Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors on Wednesday as Parliament began debating electoral reform legislation. The police had earlier warned that no permission had been granted to anyone to stage and protest outside the Parliament building on the outskirts of the capital.
The Dominica government had late last year tabled the three bills, namely the Electoral Commission Bill 2024, House of Assembly (Elections) Bill 2024, and Registration of Electors Bill 2024, and Parliament was meeting Wednesday to give its approval to the legislation that had been reviewed by the relevant individuals and groups since Sir Dennis Byron, the former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), submitted his report on electoral reform on June 12, 2023.
But the Electoral Reform Coalition said it would stage a peaceful demonstration to register its disapproval over the bills that are expected to be passed given the government’s overwhelming majority.
Johnston Boston of the Electoral Reform Coalition said he wanted to assure the business community and Dominicans on a whole that the demonstrations would be conducted “in a peaceful manner.
“This protest is a direct expression of the people’s deep concerns and dissatisfaction with the proposed bills on electoral reform,” he said, adding “as a democratic society it is our fundamental right to voice our demands and call for transparency in or electoral system”.
Leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Dr. Thomson Fontaine told reporters outside the Parliament building that the “people of Dominica are saying that the reforms as contained in the legislation are not good enough.
“We believe that what the prime minister is attempting to do will not improve democracy, it will make it worse and we are at the point where we have been extremely patient, we have waited very long for electoral reform and they are asking him to do the right thing.
”People are here because they are not happy with this government, they are not happy with what they have been doing as far as taking away some of the safeguards we have in our legislation,” he added.
Fontaine said that the opposition had “several” options should the three pieces of legislation be approved in the Parliament “which I can’t go into now, but let’s be very clear this will not be the end.
“This is the beginning, this is not the end and so this is something we will have to fight through until we get it and whatever happens in Parliament today we will continue our struggle,” he added.
But Acting Police Commissioner Davidson Valarie insisted that no permission had been given for any protest action outside the Parliament.
“The Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force advises that the Electoral Reform Coalition, officials of the United Workers Party among other organisers have been planning protest action on High Street in the vicinity of the House of Assembly.
“I wish to inform that no permission has been sought from the Chief of Police, neither has there been any permission granted by the Chief of Police for any protest action. Therefore any protest action in Dominica on Wednesday…is unlawful.
He said the Public Order Act makes it clear that protest action could only take place after permission has been given, adding “The Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force is advising the public from participating in any unlawful or protest action in Dominica on Wednesday”.
He warned that those involved in organising the “illegal protest or march…will be held criminally liable for any public disorder that may arise from this illegal protest action”.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said he had requested assistance from the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS) to quell any disturbance on the island. (CMC)
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