On 8th January, 2018, the Concern Citizens Movement (CCM) wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Dominica Electoral Commission, Mr. Gerald Burton, underscoring the seeming "paralysis" in the work of the Commission as it relates to its undertaking of decisive steps towards electoral reforms, which are absolutely necessary for free and fair elections in Dominica.
This letter was copied to His Excellency, Mr. Charles Savarin, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica and Political Leader of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP), Honourable Lennox Linton, Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition and Political Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP), and Mr. Kent Vital, Political Leader of Dominica Freedom Party (DFP). This letter was also copied to the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Carter Center.
Following the 2009 and 2014 General Elections, the OAS Electoral Observer Missions made very clear recommendations for reforming Dominica' electoral machinery. Further, following the 2014 General Elections the Commonwealth Observer Mission stated in their report that the elections "was free, but not fair", and it proceeded to make very clear recommendations for addressing weaknesses in the electoral machinery.
THREE YEARS AFTER THE 2014 ELECTIONS, NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION ON ANY OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE CCM, AND PATRIOTIC DOMINICANS CALL FOR AN ELECTORAL MACHINERY THAT WILL FOSTER ELECTIONS OF INTEGRITY, AND ELECTIONS THAT ARE FREE AND FAIR. WE BELIEVE THAT NO ELECTION SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN UNLESS COMPREHENSIVE ELECTORAL REFORMS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN.
WE THEREFORE SOLICIT YOUR SUPPORT FOR ELECTIONS OF INTEGRITY IN DOMINICA. PRINT AND SIGN YOUR NAME TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION THAT ELECTORAL REFORM IS A MUST.
