 1.2 billion $$$$$ question is why Skerrit was in such haste to call the election..I suspect we will most likely hear a big breaking news in the next few weeks..Something real big!!! Anyway he will not be PM after the polls, so patriot Linton and his team will be the ones to deal with that!!
    Thank you lawyer, whoever you are!
    Skerrit
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?

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