Petition to President of Dominica demanding removal of Electoral Commission Chairman

The Dominican electorate and most specifically, those legitimately qualified to vote in the upcoming general elections constitutionally due by May 2020, and by extension every Dominican citizen, irrespective of their political party affiliation, race, religion, social background or other persuasions, should be disgusted with the blatant disrespect demonstrated towards them by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Gerald Burton, as appointed by the President of the Commonwealth of Dominica and mandated under section 56(3)(a) of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Mr. Burton has served as chairman of the Electoral Commission since 2006 and under his stewardship, the basic requirements for guaranteeing free and fair elections with a cleansed voters list and the issuance of voter identification cards, have been ignored.

Since the last general elections of 8th December 2014, the Dominican electorate has been advocating for electoral reform before the next general elections, Mr. Burton has ignored all requests and has failed to convene public education fora to inform the population on issues related to the electoral process. When the Electoral Commission finally convened a public forum on February 22nd, 2019, the public was prevented from entering the venue at the Goodwill Parish Hall, with the deployment of heavily armed police officers dressed in combat gear.

Opposition political parties, church, business, trade unions and civil society organizations and even his Lordship, Bishop Gabriel Malzaire, appear to have exhausted all efforts to achieve electoral reform and a bare minimum requirement of cleansing the voters list and issuance of voter identification cards, which is within the purview and sole responsibility of the electoral commission.

The Electoral Commission has publicly revealed that it has all the necessary technological and human resources available to execute the process and announced that a reverification of voters would have commenced on July 1st, 2018.

In an effort to arrive at an amicable solution to the matter, the Honourable Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, made a request for assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat, CARICOM and the Organization of American States (OAS), to help resolve the electoral crisis in Dominica.

The reputable regional and international organizations, all of which the Commonwealth of Dominica is a member, dispatched a joint mission to Dominica from August 6th to 9th, 2019, to meet with stakeholders including the government, the opposition and civil society organizations, and they submitted a report to the Government of Dominica on September 17th, 2019, with practical and reasonable recommendations which would guarantee a clean voters list, voter identification cards and for all qualified Dominicans to exercise their franchise.

The report of the Joint Mission has been ignored by the Electoral Commission and it appears that the Chairman of the Electoral Commission is deliberately delaying and frustrating the efforts of the commission and the Chief Elections officer to allow the Dominican people a cleansed voter’s list and voter identification cards.

The members of the joint mission of the OAS, CARICOM and the Commonwealth Secretariat, are all experts in the electoral process in democratic countries throughout the world and their report received approval by their respective organizations. Therefore, the decision by the chairman of the Electoral Commission to ignore and apparently reject the Joint Commission’s report and recommendations must be considered an insult to the Dominican electorate, the organizations which commissioned the report and the international community.

The determination of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission to facilitate the next general elections without the recommended cleansing of the electors list and issuance of voter identification cards will plunge the Commonwealth of Dominica into unfortunate consequences, as hinted by the Joint Mission and must be considered a blatant attack on Dominica’s democracy.

His Excellency the President of the Commonwealth of Dominica has the constitutional responsibility to protect the rights of the Dominican people, to allow the Dominican people to enjoy there indomitable right to free and fair elections and must therefore intervene and implement the procedure of replacing the Chairman of the Electoral Commission as provided for in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica. There is no doubt that the conduct of Gerald Burton as chairman of the Electoral Commission is bad behaviour and sufficient grounds for his removal.

All Dominicans will be severely affected by fraudulent elections precipitated by the failure of the Electoral Commission and more specifically, the Chairman who holds the deciding vote on the Commission. Citizens and all Dominicans of conscience, the church, business, trade unions, women, youth, Labourites, Freedomites, and UWPites, are therefore encouraged to endorse a petition to the President of Dominica demanding the removal of Gerald Burton as Chairman of the Electoral Commission and the appointment of a replacement who will be prepared to implement the recommendations of the Joint Mission with alacrity before the next general elections. The petition will be delivered at the office of the President at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1st, 2019. All Dominicans are invited to participate in the process of achieving free and fair elections.

Click here to sign the petition.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

21 Comments

  1. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    November 1, 2019

    Here is the deception Dominicans!

    “NOW WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA”

    Who is the author of the article that bears no known name of a person.

    So who are “we the people of the Commonwealth of Dominica?”

    They are insinuating that is a proposal of the UWP; however I doubt anybody in the United Workers Party would be involved in such nonsense!

    Hence, I asks; who is the ghost writer?

    If I thought Man Dog was intelligent enough, I would have blamed him for writing such hogwash!

  2. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    November 1, 2019

    Baloney; bull crap!
    Anybody signs a petition like that would have to be an idiot!

    The author of that article should be incarcerated for the rest of their natural life.

    Roosevelt Skerrit  and the other corrupted benefactors of Dominica’s wealth do not want to see the implementation  of electoral reform, nor do they want the removal of the  names of dead people on the list because they have their cohorts voting many times using the names of dead people, some who left Dominica many years ago.

    Some of these people have never returned home.

    This call for signing some dumb cynical petition is a ploy to have the unsuspecting aiding and abating in Roosevelt corrupted scheme, while at the same time the people turn on themselves, without the knowledge that singing that petition is a danger to themselves.

    Everything that looks like goal is not gold; fools goal most of the time looks as good, and better than the real thing!

    The article is a deception!

    • November 2, 2019

      Telemque, it seems as if you want to comment against Linton’s idea, but you need to think twice. In other words, you do not feel free to oppose them because of your support on their behalf. Have you set a trap against yourself?

      Could that be the reason you do not comment on most of the things of the UWP unless you find a reason to fire at PM Skerrit and his governing body?

      I say that because you used a “no-name” issue to respond to this one so rudely and negatively, as usual.

      Who will agree with you to say that this is not from UWP–they are the ones who cannot leave that issue alone, from since more than 5 years ago.

      Is it the first time that you have read “we the people” in Lennox’s writing? Because he does that all the time.

      Why would the DLP write that article which is all against them?

      What if you are rebuking the idea of the UWP, which I believe, the article is from them? –That is very strange coming from you.

  3. October 31, 2019

    I really don’t think that Linton and his followers care a thing about “electoral reform”. What Linton wants is to get PM Skerrit out of his seat, before the elections, so he can have an easy sit, that is why he wants the president to get involved because he has to play a roll in that “coup” situation. But he is fighting a losing battle.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      November 2, 2019

      Elizabeth, the effort and energy you put out defending Roosevelt, and assisting; helping him to continue in his corrupted ways, if you join force with the majority of Dominica who calls for Roosevelt departure, your efforts would have served a better purpose!

      I know you like that crook, that corrupt bit of human flesh; that bit of human junk!

      You love Roosevelt Skerrit to death; with no regards to what he has done to your country.

      Elizabeth, Dominica is the poorest island in the entire Caribbean region, and that region covers a distance further than from Jamaica in the North to Guyana in the south on the continent of South America!

      So, you can also include Bermuda, and any place in between. 

      What is the point of keeping Roosevelt in office when the man has over, and over proved he is not capable of moving the country forward.

      Roosevelt is doing well accumulating personal wealth; but what about your family and the rest of Dominicans?

      Promises and handouts wont do!

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      November 2, 2019

      So, let me conclude this one: Lennox does not want an easy “sit” as you claimed!
      An I hope you intended to write “seat.” 

      I know plenty of you think  the giveaway of a unite in an apartment building to people is a good thing.

      I am telling you it’s not!

      The resources sued for that purpose derives from the sale of passports; how long will Roosevelt sale of passports industry take to fail, and the country collapse?

      To you Elizabeth and the people who supports Roosevelt it should be about industries and employment, job opportunities!

      Give me a house fitted with all the enmities life have to offer; they will deteriorate; if the occupant does have any money to conduct repairs that is the beginning of slum creation.

      No money means the water, and electricity to the house or apartment will not be paid unless god Roosevelt Skerrit continue to give free money for the purpose of repairs and bills.

      What’s the good in that?

  4. Lin clown
    October 31, 2019

    Weh I cannot be afraid.I know your party UWP MUST lose.I have VOTED against your LAZY party 5 times,only lost once.I voted against UWP in 1995 and lost.Won 4 times voting against UWP.This election is the easiest for DLP.Wesley is gone.Roseau Central is gone .Both Roseau North and South are gone.Using electoral reform for your Lost.UWP CANNOT WIN

  5. Eagle-Eyed
    October 31, 2019

    Utter desperation by the UWP. They are calling for the outing of anyone standing in their way of seizing power. I say ‘seizing’ because that’s the only way they can get in power again. Civil Servants will remember when they were last in power people couldn’t get their salaries paid because of lack of money in the treasury. Since Labour got into power everybody get paid on time.We have seen millions spent on building our infrastructure: new and upgraded roads, five star hotels, Winsor park stadium, bridges, upgrading of the old melvillehall airport, the bayfront in Roseau, exploration of geothermal energy and the cherry on top, the ever expanding housing revolution. We are also eagerly awaiting the construction of our international airport as a priority during this government next term in office. Why would any right thinking person want to give all that up for another party that failed miserably the last time they were given a chance to govern, especially under an amateur leader.

    • Eagle-Eyed
      November 1, 2019

      I forgot to mention new modern (China Friendship) hospital, new modern state college, free secondary and college education, free transportation for our school children and the list goes on unless you are walking around with your eyes shut, blinded by your hatred and jealousy of the person in charge accomplishing all this.
      When the opposition parties come up with somebody half as competent as the current PM, i’m sure the electorate would be quite willing to give them a chance. In the meantime we are quite happy with what we have. Thank you!

  6. weh
    October 31, 2019

    Clown if your so confident your party will win what are you afraid of?

  7. viewsexpressed
    October 31, 2019

    A series of events, on the doorstep of the Electorial Commission, Burton has served as chairman: Rather unfortunate:-
    1. There is no doubt that the conduct of Gerald Burton as chairman of the Electoral Commission is bad behaviour and sufficient grounds for his removal.
    2. as chairman of the Electoral Commission since 2006 and under his stewardship,
    3. the basic requirements for guaranteeing free and fair elections
    4. a cleansed voters list and the issuance of voter identification cards, have been ignored.
    5. Burton has ignored all requests and has failed to convene public education fora to inform the population on issues related to the electoral process.
    Mr. Burton if you are exceedingly & Obviously visible that you are tired and overburdened and over-Burton with the tasks of the peoples work, please excuse yourself, go take a walk in the fresh air away from the challenges. Don`t walk up Prime Ministers Office on 5th, it will tire you and Skerrit is unable to guide you…

  8. Ma Dominic
    October 30, 2019

    Every other Caribbean leader have given up on lazy skerroo and his incompetent Hench boys. We will go out in force to take what is rightfully ours. Electoral reforms will happen by the hook or by the crock .
    The sea and air ports will not work, the schools will not open, the stores will not open, the roads will be closed, the whole country will not work. We learned well in 1979 from President Charles Saverin. Isn’t it ironic that we have to same guy defending what he taught us to do ? History is repeating itself. They must Go!

  9. Massacre
    October 30, 2019

    I have already signed it and send it to 500 citizens to do the same thing which I know they would.
    After 20 years of underdevelopment and more than $1.2 Billion in the pockets of all kinds of local and foreign crocks and criminals, how can we the people of Dominica be fooled again to allow such corruption to continue.
    We have a country to save let’s go out there and do it for our children’s children.

  10. %
    October 30, 2019

    How can I get a hard copy to take to my villagers to sign? We need to take hard copies to the 21 constituencies!
    Skerrit:
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?

  11. TJ
    October 30, 2019

    The electoral list must be citizens who are here. Those who have gone to rest with our Heavenly Father should be vote in this world. My grandfather died before I made my appearance in the world but he voted twice in elections of 2014 and the one before. Let the change take place. Hon. Dr. Skerrit be an adult and step down.

  12. Ibo France
    October 30, 2019

    Mr. Burton is a key enabler of Skerrit’s scandalous longevity in government. He needs to be disappointed from this most critical position forthwith. The sleaze and odour associated with these unethical characters is overpowering. People of good moral standing and impeccable character should replace these shady creatures in these most important positions.( Electoral Commissioner, Speaker of Parliament, Chief of Police, Financial Secretary). The persons who presently occupy these lofty positions are malleable and serves at the behest of the PM.

  13. %
    October 30, 2019

    Long overdue.!!We should demand that this useless Burton goes! Whose work is he doing? Surely not the people’s work!
    Concerned Dominicans should stand resolute and stall all efforts to steal our next election. Power resides in the people, and not in any embattled false God,!!
    It’s really encouraging to see the number of people
    who are prepared to take to the streets to see that our democracy works properly this time around…
    Skerrit
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?
    Whey is di money?

  14. Lin clown
    October 30, 2019

    Here we go again.HENRY SHILLINGFORD,IRVIN PASCAL and a bunch of UWP TRAITORS,are called we the PEOPLE.The majority is WE THE PEOPLE and that is the LABOURITES.WE THE PEOPLE say Burton is going NOWHERE.Lazy UWP dictating.Foolish.

  15. Ask Mel
    October 30, 2019

    I signed it already but I want to sign another petition that demanding the immediate removal of Charles Saverin as Skerrit president, Roosevelt Skerrit as PM, Daniel Carbon as Police Commissioner and for now Gerald Burton. Unless all the above four are removed Dominica will continue to be A Den of Thieves and corrupt superstars

  16. Lin clown
    October 30, 2019

    We are the PATRIOTS who built back DOMINICA,We are not going to be dictated to by LINTON and his UWP gang of TRAITORS If UWP say they are going to WIN,then when they win in 2030 implement ELECTORAL REFORM.In the meantime SHUT UP.

    • RandyX
      October 31, 2019

      You do not even know the meaning of the word patriot, so don’t take that word in your dirty mouth.
      Let me tell you and your ilk what you really are: THIEFS, just common thiefs. A patriot would never steal from his country.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available