Steps taken as Dominica looks to roll out national ID

Dominica’s Electoral Commission has started preliminary meetings to discuss the implementation process of the new national identification card system, according to a press release issued this week.

Representatives from civil society groups, trade unions, the Dominica State College student council , and all major political parties have been included, it said.

One proposal from the talks was that enrolment of electors will be done at the constituency levels, either directly at the electoral office, or through the deployment of enrolment officers to various communities, for electors who are unable to go to the enrolment centres.

Last month it was revealed that more than $6 million had been approved for the Electoral Commission to purchase equipment and hire staff to roll out the identification scheme.

And the organisation has since installed a modern identification system at the electoral office and recruited more than a dozen enrolment officers.

Gerald Burton, chairman of the Electoral Commission, explained that preceding the ratification of the card system, the Commission extensively reviewed draft legislation.

“In its comments to the draft legislative amendments, the Commission urged changes to the proposed system along lines which it felt would be more compatible with the previously proposed multi-purpose identification system (MPID), which had been acquired and implemented under the aegis of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States,” Burton said.

Cross-department project

After the breakdown of this agreement due to the revelation that the MPID system’s developer had been unable to deliver under its maintenance obligations, Burton said that waiting for the OECS to renegotiate with its contractor “was not an option”.

“It was for this reason, the commission sought out new potential suppliers and entered into discussions, which resulted in the development of the new system,” he added.

“The Commission is pleased that its suggestions for the process by which electors are to be enrolled as set out in the legislation, were accepted by the executive.

“In addition, the chief elections officer was invited to work with the drafting staff of the Ministry of Justice, to revise the drafts accordingly.”

Enrolment process

WIC News has reached out to the official opposition United Workers Party, as well we their leader Lennox Linton, for comment – following up previous emails from 26 June – but have received no reply as yet.

The government has also been contacted for a statement.

The process for enrolment into the national ID card scheme has been outlined chief elections officer Steven LaRocque, who disclosed that the period for enrolment will be for an initial period of ten months, subject to extension by the electoral commission.

During this period, electors will be required to provide documents such as their birth certificate, and an approved form of picture ID.

“Individuals who apply for new registration will also have to be enrolled to get an ID card,” LaRocque said.

“At the end of the confirmation period, the names of the electors who did not enrol for a card will be written to, at the last known address giving a time limit to respond. Failure to respond will result in the names being removed in accordance with legislation.”

When this process is completed, a new and updated electors list will be printed and published for public scrutiny, the press released stated.