The Dominica Parliament on Wednesday approved a set of electoral reform bills, even as police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse opposition supporters who accused the government of a lack of transparency in the legislative process.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit was absent from the parliamentary session, as he was attending the 76th meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) leaders in Saint Martin.
The reforms, introduced through the Electoral Commission Bill 2024, the House of Assembly (Elections) Bill 2024, and the Registration of Electors Bill 2024, have been under review since Sir Dennis Byron, former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), submitted his report on electoral reform in June 2023.
Despite objections from opposition groups, the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP), which holds a 19-2 majority in Parliament, easily secured approval for the legislation. Opposition legislator Anthony Charles, one of the two opposition members in the chamber, supported the measures, calling electoral reform an issue that had been debated for more than 17 years.
“I stand for the bills to be passed,” Charles said, urging Dominicans to focus on democracy rather than political division.
Attorney General Levi Peter admitted that while the bills did not satisfy all demands, they represented a step forward.
“Electoral modernization and reform is not a one-time event. Instead, it is a continuous process that requires review, intellectual and legal rigor, and diligence,” he said.
However, outside Parliament, opposition groups, led by the United Workers Party (UWP), rejected the reforms as inadequate. UWP leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine argued that the measures would not strengthen democracy but weaken it.
“The people of Dominica are saying that the reforms as contained in the legislation are not good enough,” Fontaine told reporters. He signaled that the opposition would continue pressing for further changes, particularly on issues such as campaign finance regulation.
“This is the beginning; this is not the end,” Fontaine warned, suggesting further action could be taken against the government’s handling of the reforms.
As tensions escalated, police cracked down on demonstrators outside the Parliament building. Acting Police Commissioner Davidson Valarie stated that the protest had not been authorized and warned that organizers could be held criminally liable for public disorder.
“The Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force advises that the Electoral Reform Coalition, officials of the United Workers Party, among other organizers, have been planning protest action,” Valarie said. “No permission has been sought from the Chief of Police, nor has the Chief of Police granted any permission for any protest action.”
Despite the heavy police presence and the passage of the bills, opposition leaders vowed to continue their push for additional reforms.
