ROSEAU, Dominica – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he will not be sidetracked by the efforts of his government to bring to Parliament before yearend, proposed electoral modernisation legislation as part of the electoral reform process in Dominica.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit (File Photo)Skerrit was responding to statements made by Wayne James, a member of the Electoral Commission (EC) that he had not received any copies of the legislation that the government said had been sent to the EC last week.
In a statement, the government said that it had provided the EC with copies of the proposed electoral modernisation legislation and that 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 subsequently published on the government website and on 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 am not going to entangle myself in all of this foolish talk about they did not get the copies or whatever it is. My responsibility udner 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 t is for the chairman to share with his members those copies. It is as simple as that. I am really 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 position is and the government’s position is that we are going to 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 as it relates to electoral reform”.
Skerrit said the government is awaiting a response from the Commission, noting “we gave them a few weeks (and) ince we receive their comments and suggestions then we will seek to incorporate them where we believe they can be incorporated and we move forward.
“But the government is not going to get entangled in all kind of talk show discussions or Facebook discussions….that’s not my responsibility. My responsibility is to provide the copies to the Commission and it is the chairman who represents the Commission.
“How the chairman goes about conducting his business, and as I understand it, the chairman is out of state…its for the chairman to conduct his business as he sees appropiate.I don’t get involved in the day to day operations of the Commission,” Skerrit added.
Thee proposed legislation provides for the Registration of Electors Act and Regulations 2024;
The House of Assembly (Elections) Act and Regulations 2024, which 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 that we will appreciate that the draft bills address the fundamental concerns raised by certain sections of the public and also, we have 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 modernisation of the electoral process.
In June last year, the former president of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, submitted a report on electoral reform to the Dominica government.
Sir Dennis had been the sole commissioner advancing the efforts towards electoral reform, a major issue here with the opposition parties, the United Workers Party (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) boycotting last general election.
The boycott led to the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) securing 19 of the 21 seats, with the remainder going to independent candidates.
The opposition parties had been calling for electoral reform, including a clean voters list and identification cards.
