Joint Mission on Electoral reform submits report but is rejected by the government

Carlisle Jno Baptiste 26th September, 2019

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The Joint CARICOM-COMMONWEALTH-OAS special Mission who on the invitation of the government of Dominica visited Dominica from August 6-9, 2019 to look at the electoral reform system has handed its report to the government.

In its final considerations of its 19-page report, the Mission stated that the importance of public education in a process such as this cannot be overstated. “The Mission noted that while information had been shared publicly about the purpose and nature of the proposed electoral reform, not all persons had received sufficient, accurate information to allow them to understand the issues and to form considered opinions. The Joint Mission, therefore, recommends that efforts be redoubled by the competent authorities to share accurate and reliable information on this issue.”

“The Joint Mission also noted with regret the mistrust and antipathy evident between the opposing sides and was informed that elements of violence, associated with politics and elections, were creeping into the society. A diversity of perspectives is crucial in any healthy and successful democracy – so too is a willingness to collaborate and to compromise. Neither violence nor the insinuation of violence has any place in the electoral process,” the Mission stated.

It continued, “ It is the Joint Mission’s view that there is an urgent need for the political leaders in Dominica to reset the political tone in the interest of Dominica. In particular, the Joint Mission strongly encourages the Leaders of the two main political parties to engage in earnest, meaningful and constructive one-to-one dialogue on the issue of electoral reform. All three organizations – CARICOM, the Commonwealth and the OAS – are agreeable to facilitating such an endeavor should this recommendation be welcomed by the political leaders.”

“Ultimately only the people of Dominica can determine what is best for Dominica. The Joint Mission encourages all sides, and all citizens to renew their commitment to collaborate in resolving Dominica’s electoral challenges and to establish a firm foundation for the continued modernization and strengthening of the country’s electoral processes.”

Meantime, Dominica’s attorney general Levi Peter says that the Joint Electoral Mission like the government is of the view that the existing electoral legislation must be amended to enable photo identification card. The government Peter stated is also pleased to note that the mission has acknowledged that the Prime Minister has the constitutional right to call elections at any time of his choosing.

However, Peter stated that the as regards other aspects and recommendations of the report, the government notes and accepts the important best practice principles that, electoral reform needs to be carefully managed to ensure that it reaches it’s intended and stated purpose without confusing electors and with minimal disruption to the electoral administration. Also, an unsuccessful attempt at reform could have serious consequences.

“In that vein, regrettable, the government is unable to accept aspects of the recommendations contained in the report in particular in the recommendation to the house to house re-verification exercise. The government’s reasons are detailed in its written response to the Mission,” AG Peter stated.

Peter said that in summary, “the government is of the view that recommendations from the Joint Mission, in particular, the re-verification are “unworkable and if implemented will cause confusion and disruption contrary to best practice and importantly will not result in the required updating of the list.”

“It will not result in the mandatory use of the photo ID and will not be properly updated and cleanse. The recommendation of the house to house is not supported by Dominica’s laws and even if it was, it could not properly update or cleanse the voters’ list as proposed,” he said.

He continued, “Dominica would essentially be in exactly the same place in respect to the voters’ list as we now are. Accordingly, the report will have the unacceptable impact of causing the state to incur a significant increase in financial, human and other resource costs for no real reform or disenable improvement in our electoral process.”

“Electoral reform is a complex and challenging endeavor which requires the co-operation, political maturity, broad involvement, and goodwill of as wide as possible of a cross-section of the society. The government will continue to be mindful of the very important best practice principle that an unsuccessful attempt at reform could have serious consequences.

“The government is of the firm view that in all the circumstances the draft amendment bills and the confirmation process propose in those Bills provides the best means of securing credible and workable and lawful electoral reform which will deliver mandatory issuance and use of photo ID for updating and cleansing the list. The government will continue to engage the opposition parties, Joint Mission other stakeholders and other regional and international partners in its effort to achieve effective electoral reform,” Peter stated.