Dominica: PM Skerrit announces submission of proposed Electoral Reform Legislation

While updating the general public, PM Skerrit said that the government made a commitment to finalise those bills and they have been finalised by the office of the Attorney General and the Attorney General himself.

Friday, 17th May 2024

Dominica: PM Skerrit announces submission of proposed Electoral Reform Legislation (PC - Facebook)

Dominica: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit announced that the Government provided the Electoral with copies of the proposed electoral reform legislation on May 15, 2024. While calling it a major milestone, he said that it is in accordance with section 51 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica. While updating the general public, PM Skerrit said that the government made a commitment to finalise those bills and they have been finalised by the office of the Attorney General and the Attorney General himself. “We believe that this is a major step in the fulfillment of our commitment to the nation and to our international partners and our efforts towards electoral modernization and electoral reform,” said the PM. He further noted that the next step that these copies will be made available to all members of Parliament and the intention there also after this is to have an informal session with the members to discuss to the bills, hear the suggestions and do a review with them before those bills are taken to its final process of going to the Parliament. PM Roosevelt Skerrit also vowed that after all these steps, the documents will also be made available on the government’s website so that any Dominican citizen or resident who wishes to review the bill and look at it can do so. While saying that the process will be kept very tight, the Prime Minister noted that the government is planning to go to the parliament in June, before the end of the financial year. “There will be a short break between the first reading and the second and third reading, but we intend to have this finalized in the month of June, so that all of the necessary budgetary allocations can be made in the upcoming financial estimates, An effort to give the Electoral Commission not only the legislative mandate, but also the financial resources required to advance the implementation of the electoral reform, process,” he further said. He emphasised that the draft bills will address some of the fundamental concerns or observations which have been raised by certain sections of the public. In addition to this, the copies of the bills will be sent to the Organization of American States, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, and Caricom, so that, they too, can be informed and apprised of the steps which the government has taken, towards the fulfillment and finalization of its efforts towards electoral modernization.