Preliminary statement of CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission to Dominica

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) On the invitation of the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mounted a CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission (CEOM) to monitor the election system and processes, as well as the conduct of the General Elections held on 18 December 2009.

The Observer Mission was led by Mr. Hensley Robinson, former Chief Elections Officer of Barbados, while the other members of the Mission were drawn from Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Jamaica and the CARICOM Secretariat.

The CEOM arrived in Dominica on 15 December 2009. Before observing the conduct of elections, the Chief of Mission paid courtesy calls on His Excellency President Nicholas Liverpool and the Prime Minister, Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit. The Mission also held consultations with  the leadership of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP), the United Workers Party (UWP), the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), as well as with the Dominica Electoral Commission, the Media Workers Association of Dominica, the Dominica Christian Council and Dominica Evangelical Association, the Dominica National Council of Women, the Dominica Bar Association and the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce. These representatives engaged in a wide-ranging exchange of views which assisted the mission’s assessment of the environment in which the elections took place.

The CEOM also observed motorcades and attended political party rallies held during the period of their stay in Dominica.

On the day of the elections the seven member mission monitored the electoral process, including the opening of the Poll, the voting process, the closing of the Poll and the counting of the ballots in a majority of the 236 polling stations established throughout the 21 constituencies for the elections.

The Mission noted that the poll workers executed their duties in a satisfactory manner which allowed for the efficient and impartial conduct of the voting process. The security was adequate and the officers displayed a very professional approach to the electors, which served to contribute to the calm atmosphere in the polling locations.

The Mission’s assessment of the conduct of the Poll is that voters were able to cast their ballots without intimidation or harassment, and that the voting process was conducted in an orderly, free and peaceful manner. The process was transparent and the secrecy of the ballot was respected. The Mission believes that the outcome of elections was a true reflection of the will of the people.

The Mission commends the people of Dominica for the peaceful manner in which the elections were conducted reflecting the continuing commitment to the democratic process as practiced in the Caribbean Community.

A Report of the General Elections will be subsequently prepared and submitted to the CARICOM Secretary-General, His Excellency Edwin W. Carrington, which will include recommendations relating to best practice in relation to the electoral process.

The CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission is very pleased with, and grateful for, the cooperation received from the representatives of the various stakeholders with whom they met. The Mission particularly wishes to acknowledge with appreciation the warm welcome received from the electorate during the course of its mission.

CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission

Roseau, Dominica.

19 December 2009

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9 Comments

  1. positivedominican
    December 23, 2009

    newyork, could you please do us a favour? Stop lying, accept your defeat and SHUT UP!!!!!!!

  2. December 22, 2009

    dominica whats wrong with u all u guys have no shame at all.you people wanted a prime minster we came to da we give u guys one.stop crying take what u all get ok .The people who say that the election was fair should have look to the sky when the planes were landing .my son and daught never been to dominica and they came and they did vote.the best way to stop cheating is to make voters id cards u come to vote u show ur card thats the best way to go

  3. nonesense
    December 22, 2009

    Shirley Allan
    where in the CARICOM statement does it say the process was flawed? Statements like yours just continue to undermine your credibility and the rest of those living overseas. You and your ilk have done immense damage to the image of professional Dominicans living overseas. How can we be taken seriously when due to your own selfish reasons and agenda are positioning us all like a bunch of buffoons and clowns? I read with amazement some of the pronouncements from you, Gabriel and Thompson. Even going as far as encouraging the turn over of the list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of your own to the US government so they can use at a time and place and reason of their choosing. I suggest that you guys take a break and do some soul searching. You have lost your way.

    BTW aspiring to Best Practice means just that it does not mean that good practice is flawed. So the only flawed result is the conclusion of your flawed logic. Stick to discussing topics that you understand.

  4. never let go
    December 22, 2009

    i dont know why some ppl dont just stay in their American world and enjoy their free degrees …leave dca businesses for dca ppl please please

  5. December 21, 2009

    OAS mission go to hell , like anyone of you knew the hundreds of people who came in to vote, now they can even boast fo voting on other people names, observe what? don,t worry soon you guys will be back to unravel the mess like in Haiti and the Darfur. It sure looks funny where money was talking and all …happened. go observe where ….got all the money to buy the votes.

  6. NATURE BOY
    December 21, 2009

    A H…AH… SHIRLEY I SEE U PULLTHROUGH MAN…I THOUGH U AND THE LIKES WERE STILL AT THE I.C.U…….A BUNCH OF JOKERS AL U BE…….WHEN DOMINICAN LOVE SOMEONE THEY JUST LOVE THEM……..LESSON # 1………SO U CAN STAY IN YOUR OWN LITTLE WORLD AND PINE AWAY IF U CANNOT DEAL WITH……I WARNED U AND THE OTHERS ABOUT ALL THE CRAP U AL WERE SAYING B4 THE ELECTIONS…….ALL IT DID WAS ADD FUEL TO THE RED HOT FLAMES…AND WE ALL SAW THE RESULTS….THE NEXT TIME AROUND TRY LOVE LIKE WE DID NOT HATE….LOVE WE ALWAYS PREVAIL..

  7. Dee
    December 21, 2009

    Ha ha ha … Free and fair indeed.. What a load of crap!

  8. LMAO
    December 21, 2009

    hmmmm.. i guess that’s a statement to confirm that the elections were unbiased and fair. Let’s see which direction the country goes now.

    PEACE!

  9. shirley Allan
    December 21, 2009

    If the process was flawed, the results have to be flawed also!! Plain logic!

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