ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Friday stated that the federal government will current three electoral reform payments for the primary studying solely to Parliament on Monday subsequent week and that no “protest motion” will stop the laws being debated going ahead.
Talking on the end-of-year information convention, Prime Minister Skerrit advised reporters that the content material of the payments, particularly the Electoral Fee Invoice 2024, Home of Meeting (Elections) Invoice 2024, and Registration of Electors Invoice 2024, had been reviewed by the related people and teams since Sir Dennis Byron, the previous president of the Caribbean Courtroom of Justice (CCJ), submitted his report on electoral reform on June 12, 2023.
Skerrit stated the federal government held a collection of consultations with public service members, political events, commerce unions, enterprise associations, youth-based organizations, sports activities associations, and the media, amongst different teams. He stated worldwide observers from the Group of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth, and the Caribbean Group (CARICOM) participated in these consultations.
“The general public was additionally allowed to evaluation the report and draft laws on the federal government of Dominica web site and submit written suggestions,” Skerrit stated, including that in Might this yr, the draft laws was submitted to the Chief Elections Officer for scrutiny and to the Chair of the Electoral Fee in September.
Prime Minister Skerrit stated that even now, with the primary studying of the payments, parliamentarians, curiosity teams, and members of the general public can have one other alternative to familiarize themselves with the laws’s content material and that it was additionally essential to have the laws debated quickly as a result of “until you go to Parliament, the Electoral Fee can’t do something.”
“There are issues within the payments I don’t assist. It isn’t about me or the Cupboard…on the finish, all of us should need Parliament to go the laws…in order that we will put the electoral reform to relaxation,” stated Skerrit, who questioned the sincerity of the opposition in eager to have the laws debated and handed.
Nonetheless, the Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) expressed disappointment that, after “nearly 20 years of demanding electoral reform,” the federal government is continuing to take the electoral reform payments to Parliament “with out correct public discover and scrutiny.”
The ERC stated that the Electoral Fee’s suggestions have been saved personal to let the inhabitants know whether or not their calls for have been met. Because of this, it’s demanding that the Fee make the suggestions it despatched to the federal government public “instantly.”
The ERC stated it encourages constituents to influence their parliamentary representatives to assist the electoral reform course of totally free and truthful elections. It plans a “digital rally rally” for Saturday “to debate the unstable state of affairs.”
As well as, the ERC stated it’s “strongly” urging residents “to make their presence felt exterior of Parliament on Monday …to register their concern for real electoral reform which is able to present totally free and truthful elections”.
However Skerrit advised reporters, “I can say to the nation that no protest can stop the Parliament from debating the payments,” reiterating that the proposed electoral reform laws has undergone in depth consultations and opinions with all related teams in our society.
“I’ve constantly acknowledged our dedication to presenting these legislative measures to Parliament to make sure our elections stay free and truthful.
“In step with our commitments on this matter, the electoral reform payments shall be taken to the Parliament on Monday for the primary studying. Which means modifications may be made earlier than the payments are tabled for the second and third readings.”
However he insisted, “We can not proceed to have consultations in perpetuity. It should come to an finish in some unspecified time in the future. No legislation is ideal. That’s why you go to Parliament occasionally to amend legal guidelines.”
In June final yr, Sir Dennis submitted a report on electoral reform to the Dominica authorities. Sir Dennis had been the only commissioner advancing electoral reform efforts, a significant situation right here, with the opposition events, the United Staff Get together (UWP) and the Dominica Freedom Get together (DFP), boycotting the final normal election.
The boycott led to the ruling Dominica Labour Get together (DLP) securing 19 21 seats, with the rest going to unbiased candidates.
Skerrit believes that constitutional reform is the subsequent large venture the federal government ought to undertake, saying, “as a result of there are a variety of issues the drafters of the structure didn’t envisage on the time.
‘Instances have modified, and we now need to convey our structure to a state of modernity, of larger relevance, and there are a number of issues we now have picked up within the structure, purposeful issues that we would want to amend,” Skerrit advised reporters.
