Government of Dominica Responds to IACHR Press Release

Introduction

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -The Government of Dominica has expressed disappointment with what it calls “the baseless and unjustifiable” press release from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) concerning the country’s electoral reform process.

“This proposed action and the content of the press release constitute an astonishing departure from the high standards of fairness, justice, and probity which is to be expected of a reputable international body, in particular one whose raison d’etre espouses guardianship of those noble principles,” the Government said in a statement on Thursday.

Response to IACHR Press Release

The statement noted that the IACHR disregards principles and the basic rule of natural justice.

It added that the IACHR, “without first inviting comment or feedback from the Commonwealth of Dominica, not only decided that issuance of a press release. was the most appropriate and justified course of action, but, as demonstrated by the content of the press release, proceeded to formulate positions and arrive at damning conclusions unfairly adverse to the Government.” Nevertheless, the Government considers it essential that the facts be set out in response to the substantive matters raised in the IACHR’s proposed press release.

Assertions and Inferences

The Government said that the IACHR’s press release is “replete with misrepresentations and inaccuracies, and the Commonwealth of Dominica wholly disputes and rejects the largely unfounded and untrue assertions and inferences contained in the said Press Release.

The statement said the assertions and inferences include, but are not limited to, the following:

“The Bills debated and passed by Parliament exclude key provisions on the independence of the Electoral Commission and significantly vary in content from the recommendations of Sir Dennis Byron, the Electoral Reform Commissioner.

“This is incorrect. A perusal of the draft Bills submitted by the Electoral Reform Commissioner compared with the Bills that the Parliament of Dominica has adopted shows that the vast majority of the Electoral Reform Commissioner’s recommendations have been fully incorporated into and form a central component of the 2025 electoral Bills which have been debated, unanimously passed and enacted into law.”

Consultations on Electoral Reform

It added that of the few recommendations the Government did not fully adopt, virtually all were at the very least partially adopted with relatively minor modifications where appropriate.

The statement also criticized the IACHR’s statement that there was no meaningful consultation on the Electoral Reform Commissioner’s recommendations.

“Consultations on the draft electoral bills the Government proposed included a wide cross-section of society, including opposition parties, civil society, the bar association, religious groups, and the media, among others. These were live-streamed public consultations, and the videos are available to review.”

Key Reforms

It added, “It is regrettable that your proposed Press Release does not mention that the legislation adopted by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Dominica now provides for significant key reforms that will significantly enhance the electoral process.”

These include introducing voter ID cards to be used for voting, requiring all registered voters to undergo a confirmation process to have their name remain on the register of electors, strengthening the Electoral Commission, and establishing the Electoral Commission fund.

Campaign Financing

The Government has made clear its position on the issue of campaign financing. It is not opposed to this in principle. Still, funding of elections is such a significant component of the electoral process that it cannot be entered into without ensuring complete and proper consideration and analysis of any proposal is undertaken. The recommendation made by the Commissioner effectively mirrors the Jamaica legislation in so far as percentages are concerned and would result in EC$50,000.00 individual and EC$250,000.00 political party contribution limit, and an individual and political party expenditure limit of EC$500,000.00 and EC$5,000,000.00, respectively. However, no analysis or commentary on the effectiveness and workings of the Jamaica experience, nor the likely effect in the Dominica context, has been provided.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that the main opposition political party, the United Workers Party, espouses an EC$50.00 per constituent expenditure limit and is silent on the contribution limit, whilst a civil society group, the Dominica Business Forum, espouses an EC$100.00 expenditure limit and also does not put forward any limit on contributions. Much more work is needed concerning campaign financing, and the Government favors a regional approach to this critical and complicated issue. The public has been informed of this position on several occasions.

Obstruction of Journalists

The Government said the IACHR’s statement that “state forces obstructed coverage by journalists” is inaccurate.

“There was a regrettable incident where a camera person in a restricted area repeatedly refused to adhere to the directions of a police officer. The officer sought to move that individual’s camera stand by his directions. The individual was not arrested nor prevented from covering the protest and continued to do so from another area. This was an isolated incident.”

Conclusion

The Government’s statement added that it is essential to draw attention to the fact that despite the apparent fixation with the Commonwealth of Dominica’s electoral legislation and process, even from a cursory perusal of the electoral legislation of the other OECS and wider CARICOM countries, it is clear that the Commonwealth of Dominica’s electoral legislation is substantively consistent with that of those countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Government of Dominica’s response to the IACHR press release?

A: The Government of Dominica has expressed disappointment with the IACHR press release, calling it “baseless and unjustifiable” and stating that it disregards principles and the basic rule of natural justice.

Q: What are the key reforms introduced by the Government of Dominica?

A: The key reforms include introducing voter ID cards, requiring all registered voters to undergo a confirmation process, strengthening the Electoral Commission, and establishing the Electoral Commission fund.

Q: What is the Government of Dominica’s position on campaign financing?

A: The Government of Dominica is not opposed to campaign financing in principle, but believes that it requires complete and proper consideration and analysis of any proposal. The Government favors a regional approach to this critical and complicated issue.