Dominica’s opposition to boycott general election over padded voters list

Last Updated on Wednesday, 9 November 2022, 7:20 by Denis Chabrol

Dominica’s opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has decided not to participate in the December 6 general election because of concerns that the voters list is padded.

That party says Dominicans cannot be asked at this time to participate in another national election without meeting at least two basic election standards. These are a clean voters list reflecting the persons who can legally vote; and National ID Cards are available to all the legitimate voters. ” In the circumstances therefore, the United Workers Party has taken a decision not to participate in this fraudulent election,” the party said in a statement.

The UWP wants Dominica’s largely titular President, Charles Savarin to revoke the calling of election by the Prime Minister. “We are convinced that the Electoral Reform as demanded by the Dominican population is needed to facilitate free and fair Elections in the Commonwealth of Dominica,” the UWP added.

The UWP notes that the Caribbean Court of Justice has said in a written judgement that there remains areas of grave concerns about how the process of the 2019 General Elections) was conducted.

That party notes that the CCJ says that future Elections in Dominica ought not to proceed with these or similar taints.

At the end of the 2019 General Elections, former CCJ President Justice Sir Dennis Byron was hired as the sole Commissioner to present the necessary amendments to Dominica’s laws to Reform the Electoral Process. 

 Over the past months, the UWP said it has been in constant dialogue with Sir Byron who informed the Party of his intentions to expedite the presentation of his recommendations.   

Across in Guyana, the opposition coalition of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has been mulling whether to intensify political action or go to the court to press its demand for a clean voters list which it said is padded with the names of dead persons and emigrants. That coalition has not decided whether it would boycott next March’s local government elections.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall Tuesday night said based on current provisions in Guyana’s Constitution, nothing could be done to remove the names of emigrants from the voters list.

The APNU+AFC has offered support to amend the constitution to include residency as a requirement to be on the voters list, but already the government has hinted that overseas-based Guyanese could not be disenfranchised and at any rate such a decision would have to be dealt with through the upcoming constitutional reform process.