A recommendation by a government-appointed member of the Electoral Commission to remove the 5-year requirement for Dominicans living abroad to be eligible to vote, continues to draw criticism.
Section 7 of part 2 C of the Electors Act states that “a person registered pursuant to this part shall remain registered unless and until his name is deleted from the register because he has been absent from Dominica for a period exceeding 5 years.”
Attorney, Lennox Lawrence, said recently on Prime Minister Skerrit’s weekly talk show, that the laws can either be removed altogether or should be extended for a 10 year period.
Citing a recent court decision in Canada which ruled that the five year limitation is unconstitutional, Lawrence insisted that Dominica’s laws must ensure the maximum number number of people who registered to vote can in fact, exercise their right to vote.
However, Social Activist, Loftus Durand, while not necessarily opposing a change to the 5-year requirement, is insisting any legislative change in that regard should not be unilaterally undertaken by the government.
He told Dominica News Online (DNO) he believes that the Dominica public, by consensus, should have a say in any decision to review the country’s laws.
“That from how I see it, it is not making much sense in the interest of the public, because one, that is Lennox Lawrence’s suggestion that part of our electoral laws be amended or changed,” he said. “What I would like to ask Lennox Lawrence or persons who are proposing that is whether they got a consensus from the Dominican public by and large and they are in agreement from the 5 years to the 10 years of being out of Dominica.”
Durand insists that the country’s statutes cannot just be changed in a willy-nilly fashion and not include the citizenry.
“If something like that was to be tabled, then the Dominican people by and large, by consensus, should say okay, we are in agreement to that law; somebody is out for 5 years, we are in agreement in a unified way,” he reiterated. “We should have a say in this matter.”
Tell us IBO SMART,what does the law say about filing an OBJECTION,when someone is to be taken off the voters list?Our first prime minister was not jailed for TREASON.Stop lying to the people.He was jailed for CONSPIRACY TO OVERTHROW.Loftus and the UWP are using certain section of the constitution to suit them
ADMIN: He was ,in fact, jailed, for treason with the specific charge being conspiracy to overthrow which he was found guilty of in a court of law.
Treason act of Dominica
Former Dominica Prime Minister Convicted of Treason
GARY,these UWP BBFLIES think Dominicans are fools.Loftus does not mention PART 2 SECTION 41 and 42 PAGE 48 and 49 of the Constitution of Dominica.Another Linton,who does not understand Section 66 4a page 64 of the CONSTITUTION.
So little kid, why did Dr king say on the same PM program that the government would be giving $10k dollars to young Dominicans that want to build but one of the criteria is that THEY MUST reside in Dominica? I thought Dominicans were Dominicans anywhere and should not be discriminated against? So how could they be qualified to accept a free ticket and cash that’s even more than what a number of Dominicans make a month, but Skerrit, Dr. King, Lennox Lawrence and others believe they are not qualified to get the $10k dollar grant to build in Dominica? Why? Why little kid? You mean to tell me they are qualified to help Skerrit steal the election but not qualified to help develop Dominica?
This is the problem with the UWP it is run online. There are people on the ground but the strings are pulled outside.
Constitutions ratified to reflect present day we are a free people why can the law reflect this. Who said Barbados hour not longer on the steps on colonialism?
At some point I read that Britain did not want people fromay he colonies to leave the language in which the law was written request voting
I will say it again had it been for some of you we would still be slaves
Where is that money ……….. from the CCM? Shouldn’t we pass a law demanding that money forthwith? You out there criticizing other people and you are just the same. Let us have that money back. ……… It is all about power and money. NO EXCEPTION.
@dc
Why not ask questions and demand answers for what is yours?
The missing $1.2billion is yours, why are you moo moo on it? Why put your foot in your mouth? The over US$100 million forgiven debt by Venezuela is yours, ask questions about it. The airport development fund, ask questions about it..Where is that money? All the inflated contracts….You seem very dumb…It’s non of your dam businesses what happens to CCM funds, when you are so blind about what is yours.
“What I would like to ask Lennox Lawrence or persons who are proposing that is whether they got a consensus from the Dominican public by and large and they are in agreement from the 5 years to the 10 years of being out of Dominica.” Mr Durand must now explain to the Dominican public how laws/legislation are passed in Dominica so that they understand the process. Does the ruling Government introduce the law/legislation and then it is debated and voted on in parliament, are laws put on the ballot and the people vote? If you are saying that the Government must seek consensus of the people, please inform the people of the procedures before you bray about about the objection. What is the process of introducing/ammending laws in the country. The people would like to know.
#OneLoveDominicans #OLD
Just read the constitution. It shorter than the bible and much clearer. Honestly, even Toto can understand it. It is plain and simple English
The fundamental problem with the Skerrit’s regime is that they have blurred the line between party and government. A political party caters for its supporters but a government should govern for everyone.
In Skerrit’s warped mind, Dominica is an ecosystem. He and his Cabinet of rabble rousers are at the top of the food chain. They get to use and consume the choicest resources of the country.and leave the left-overs for their rabid supporters.
They have no respect or regard for the constitution and laws of Dominica. They see these as a mere inconvenience or temporary stumbling blocks to their complete domination of the resources and people of the country.
I want to send this unmistakable message to the phantom prime minister and his cabinet of evil doers. EVIL triumphs but NEVER conquers. Your day will come, Mr. Skerrit, and history will not look favorably on you.
Loftus, hush your A.
Born in Dominica you are a Dominican anywhere you go so you got the legitimate right to vote anytime elections are called as a born Dominican.
Not according to our law. leaders have ignored that law. BUT IT IS WRITTEN IN BLACK AND WHITE IN PLAIN ENGLISH. YOU HUSH YOUR SANDY A.
So it is clear, you are one of those Dominicans to whom the constitution does not apply then. Charming my friend, join Skerrit.
BATTE cor zots kon di MASSISI la. In 5 years 90 percent will be home in our ROCKING CHAIR waiting for the day. That is where we will pass OUR PENSION. Erace our names but at the time WE WILL BE RESIDENT. PM, NOUS LOVE YOU AND OUR DLP.
While you’re at it, why not make it illegal for Dominicans citizens residing overseas for more than 5 years to own or buy property in Dominica!
What about not issuing drivers licenses to them! No driving for them when they come home!
Or better still, why not make it illegal for them to withdraw any savings in the banks after 5 years!
The Constitution of Dominica makes no provisions for different classes or Categories of Dominican Citizen. You’re either Dominican or you’re not!
The law is based on the assumption by UWPites that Dominicans residing overseas are all Labourites! There is absolutely NO evidence to support that assumption!!
You are facetious. Deal with the constitution, which is very clear.
Why 5 years!?
Why not 50 years or 5 months, 5 weeks, or for that matter 5 minutes! What science or evidence was used to arrive at 5 years!?
Plain and simple, this is arbitrary legislation!!
Me – That is how they like to deal with the issues and facts. Whenever you make a valid point they love to turn towards ridicule and most times change the topic to talk about something that has nothing to do with the issue at hand. They are famous. In dominica, you dont pay annual land tax. Any person can drive anywhere if they have a valid license, especially if they have an international license. the constitution makes provision for DOMINICANS, living outside of the country for more than 5 years (an election term) and prevents them from voting. Simple. If you want to vote, be present in the country you say you love and contribute to so much. Come and live here for more than just 3 weeks during festive season. Feel the hardships and rise in cost and lack of amenities and services. Observe how the youth interact and ask yourself questions while you are here. Wicked set of people. Know nothing about the place except for what your dlp friends tell you and act like you know it all.
“The constitution makes provision for DOMINICANS, living outside of the country for more than 5 years (an election term) and prevents them from voting.” Wow, is this an accurate statement, aren’t there conditions within the constitution that determine the eligibility for
for someone living more than 5 years to vote. We know the wicked set of people, by their words and deeds.
“The law is based on the assumption by UWPites that Dominicans residing overseas are all Labourites!”
Neg Bord Lamer, that law was in place when Freedom was in power. In those day DLP would only win Grandbay and maybe Portsmouth. Noone liked DLP because its leader was jailed in the Stockfarm prison for treason and trying to sell the country to communists and klu klux klan associates. You all like to forget that part of our history. If not for mamo agreeing to join with DLP, Skerrit would have never been our PM. In fact, during that election DLP got the least votes.
Now your assumptions are absolutely baseless. How can we assume that all dominicans living outside of DA are DLP? Are you absolutely dumb? Thats like saying ALL dominicans living outside of Dominica are men. If thats what you got from the law, then you are a complete fool and justly a laborite.
If you love yourself, your neighbors, your community, your country, you would stop making excuses for people who…
We have a MONOCRACY and Dominicans have left it to fester for too long. Nothing a corrupt leader likes more than an apathetic electorate. Nothing that leader hates more than political activism for all that’s good.
Cohesion and collective efforts from all walks of civil society will sure to get positive results on this most significant issue. Together we can do so much. Divided we can do so little.
WAKE UP and RISE Dominicans!
The law is good as is. What is terribly bad, is the way a few greedy people who are sucking the country dry, wants to manipulate the law to continue living the “high life”. Aljazeera referred to them as hungry hyenas…
I read Loftus Durand’s concern re the Diaspora vote..We should be very careful here…This is a complex issue There are more Dominicans in the Diaspora than are resident.. Do resident Dominicans wish the Diaspora to determine who will rule the country??? . We have seen some evidence of this pattern by DLP bringing in supporters from overseas..Or could the Diaspora form a political party and take over governance of the country???
I’d love to live on an Island with no Government and no politics. Those in power always, I mean ALWAYS!!! Consider the masses as their servants/slaves. They then appoint their “captains” to keep the masses in check/line. The captains/ PAL-REP or what the L you call them; are all boommm boommm kissers. O! And all the “prominent” business people serves as props for those politicians. What a world we live in!!!! The other thing I found out about political leaders, is that, they are not smart or fully educated. Thus, the results of dysfunction and chaos we witness. Could hardly put a sensible sentence together. How they become “leaders” is another wonder of the world. And O! Their end is never a pleasant one. Why is that, nuh? weh pa pa.
There are lots of things which you are just ignorant of. There is nothing in existence which does not have a central Authority to govern and regulate its existence. You as an individual person have a central authority. Your concept of as to what you believe about Politics and Government is not what it is. People must not engage Government in Politics, once you do you are sucked into their game, it is like going into a game with someone and you do not know how to play it, will you ever win, off course not, in the game, illusions are created for you to keep your continuation.
The institution of Government and Politics is sustained by consent,
and the ignorance of people not understanding free will and choice given to them by the creator God. We have given our power to things outside ourselves by coming into agreement with them. To put the genie back in the box we need a spiritual revolution not a political revolution. Who said you got to be smart and educated to be the ruler of…
laws should represent the times! and in this time we need to curb migration which is causing serious brain drain within Dominica! how are we going to change this culture of migration if citizens retain all of their rights and privileges? as long as someone is resident in another country his right to vote should be removed. then after the stabilization of the population we could revisit this law but demographics should have an effect on what happens, how many are aware that Dominica has had a negative population growth for decades?
That is irrelevant, far greater weight has the number of Dominicans actually living here. They are most affected by our local laws and taxation. I understand that Dominicans leave this country to improve their lives and good luck to them but they then make their contribution by and large to another country but that is their choice and should not entitle them to dictate to us here at home how we should be governed. That is not natural justice to me. The men that wrote our constitution were not dimwits and understood that clearly.
The negative birth rate does no tell the full story. Most Dcan women go overseas to have their babies because of the poor healthcare system and seeking to give the children a better option when they grow up. However, the same children return to the homeland and usually stay through high school before heading out to the land of their birth. So, the birth rate is down …..ask Skerrit and Queen Gravitate if you don’t believe me.
Saying laws should represent the times, is superficial, there is something called pragmatism, with the aid of facts rather than half-truths, assumptions and a sinister political agenda. To curb migration is totalitarian.
This whole matter regarding Section 7 of part 2 C of the Electors Act, is a strategy being used by the UWP and it’s Operatives as a smoke screen for losing the elections. When Loftus Durand talks about consensus, consensus from whom, his organization, The UWP, other Political parties, civic minded Groups, or the Populace. The DLP was elected with a unanimous majority, what consensus do they need to make legislative change to the 5-year requirement for Dominicans living abroad to be eligible to vote by either abolishing or extending it. The Concerned Citizen Group and The UWP have held meetings and demonstrations regarding the matter with very disheartening attendance, isn’t that a clear message as
to who has the consensus of the people.
this issue is not about politics only but also our society and how we approach the issues which are plaguing us! do we just ignore the issue and have politics deal with everything? what about the issue of brain drain? who do you deter persons from migrating away? the human resource which we are glad to have go away is the most valuable asset of the country!
You want to be pragmatic? Remove Skerrit an replace him with a pragmatic person.
Gary, you are disingenuous. Our constitution was crafted before the UWP was even dreamt of. As a matter of fact it was a labour government that first ruled under this legislation. It applies to all of us, myself included an I am not a member of any particular party. It has served us well and continues to do so even though our political leader publicly said he would disregard it and just ignore it.
If a sixteen year old read this comment, they would feel to vomit. Every country has a system you have to stay within and laws that must be obeyed. This applies to every body in a country. What we need is manners and respect to oneself and to others. No one is above the law. You are caught cold, A bent cop