UWP wants election called off in Dominica

The main Opposition in Dominica, the United Workers Party is calling on President Charles Savarin to suspend his election writ, and postpone the holding of elections until such time that the electoral reform process is complete.

In a statement to the media on Wednesday, the UPP also call upon the regional governments, and the international community to denounce the holding of this election and also not to recognize whichever government emerges out of this process.

Residents of Dominica will go to the polls on December 6th, after Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called a snap election, two and half years before it was constitutionally due.

The UWP has decided to boycott the elections, saying that going to the polls without a clean voters list and electoral reform makes the process illegal.

“After all, rectifying issues of a bloated voters list and the non-issuance of identification cards are at the heart of our democratic system. We note that Sir Dennis Byron who was appointed by the government of Dominica to review our electoral process has completed his initial work and will shortly be providing us and the government of Dominica with his draft report and a copy of the supporting draft legislation. We continue to urge the government of Dominica to urgently implement the required reforms and commit to the holding of fresh elections as soon as the process is complete,” the UPP said.

The party called upon the election observers coming in from the Commonwealth Secretarfavord the Organization of American States to take careful note of the vexing circumstances under which this snap election is being conducted.

“An election process that is so deeply flawed, and weighted in favour of the ruling party should never be considered as being either free or fair. At this point let me assure the people of Dominica that the UWP is doing everything within its legal and constitutional rights to ensure that electoral reforms are completed,” the statement said.

Another important matter according to the UWP is the fact that no less than eight members of the UWP have since 2017, been brought before the courts by the ABLP government on various charges including incitement and treason, at tremendous financial and other costs to the Dominican public.

“We view these charges as being largely frivolous and meant to either intimidate or stifle the legitimate opposition. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has encouraged his followers to “throw hot water” on members of the opposition, Minister Reginald Austrie has called, to use his words, “disappear the opposition,” while labor party operative Lennox Lawrence has called for the hunting down of the opposition like terrorists,” the statement said.

The UWP said absolutely no action has been taken against those who continue to incite violence against the opposition.

The party will stage what it has called a nationwide solidarity rally on December 11th to hear of the Party’s plans for Dominica.