Antigua.news 9 Antigua and Barbuda 9 Opposition UWP not contesting elections in Dominica
Listen to this article

Opposition UWP not contesting elections in Dominica

The United Workers Party in Dominica says it will not be participating in elections in Dominica. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called snap elections on Sunday night, saying that residents will go to the polls on December 6th.

Here’s a letter just released from the UWP in Dominica.

The United Workers Party views with disappointment and dismay the pronouncement by the Prime Minister to hold a “snap” General Election on December 6, 2022.  This call for national elections is seen as an outrage to all Dominicans, especially the residents of the East of the country who were reeling under the impact of a natural disaster.   On the night when the country was expected to hear the Prime Minister lead the call to support those affected, Mr. Skerrit decided to place his personal interest ahead of the country.  

This announcement must be condemned by all Dominicans as an affront to our democracy and an insult to our people.   Dominicans cannot be asked at this time to participate in another national election without meeting at least two basic election standards:

  1. A clean Voters List reflecting the persons who can legally vote; and
  2. National ID Cards available to all the legitimate voters.

The Caribbean Court of Justice, the APEX court of this country, in a written Decision that in its opinion “…there remains areas of grave concerns about how the process of these elections (2019 General Elections) was conducted.  Future Elections in Dominica ought not to proceed with these or similar taints…”

At the end of the 2019 General Elections, the Imminent Jurist, Justice Sir Dennis Byron was engaged by Skerrit’s Cabinet as a sole Commissioner to present the necessary amendments to our laws to Reform the Electoral Process.  Over the past months, the United Workers Party has been in constant dialogue with Sir Byron who informed the Party of his intentions to expedite the presentation of his recommendations.   Since Mr. Skerrit has another two and a half years remaining on his current mandate as Prime Minister and sufficient time to implement the long-awaited reform of the electoral process, then there are no justifiable reasons why he should be calling a “Snap Election” other than an abuse of power. 

In the circumstances therefore, the United Workers Party has taken a decision not to participate in this fraudulent Election and therefore calls on His Excellency Charles A. Savarin, the President of the Commonwealth of Dominica 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.

About The Author
<a href="https://antigua.news/author/editorial-satff/" target="_self">Editorial Staff</a>

Editorial Staff

The Editorial Staff refers to all reporters employed by Antigua.news. When an article is not an original creation of Antigua.news—such as when it is based on a press release, other media articles, letters to the editor, or court decisions—one of our staff members is responsible for overseeing its publication. Contact: [email protected]

2 Comments

  1. I cannot blame them. This is just so desperate. let him run the country with no opposition.

    Reply
  2. That’s just unfair, Skerrit should not have done that. chupes

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Antigua News ! - Breaking stories that captivate
Privacy summary

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best possible user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our site or helping our team understand which parts of the site you find most interesting and useful. More information in Privacy Policy