Statement regarding National Panel Discussion on electoral process

Electoral Office on Turkey Lane

The Electoral Office of Dominica is pleased to present a National Panel Discussion tomorrow May 22nd 2019 at the Goodwill Parish Hall from 6pm, entitled The Electoral Process: The Way Forward, in collaboration with the Dominica State College and the University of the West Indies Open Campus.

We believe there is a need to soberly discuss the issues surrounding the Electoral Process with a view towards public education, and these discussions ought to be held by those charged with shaping our legislation. It is with this aim that we created this Panel Discussion and invited two Government parliamentarians and two opposition parliamentarians. These discussions will take place in the presence of persons from groups, NGOs and other organizations from a wide cross section of Dominica who we have invited to participate as audience members and pose questions to the panel.

We are encouraging all persons to lay down, for a moment, any entrenched positions and openly, freely listen and on the basis of that, participate in the discourse via the radio, television and social media. This process is too important to be examined with bias and we want to encourage doing so in an open forum that values the exchange of ideas on this issue.

And the Electoral Office of Dominica is proud to partner with our institutions of higher learning, the Dominica State College and the University of the West Indies Open Campus, to present just that.

We remain hopeful that representatives from both sides of parliament, as have been invited, will join the Chairman of the Electoral Commission in these important discussions.

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16 Comments

  1. victim
    May 22, 2019

    Stupes !

    Nonsense talk… will go just to see if they really going to talk that nonsense :!:

  2. Ibo France
    May 22, 2019

    Don’t take the bait. The electoral commission, as is, fits perfectly with the current regime’s agenda. Their intention is to exploit every loophole of the electoral commission to clutch on to power. They will stop at nothing to prevent the unearthing of their massive corrupt practices. They are very much afraid to spend the rest of their natural lives behind iron curtains. This exercise is just window dressing, photo opt, an exercise in futility. All the reforms to the electoral system in Dominica have been exhaustively ventilated for the last ten plus years. There’s nothing new to discuss. This farce of a discussion is to derail the efforts of the businesses sector, the clergy and other NGOs. Just a reminder. Everything that is done by Skerrit and his enablers is carefully orchestrated for self-interest not for the betterment of the people. They are political gangsters. The DLP is a radioactive, white hot potato.

  3. PENNY
    May 22, 2019

    There’s nothing to discuss again. Just give the people what they ask for. Y is that so hard. If DLP know that they’ll win y not just do the right thing. Sometimes I just don’t understand this 3rd world countries 😥

  4. Mexican
    May 22, 2019

    At the eleventh hour these losers are now presenting a ‘debate’ on a well established consensus? But is more than 10 years the electorate have been advocating for electoral change and instead of acceding to the request, the wicked ones are throwing stumbling blocks in the way

  5. De Observer
    May 22, 2019

    Great move 👏👏👏Look forward to a civil and transparent discourse.

  6. "maho pima
    May 21, 2019

    where is the agenda? or is there an agenda? will there be a question and answer session? hope the people will be given the opportunity to ask question, and not come there and say what you all want and don’t give the people the opportunity to voice their opinion.

    ADMIN: The statement does say that the public will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the panel.

  7. War Veteran
    May 21, 2019

    At this time there should be no need for any damn statement or National Panel Discussion on election reform. These guys should just pack their bags and resign because they are Not independent and Cannot do the job. What sense it makes to have a National Panel Discussion on the way forward and the PM was in Castle Bruce on Sunday talking about he feels to ring the bell or call it? These guys are working for Skerreit and as we know Skerrit is buying time. Skerrit knows he is in serious trouble in just about all the constituencies and since he cannot afford to lose the election he is working on plan B, which is to try to provoke the people as much as possible so there could be a civil war that would cause him to cease power. I see the handwriting and I understand the plan. So we better get ready for it. Let’s do our work and prepare for election but, I don’t see election anytime soon. I see war

    • Bwa-Banday
      May 23, 2019

      Agree with you 10000% bro. But guess what? Skerrit and his goons will lost this war because the land called Waitukubuli will never surrender her children to thieves, rouges and vagabonds. The so called Republican Guard and SSU headed by the famous chemical Ali will RUN for cover at the appropriate time and hour. Remember Leo Austin? Fred Degazon? Dcans are very patient but that should never be viewed as cowardice. No election without reforms! Period!

  8. Dominican
    May 21, 2019

    Excellent! I look forward to an interesting and intelligent discourse.

  9. Neverson St Jean
    May 21, 2019

    There is nothing more to discuss sir . The electoral commission has already made its decision years ago. Its time for implementation

  10. Flat Tire
    May 21, 2019

    Just give us de voters card and stop playing games

  11. dissident
    May 21, 2019

    your entrenched position is to ignore de electorate to favor de DLP…..it is very clear to see!
    a decision was made to re-register voters beginning July 1, 2017………you abandon your work….you denying proper electoral justice!!!
    WE NEED AN ANSWER……WHY HAVEN’T YOU STARTED DE RE-REGISTRATION PROCESS.

    YOU REFUSE TO ANSWER! Panel discussion for what!!!!!!?

    I remember History classes abouT de Haitian Revolution……..now you disgust me.
    I am quite ashamed of you as a former teacher!!!!

  12. SN
    May 21, 2019

    At this point, there should be a commitment from the invitees they will attend. The Commission should not be staging this event hoping for participation of invitees. As much as reform is needed, no discussion should take place should they failed to commit.

  13. %
    May 21, 2019

    I cannot think of any other Caribbean country that had so many “makak we”,commess, “koshonyee,” doing before giving the people electoral reform of one kind or another .
    This is a deceptive strategem to fritter away time and then come to the electorate and say election is upon us, reform can’t happen.
    I am just hoping that thousands of eyes are watching as i am.. I am hoping also that lame excuses shall not work !!
    Electoral Reform is a must not an option!

  14. Joseph John
    May 21, 2019

    In fact it should be as well documented as a House of Assembly meeting for facts checking .

  15. Joseph John
    May 21, 2019

    Hope there is a written summary that we can read after. Verbal contributions can easily be forgotten soon after they are uttered . Right now electoral reform is a hot topic and we will need hard evidence (historical) as future reference.

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