Dominica | Tear Gas and Reform: Electoral Battle Erupts

ROSEAU, Dominica, March 20, 2025 - — Plumes of tear gas hung over Dominica's capital Wednesday as police fired rubber bullets into crowds of protesters, marking a violent crescendo in the island nation's contentious electoral reform process.

Just 24 hours later, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit addressed the nation, placing blame squarely on "misinformation and deliberate agitation" for the unrest.

"Yesterday, our nation witnessed scenes that none of us want to see in Dominica," said Skerrit in his nationwide broadcast Thursday. The Prime Minister, who was notably absent during the parliamentary session, attending an Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States meeting in Saint Martin, acknowledged the heightened emotions but swiftly attributed them to darker forces.

"What we saw yesterday was not a natural reaction to electoral reform," Skerrit declared. "Across the world, nations fight for electoral reform, not against it. People do not usually take to the streets in anger when transparency and fairness are being enhanced."

The clash erupted as Parliament debated and ultimately approved three electoral reform bills that have been in development since June 2023, when former Caribbean Court of Justice President Sir Dennis Byron submitted his comprehensive report. Police had warned protesters that no gathering permits had been issued for demonstrations outside the Parliament building, but opposition supporters assembled nonetheless.

The new legislation introduces sweeping changes to Dominica's electoral system. The Registration of Electors Act mandates voter confirmation with valid documentation during a specified 12-month period. Down and read the Act using ther download button below.

Download Here

Dominican citizens living abroad must appear in person on the island to remain on voter rolls. The reforms also include the issuance of secure voter ID cards, the establishment of an Electoral Commission Fund, and provisions for electronic voting systems.

In a surprising twist that highlighted fractures within the opposition, one of the two opposition legislators, Anthony Charles, broke ranks to support the government's measures. "I stand for the bills to be passed," Charles told Parliament to loud applause.

"We have to start somewhere... this is about democracy. I want to put on record that I am recommending that we need to start it and I am going to be one of those who is going to start it... by passing this bill today."

The Prime Minister seized on this division, emphasizing that the unrest came not from elected opposition members but from what he termed "a group of activists who hold no constitutional authority."

Skerrit's Dominica Labour Party commands a formidable 19-2 majority in Parliament, making the bills' passage a foregone conclusion even in his absence.

Dr. Thomson Fontaine, leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), presented a sharply different narrative. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Fontaine characterized the protests as a continuation of the "struggle" for more comprehensive reforms.

"We believe that what the prime minister is attempting to do will not improve democracy, it will make it worse," Fontaine asserted. "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."

The opposition leader hinted at further resistance, stating ominously that they had "several options" should the legislation pass, adding, "let's be very clear this will not be the end."

Skerrit portrayed the UWP as saboteurs of the democratic process, reminding Dominicans that the party had "deliberately removed themselves" by boycotting the last general election.

"They deliberately caused panic over something they once called for," he said, suggesting the opposition "want chaos, believing it would serve their political ambitions."

The Prime Minister sought to minimize the significance of the protests, describing participants as "a very small group" whose actions "do not represent the true democratic process but rather an attempt to undermine it."

He extended an olive branch to those he believed were misled: "We do not blame those who were misled. When fear is sown, it is natural for some to react."

Looking forward, Skerrit promised continued engagement with citizens to ensure the reforms are "fully understood," acknowledging that "like all legislation, if amendments are needed in the future, they will be made, that is how democracy works."

The Prime Minister concluded his address with a call for national unity: "Let us meet fear with knowledge, meet misinformation with facts. This is a moment for Dominicans to show our true strength. We are a proud people, a people of peace, of resilience, of unity. Let us rise above those who seek to divide."

As the tear gas dissipates, the political fog over Dominica's electoral future remains thick, with both sides claiming to champion democracy while accusing the other of undermining it. What's certain is that the images of Wednesday's confrontation, as Skerrit himself acknowledged, "will remain on the internet forever."

-30-