Dominica Freedom Party on the Ammendment of Bribery and Treating Laws

by The General Secretary of the
Dominica Freedom Party, Mr Johnson Boston

ADULT SUFFRAGE AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

General Secretary of
Dominica Freedom Party
Mr. Johnson Boston

The Dominica Freedom Party thinks that the amendment to the electoral Act is a move by Roosevelt Skerrit and his administration to legalize Bribery and Treating and to corrupt the electoral process in Dominica.

There was a time in our history, women could not vote because they were considered as lesser to men and that was changed. At one time a person would need to have property to vote which meant estate, house and money in the Bank. Citizens without estate had no voting right and that too was changed. At one time in our history the voting age was Twenty One (21) years old but it was reduced to Eighteen (18) years old to give young people an earlier opportunity to participate in the electoral process.

Caribbean Family without Estate

This gave life and true meaning to our system of democracy; one man one vote to include women. It made sense to our parliamentary system of government and the election of representatives to serve in the House of Assembly and remove the influence of money and gifts for the purposes of gaining votes but would depend entirely on the party and the candidates ability to persuade people to vote based on the representative’s message, policy and interest in what matters to the people in all aspects of their social and economic well-being.

Our fore–fathers fought for these rights and privileges and they were brilliant for removing the control of our election from the influences of those who had money, property and big surnames and was put in the control of one man one vote. Hence the reason why they legislated for Bribery and Treating to be an offense under the electoral Act so that people would not be influenced to vote for any political party or candidate based on money and or gifts.

AMMENDMENT OF ELECTORAL ACT; LEGALISING ILLEGAL DEEDS

Mr. Skerrit and his government are in parliament this week and taking all three (3) readings at that meeting in an attempt to amend the electoral Act of Dominica which when passed with his majority will legalize Bribery and Treating. Meaning that under the amendment if you organize to transport voters say in the case of Dominicans living overseas with a gift of plane tickets to come to Dominica to vote, it would be proper but if someone else influence that person to vote otherwise then that someone else would be committing an offense punishable by law.

The electoral commission has failed in its responsibility to the people. It has lost control in protecting our democratic tradition by allowing the Roosevelt Skerrit Government to highjack the process for electoral reform in Dominica. The electoral commission is appointed by Law and should not be under the influence of any other person or Authority but to ensure that elections are free and fair and free from fear. The electoral commission has the responsibility to engage, discuss and receive recommendations from all interested partners and submit to the relevant Ministry for the legislative framework to be done and to be circulated thereafter to all interested partners and for it to be tabled in parliament by the appropriate Minister for presentation, debate and approval. However this was not the case.

The Dominica Labour Party was able to win the last two (2) general elections 2008 and 2014 by gifts of plane tickets to Dominicans living in the Diaspora who came to Dominica by plane loads to vote for its candidates in the various constituencies. Concerns were raised by both opposition political parties and a group of individuals who took the labour party to court for treating which has not yet been settled. This is the reason why Mr. Roosevelt Skerrit’s government is amending that section of the electoral Act to legalize Bribery and Treating, so that his previous actions would no longer be illegal before the court in his party’s untried cases. It is so sad that this government is willing to take us back to the days when money and gifts controlled our elections and to undo the good work of our fore–fathers.

TAKING A STAND

This is what the Dominica Freedom Party and the United Workers Party and others in Dominica are standing against and are calling for the amendment to be put on hold for engagement and discussions to take place among all interested partners and to accept the necessary amendment to the electoral Act to include sanitizing of the voters list, equal access during an election on the state own DBS radio and campaign finance reform.

The Dominica Freedom Party has a weekly radio program on Wednesday evenings on Q95 from 8:00pm to 10:00pm

The DFP at the moment is organising for its delegate convention to be held late June to early July of the year. At the convention a new political leader and executive committee will be elected. The Young Freedom Movement was recently re- organised and are busy engaging young people around the country. The YFM President will be part of a delegation to travel to England to observe the June 8, 2017 British general election.