Dominica Labour Party President congratulates Govt on passing electoral reforms

Dominica:  The President of Dominica Labour Party Ambassador Emmanuel Nanthan has congratulated the Government for leading process to pass the “Electoral Reforms." In an official statement by the Dominica Labour Party, he said that the process has been long and arduous which started over a decade ago.  

The Dominica Labour Party as well as the party President further took a dig at the demonstrations outside the Parliament despite the bill being unanimously passed by the members, on the Government as well as on the opposition’s side. 

“In fact even the members of the opposition who demonstrated outside Parliament all publicly agreed that the bills present major improvements on what previously existed,”- the Dominica Labour Party further asserted.   

Notably, the Government of Dominica, on March 19, 2025, took a major step towards electoral reform by passing three crucial bills. The Parliament unanimously approved The Registration of Electors Bill, 2024, The Registration of Electors Bill, 2024, The House of Assembly Elections Bill, 2024, and The Electoral Commission Bill, 2024, and The Electoral Commission Bill, 2024. 

While passing these electoral reforms, Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit had also noted that these bills aims to modernize and strengthen the electoral process in the island nation.  

Through an official statement, the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) congratulated the government for leading this process and noted with pride that the bills were all unanimously approved by the Parliament.  

The statement highlighted the fact that the electoral reform in Dominica has been ongoing more than a decade, with the government seeking to address concerns over the integrity of the electoral system. It is further stated that the three bills were drafted following extensive public debates, discussions and written recommendations for individuals and entities. 

“There were also consultations with various regional and international organizations, including the Commonwealth and the Organization of American States (OAS) and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Sir Denise Byron, was engaged in the process and drafted the laws,” mentioned the statement. 

The Electoral Commission Bill 2024 establishes a new electoral commission to oversee the electoral process. The House of Assembly (Elections) Bill 2024 reforms the electoral process, while the Registration of Electors Bill 2024 updates the voter registration process. 

The passing of these bills is a significant achievement for Dominica to ensuring free and fair elections, but the statement added that the process has not been without controversy, with protests by members of United Workers Party against these reforms turning violent.  

Meanwhile, DLP President Emmanuel Nanthan also stressed that all the parties involved in the process did not get all what they wanted with the statement citing that “The Labour Party was firmly of the view that a national ID card would have more value than just a voter ID card, but compromise in a give-and-take situation.” 

Another compromise was made regarding the confirmation process for votes. The Labour Party had suggested that the electoral office should send officers to major cities overseas where several Dominicans live but ultimately agreed that all confirmations should take place on the island.  

The party also commended the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force for their handling of the demonstration outside Parliament. The police valiantly stood by their barricades for several hours and protected the Parliament while the protestors tried to do everything to enter the Parliament, including trying to seize the barricades and pelting the police with stones and bottles which pushed the police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.  

The DLP expressed its commitment towards advancing democracy and development in Dominica and urged everyone to join their hands towards maintaining peace in the country.