Dominica general election was free and fair, says elections chief

by Paul Charles
Caribbean Net News Dominica Correspondent

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

ROSEAU, Dominica: Chief Elections Officer Merina Williams on Tuesday dismissed the opposition United Workers Party's (UWP) charge that Dominica's May 5 general election was rigged by the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP).

Leader of the UWP Edison James on Monday led hundreds of his supporters in street protests here outside the Electoral Office and the Prime Minister's Office, calling for fresh elections.

Williams said the poll was "free and fair" despite vote counting errors in the Castle Bruce constituency, the main seat targeted by the UWP as rigged.

"In counting the ballots some error seemed to appear on the tally sheet. On the third count is where we found the error," she said of the result which gave the DLP candidate Loreen Bannis-Roberts victory by one vote.

The UWP has disputed her claim, saying its candidate Leonard Newton was declared the winner by 75 votes in the preliminary result last Thursday.

According to Williams, the final recount last Saturday accepted 46 ballots at one polling station in Castle Bruce, about 15 miles east of here, which had previously been rejected. Bannis-Roberts got an additional 35 votes, she said.

But James and his UWP disagreed with the explanation, labelling the DLP's return to office as a threat to democracy.

"We have been shafted by the authorities. This democracy that we cherish is being taken away from us by Skerrit and those who support him. I say to them the monster that you help create will devour you one of these days," he told the protesters.

James, who was Prime Minister from 1995 to 2000, said what Dominicans were given was a mock election which must not be allowed to continue.

"If you allow what is happening here to go on in the future all we will have is mock election and will have never have a change in administration. The time is now to stand up," he said.

The UWP, who won eight seats to the DLP's twelve, is challenging four other seats - St Joseph, Mahaut, Soufriere and Carib Territory. The party's leadership said it would undertake legal action and civil disobedience to reverse the results of the latest election.

Prime Minister Skerrit said the protest was a sideshow coupled with violence and disunity at a time when the country had EC$700 million for its development.

"I urge Dominicans not to be distracted by the sideshows that are taking place in the country; there is a lot of work to be done. We have EC$700 million to the benefit of all Dominicans," he said.

Skerrit, who was sworn-in on Monday, called for unity and non-violence ahead of the swearing in of his Cabinet on Thursday. Ian Douglas, the nephew of the late Prime Minister Rosie Douglas, was also sworn-in as Attorney General on Monday.

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