Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) questions PM Skerrit’s plans for Electoral Reform in Dominica

Press Release

The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC)  is convinced that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has severe difficulties with the truth; this is exemplified by his most recent pronouncements in the aftermath of the ERC’s People’s Parliament held on Sunday 7^th July in Roseau. Clear indications are that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is hell-bent on misleading the Dominican population with falsities and that he has a burning desire to pursue the establishment of a dictatorship in the Commonwealth of Dominica.

For some reason, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is of the impression that he is Dominica’s Tin God, that no one has a right to question or challenge his dictatorial tendencies, and that he can continue to blatantly lie to the nation with impunity. He acts as if he is the supreme authority over Dominica’s electoral process and that he can engage Sir Dennis Byron for hundreds of thousands of dollars from the taxpayers of Dominica only to then discard Sir Byron’s recommendations by engaging a team who gave him HIS Legislation, which should be allowed to go unchallenged.

The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) has displayed its respect for the Office of the Prime Minister, after the end of the series of consultations held by the Dominica Labor Party lead government in August 2023, the ERC respectfully wrote to the Prime Minister with suggestions for follow up action, which included the establishment of a broad-based committee to review the Byron report, as well as the submissions made at the consultations. The Prime Minister did not have the basic human decency or courtesy of his office to acknowledge receipt of the ERC’s request far less to respond. Other requests for an audience with the Prime Minister have been treated with the same level of blatant disrespect.

Whereas the Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) has no intention of engaging in a war of words with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, it is important that he is reminded of the following and what disrespect really is:

• As Minister of Education in the Administration of the Honourable Pierre Charles, he traveled to Barbados to negotiate with the Chinese government the severing of diplomatic relations with Taiwan without the knowledge or authorization of the then Prime Minister.
• In 2005 he told the Dominican people it was “none of their damn business where the Dominica Labor Party gets its money from”, This response came about because questions were raised as to the source of funds being used to finance the Labour Party’s participation in the election campaign of that year.
• Due to allegations that he held French citizenship, he famously said no law nor constitution could prevent him from contesting the 2009 general elections.
• In 2019 he encouraged voters in the Petite Savanne constituency to throw hot water on opposition supporters. 

The instances of insults and blatant disrespect of Roosevelt Skerrit to the citizens of the

The Commonwealth of Dominica is too numerous to mention, and the Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) shall not be distracted by the machinations of a politician whose only objective is to continue his grip on power by manipulating the electoral system. 

It appears that the Prime Minister is unaware of the fact that Jamaica, a CARICOM Member State, has model Campaign Financing legislation since 2017 and that many Commonwealth countries have used the Jamaica model to frame their electoral legislation. 

There is no doubt that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit takes pride in hiding behind the privileges and authority of the Office of Prime Minister to insult and ignore Dominican citizens whom he perceives are opposed to his misguided policies and dictatorial tendencies. So, he continues to use his monopolized news media to attack the ERC but lacks the courage and maturity to have any discussion on matters of national interest, especially the electoral reform process. For more than twenty years he has avoided any public debate or discussions outside the protection of his misguided Speakers of parliament.

The ERC humbly invites the Prime Minister to an open and transparent discussion on the way forward for electoral reform in Dominica. This discussion can be in private or in public.

In the absence of the Prime Minister making himself available for discussion, the ERC will continue to use its limited resources to educate, mobilize, and advocate for electoral reform legislation that meets the demands of the Dominican people and not bogus legislation that has the sole objective of consolidating Roosevelt Skerrit’s hold on power.

The Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) calls on the citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica to be steadfastly resolute in its drive to secure free and fair elections regardless of political party affiliation, colour, or bias. The main objective of electoral laws in any democratic country is to allow the citizens to change their governments. Prime Minister Skerrit’s draft legislation is unacceptable. It must be amended to address the critical concerns of Campaign Financing and other vexing issues before it is laid in Parliament for debate. With a 19 to 2 parliamentary majority, it is imperative that the Draft Acts fully represent the wishes of the Dominican citizenry and not solely that of Prime  Minister Roosevelt  Skerrit.

The ERC invites all Dominicans, at home and abroad, to join and support the People’s Electoral Legislation which will soon be presented to the President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Prime Minister, and the Electoral Commission.

God bless the Commonwealth of Dominica. We the People Shall Prevail.