ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC—Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he will not be sidetracked by his government’s efforts to bring proposed electoral modernization legislation to Parliament before yearend as part of the electoral reform process in Dominica.
Skerrit was responding to statements made by Wayne James, a member of the Electoral Commission (EC), that he had yet to receive any copies of the legislation the government said had been sent to the EC last week.
In a statement, the government said it had provided the EC with copies of the proposed electoral modernization legislation. The submission followed extensive public debates, discussions, written recommendations from individuals and entities, and prolonged government-initiated electoral reform consultation.
The government said that copies of the proposed legislation have also been provided to President Sylvanie Burton and will be published on the government website and other media platforms for public review.
Copies will also be forwarded to the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat.
“I will not entangle myself in all this foolish talk about them not getting the copies or whatever it is. My responsibility under Section 51 of the Constitution is to send to the Commission; it is not my responsibility to write to every member of the Commission,” Skerrit said on the state-owned DBS Radio. Listen to audio
“The government’s responsibility is to write to the chairman, and it is for the chairman to share those copies with his members. It is as simple as that. I am not going to get myself entangled in any of this nonsense talk about …who got it and who didn’t get it. That’s not for me.
“My and the government’s position is that we will advance this electoral reform; we have had extensive consultation. The people of Dominica elected 21 people to represent their interest in Parliament, and those 21 people, plus the Senators, will advance the issue regarding electoral reform”.
Skerrit said the government is awaiting a response from the Commission, noting, “We gave them a few weeks (and) once we receive their comments and suggestions, then we will seek to incorporate them where we believe they can be integrated and move forward.
“But the government is not going to get entangled in all kinds of talk show discussions or Facebook discussions…. that’s not my responsibility. My responsibility is to provide copies to the Commission, and the chairman represents it.
“How the chairman conducts his business, and as I understand it, the chairman is out of state… it’s for the chairman to conduct his business as he sees appropriate. I don’t get involved in the Commission’s day-to-day operations,” Skerrit added.
The proposed legislation provides for the Registration of Electors Act and Regulations 2024;
The House of Assembly (Elections) Act and Regulations 2024 incorporates the House of Assembly (Election Petition) Rules 2024 and The Electoral Commission Act 2024.
“We intend to have this finalized in June so that all the necessary budgetary allocations can be made in the upcoming financial estimates to give the electoral commission not only the legislative mandate but also the financial resources required to advance the implementation of the electoral reform process,” Skerrit said upon the release of the documents last week.
“We have committed, and we have kept that commitment. I hope we will appreciate the draft bills addressing the fundamental concerns of certain public sections. We have also taken note of the observations and recommendations of our international partners,” he added.
The government said it is confident that the proposed drafts address the principal areas of immediate concern and will set Dominica on a firm path to a comprehensive modernization of the electoral process.
In June last year, Sir Dennis Byron, the former president of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), submitted a report on electoral reform to the Dominica government.
Sir Dennis had been the sole commissioner advancing the efforts towards electoral reform, a significant issue with the opposition parties, the United Workers Party (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) boycotting the last general election.
The boycott led to the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) securing 19 21 seats, with the remainder going to independent candidates.
The opposition parties had been calling for electoral reform, including a clean voter list and identification cards.
Download audio – Dominica PM Roosevelt Skerrit
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