Citizens File Legal Challenge to Halt General Elections in Dominica: Calls for a for a Stay of Future Elections Until the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Electoral Laws are enforced and Complied with.

May 27th, 2025, Roseau, DOMINICA Concerned Citizens announces to the Dominican public and the wider Caribbean community the filing of a Re-Amended Fixed Date Claim Form (DOMHCV of 2024) has been officially filed on May 8, 2025 with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the High Court of Justice in the Commonwealth of Dominica. The legal filing, brought forward by four concerned citizens as Claimants against nine Defendants, in an earlier Fixed Claim that was filed on September 4, 2024, relates to grave constitutional concerns surrounding the conduct of the general elections held in 2019 and 2022.

This legal action challenges the legitimacy of the general elections held in 2019 and 2022, and seeks to prevent the holding of any future general elections unless strict compliance with Dominica’s constitution and electoral laws is ensured.

At the heart of this legal action is Section 12 of the Claim Form, in which the Claimants are seeking an injunction to restrain the holding of any future general elections in Dominica unless and until the following conditions are met:

Focus of the Claim – Section 12: Demand for Judicial Intervention and Electoral Compliance

Among the key declarations sought in the Claim Form is Section 12, which requests:

“An order granting an injunction restraining the Defendants, whether by themselves or through their servants or agents, from holding general elections in the Commonwealth of Dominica on any date unless:

(i) the procedure for holding general elections outlined in The House of Assembly (Elections) Act and any other relevant elections laws of Dominica have been complied with;

(ii) the voters list has been verified and the names of ineligible voters removed;

(iii) all objections filed on or before 19th of November 2019 to present and/or within the time limit for so filing (whichever is later) are dealt with in accordance with the law;

(iv) voter ID cards have been issued only to eligible voters.

Consequently, no general elections should be held in the Commonwealth of Dominica until these matters are resolved.”

Context: Repeated Breaches in 2019 and 2022 Elections

The 2019 and 2022 general elections were both conducted against a backdrop of a bloated and unverified voters list, with thousands of names of deceased persons, emigrants, and ineligible individuals remaining on the register. Despite longstanding calls for reform, no credible action has been taken by the authorities and/or the Electoral Commission to resolve these fundamental flaws. Further, voter identification cards have still not been issued, undermining the transparency and security of the electoral process.

Objections and concerns formally submitted by citizens since 2019 remain unaddressed, and constitutional breaches continue to erode confidence in Dominica’s democracy.

The Concerned Citizens Position: Democracy Requires Integrity

These concerned citizens/claimants maintains that no general elections should be held in Dominica until the country’s electoral system is brought into full legal compliance. Holding elections under the current conditions would be tantamount to institutionalizing fraud, disenfranchisement, and political illegitimacy.

This legal action, filed by civic-minded citizens with the support of their attorney at law Ms. Zahidha James, is a clear signal that the people of Dominica demand better: a functioning democracy grounded in law, fairness, and transparency.

Call to Action

Consequent upon this legal action, there is an urgent call for the citizens of Dominica, regional partners, civil society, media, and international observers to monitor these proceedings closely and to amplify the call for real democracy. This is not about politics—it is about the future of Dominica’s democracy.

The first hearing on this matter was held at the High Court, in Roseau at 9:00 a.m. on Monday May 12, 2025, with the attorneys representing the parties, presenting their claims before Justice Zainab Jawara Alami.

For further information or legal reference, contact:
Spokesperson: Alvin A. Thomas

📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 404-396-4807

In Defense of Law, Liberty, and Legitimate Governance,

  #DefendDemocracy #FixTheVotersList #NoMoreFlawedElections

To read the full court order click here.