In Dominica, the current parliamentary system appoints the Prime Minister from the party holding the majority of seats in the House of Assembly. While this has been our tradition, it often leads to power being concentrated within a single party, limiting genuine representation and cooperation across the political spectrum.
Now, imagine a different approach, one where the Prime Minister remains the head of government but is directly elected by the people of Dominica, independently of the election of parliamentary representatives. This reform would give Dominicans a more direct voice in choosing their leader, making the Prime Minister accountable not only to party insiders but to the entire population.
Maintaining Your Choice: More Options, Not Less.
It is important for every Dominican voter to understand that this proposed reform does not take away any of your current voting rights. On the contrary, it gives you more freedom and flexibility in how you shape your government.
Under the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) proposal, you would still vote for your preferred candidate to represent your constituency in Parliament, just as you do now. If you support the United Workers Party, the Domnica Labour Party, or any other candidate in your area, you can still vote for them to be your Member of Parliament.
What changes is that you would now also have a separate, independent vote to choose the Prime Minister. This means:
- If you like the party leader of a certain party but do not support the local candidate running for Member of Parliament under that same party, you can vote differently for each.
- You could vote for an independent or a candidate from a third party in your constituency, and still vote for the United Workers Party or the Domnica Labour Party leader as Prime Minister.
- Or you could vote Domnica Labour Party in Parliament, but cast your Prime Minister vote for an independent, or even a new political voice like the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP).
This reform allows voters to be more nuanced and empowered in their choices. It recognizes that many Dominicans want to support individuals based on merit and vision, not just party loyalty. It means that your vote matters more than ever before, and that you do not have to feel forced to “hold your nose” and vote for a party you do not fully support just to get the leader you want.
More Choice. More Control. More Democracy!
Direct Election Of The Prime Minister: What It Means For Dominica
By allowing Dominicans to now elect their Prime Minister directly, voters would have the opportunity to choose a leader based on personal qualifications, vision, and policies, not merely party loyalty or parliamentary arithmetic. This approach creates space for candidates outside the current two-party dominant system to compete fairly and gives independents a genuine chance at leadership. Such a system would strengthen democracy in Dominica by empowering citizens to select a Prime Minister who truly reflects their values and priorities.
Fostering Unity And Inclusive Governance.
A Prime Minister elected by the entire nation is accountable to all Dominicans, not just a party base. This broader mandate promotes inclusive leadership, compelling all parties to prioritize unity and address the needs of every community, ultimately strengthening national cohesion.
Encouraging Cooperation In Parliament.
Separating the election of the Prime Minister from that of Members of Parliament would create a natural balance of power. To govern effectively and pass legislation, the Prime Minister would have to collaborate with Parliament, regardless of which party holds the majority. This system must encourage compromise over confrontation and fosters a culture of cooperation. In a nation where every representative has a mandate to fulfill, teamwork becomes essential. And as the saying goes, Teamwork Makes The Dream Work!
Breaking The Mold Of Party Politics in Dominica.
Under the current system, the Prime Minister is always the leader of the majority party, which results in exclusionary politics and the marginalization of minority voices. Introducing an independently elected Prime Minister opens the door for leadership that will differ from the parliamentary majority, encouraging more balanced governance and inclusive decision making.
Why This Matters Now.
Dominica’s democracy stands to gain significantly from reforming the way we select our Prime Minister. Shifting to direct elections, where the people, not political parties, choose the nation’s leader, would mark a powerful step toward greater transparency, accountability, and trust in our government. It would push us closer to a political culture that values merit, ideas, and service, not just blind loyalty or party machinery.
Under the current system, the Prime Minister is selected by the ruling party, often behind closed doors, with no direct input from the citizens. This has created a dangerous dynamic where elections in Dominica are no longer about national direction or policy debate, but about protecting individual power. In recent years, allegations of fraud, corruption, and the misuse of government resources for personal and political gain have become standard features of our election cycle.
This is not accidental, it is a consequence of a system where one man, like Skerrit, is not just leading a party, but fighting for his personal political survival. When the Prime Minister’s job is directly tied to a party’s control of Parliament, every election becomes a do-or-die struggle. The stakes become so high that fairness, integrity, and democratic norms get pushed aside in favour of manipulation, voter suppression, and fear-mongering.
This toxic model:
- Discourages honest debate.
- Fuels tribalism and political violence.
- Silences independent and smaller party voices.
- Turns the electoral process into a winner-take-all battlefield.
But with direct elections, the people get to decide who leads the country, separate from who represents them locally. This change would force parties to present real ideas, not just threats. It would make it possible for someone to support a candidate from their constituency, even from a smaller party or as an independent while still choosing the national leader they trust most.
More importantly, it would strip away the immunity that powerful leaders have hidden behind, by making them accountable directly to the people, not to party insiders or wealthy backers.
This is the kind of reform that terrifies the status quo, because it EMPOWERS YOU! It means no more hiding behind party colours. No more using government as a tool for personal enrichment. No more holding the nation hostage to one man’s ambition.
A direct vote for Prime Minister would be a bold move toward the kind of Direct Democracy Dominica deserves: inclusive, participatory, and built on real accountability.
Proposal To Reform How Dominica Selects Its Prime Minister
Under the current Constitution of Dominica, Chapter IV, Section 59(2), the Prime Minister is appointed by the President from among elected members of the House of Assembly, based on who is most likely to command the support of the parliamentary majority. In practice, this means the Prime Minister is chosen by party dominance, not directly by the people.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) proposes a constitutional amendment to transform this process. Instead of relying on a parliamentary majority, the Prime Minister would be directly elected by the people in a separate national vote, distinct from parliamentary elections.
This reform would simple involve amending Section 59(2) to remove the existing provision and replace it with language that empowers the electorate (nation) to choose the Prime Minister by popular vote. This shift would significantly enhance democratic engagement, reduce partisan concentration of power, and increase accountability to the nation as a whole.
The Path Forward
Amending the Constitution’s Section 59(2) is no small task. It requires:
- A 2/3 (14 seats) Majority Vote in the House of Assembly, and
- Approval by a National Referendum. (Direct Demcracy)
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) recognizes this challenge but believes this reform is essential to modernize Dominica’s democracy and better reflect the will of the people.
Why The Dominica Labour Party And United Workers Party Will Oppose This Reform, And What That Tells You.
It should come as no surprise that the Dominica Labour Party and the United Workers Party, the two dominant forces that have alternated power for decades, will strongly oppose this kind of electoral reform. But their resistance speaks volumes.
They benefit from a system that concentrates power within party lines and shields leadership from direct public accountability. Allowing the people to elect the Prime Minister directly would disrupt the political monopoly they have grown comfortable with. It would mean appealing to all Dominicans, not just a loyal party base. It would force cooperation rather than control.
Their opposition reveals a preference for maintaining political dominance over embracing democratic progress. But if we want a stronger, fairer, and more inclusive Dominica, we must prioritize the peoples voice, not party survival.
They Fear Losing Power, Not Serving The People.
In Dominica’s current political system, the party that wins the majority of seats in the House of Assembly gets to form the government and install their leader as Prime Minister, even if the majority of the country did not vote for them directly. This creates a dangerous dynamic where:
- Party loyalty matters more than competence.
- The Prime Minister is chosen by the party, not by the people.
- Independent candidates and strong contenders from smaller parties are pushed out of the conversation.
Both the Dominica Labour Party and the United Workers Party benefit from this system. It allows them to campaign on fear: “Vote for us, or the other party wins.” But if citizens had a separate vote to directly elect the Prime Minister, that fear tactic would vanish. Suddenly, voters could elect a United Workers Party Member to Parliament while choosing a Dominica Labour Party Prime Minister, or vice versa to the position of Prime Minister. And that prospect terrifies the entrenched parties.
They Want to Keep Elections About Parties, Not People.
This reform empowers individual choice. It allows voters to select candidates based on vision, honesty, and performance, not just the colour of their party’s t-shirt. For entrenched parties like the Dominica Labour Party and the United Workers Party, who have built entire political careers on tribalism and division, this is a nightmare. When voters gain the power to think independently and make decisions beyond party loyalty, the old guard knows they will quickly lose relevance.
They Know It Will Force Them to Cooperate And They Do Not Want That.
TThe current system encourages dominance by one party winning a majority and governing without Listening to anyone else. This is how we have ended in todays mess with:
- Corruption going unchecked.
- Blatant victimization of political opponents.
- A lack of transparency and accountability.
- The cancellation of other parties projects once they lose power.
With this reform, the Prime Minister could come from one party while Parliament is controlled by another, forcing both sides to work together, compromise, and negotiate policies that truly serve the public interest.
But both major parties hate this idea because they are not interested in cooperation. Their politics thrive on conflict, division, and a winner-takes-all mentality. This reform would make those outdated tactics obsolete.
This Is Why The NEW Dominica Reform Party’s (DRP) Proposal Matters.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) proposal is a bold step toward breaking the long-standing grip that the Dominica Labour Party and the United Workers Party have had on Dominican politics. For decades, these parties have controlled the system in ways that limit your voice and keep power concentrated among party elites in Roseau.
Our proposal returns power where it rightfully belongs, in the hands of you, the people. It is about giving you more control, more choice, and a stronger say in how Dominica is governed. This is a move toward a form of Direct Democracy, where your vote does not just count for a party but directly influences who leads the country.,
Instead of the current system where the Prime Minister is chosen behind closed doors by party bosses, the NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) wants to give you the power to directly elect the Prime Minister. This means your voice matters not just at the local level but at the very top of government. You can support the candidate who best represents your vision for Dominica, regardless of party affiliation.
We are not asking you to stop voting for your preferred party; rather, we want to give you the freedom to mix and match your choices, a Member of Parliament from one party and a Prime Minister from another, based on who you believe will serve you best.
This is the kind of Democracy Dominica deserves, one that respects your independence, values your judgment, and breaks the cycle of division and winner-takes-all politics. The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP)’s proposal is about empowering you to shape Dominica’s future directly.
It is time for a government that must listen, works together, and truly represents all Dominicans, not just the powerful few.
Team DRP