The Dominica Business Forum Inc. has called for an urgent three-month extension to the electoral confirmation process, warning that legitimate Dominican voters risk being deprived of their constitutional right to vote. The business organisation said it holds grave concern over what appears to be a deliberate effort by authorities to bring the process to a premature close.
In a statement issued from Roseau, the Forum said the confirmation exercise must be allowed to run its full course so that every eligible citizen has a fair opportunity to be registered and verified. Cutting the process short, it argued, would leave hundreds of voters without the documentation they need to cast a ballot at the next general election.
The Forum framed the matter as a question of constitutional rights rather than administrative convenience. It said the right to vote is guaranteed to Dominicans and that any action which has the effect of removing legitimate voters from the register — whether by design or by haste — cannot be treated as routine. The organisation called on the authorities to grant the extension immediately and to publish a clear timetable for the remaining stages of the confirmation process.
The call comes amid wider public discussion about the state of the electoral register and the pace at which confirmation exercises have been conducted across the island. The Forum said it had received reports from its membership and from communities in Roseau, Portsmouth and the rural parishes about applicants who are still awaiting confirmation and who fear they will not be processed in time.
The Dominica Business Forum Inc. represents business interests across the Commonwealth of Dominica and has previously spoken on matters of governance and the investment climate. Its intervention places the electoral question alongside the economic concerns it normally addresses, on the argument that a credible register and a credible election are foundations for investor and public confidence alike.
The organisation urged the authorities to act before the window closes, saying a three-month extension would allow the confirming officers to complete outstanding cases, give applicants time to correct any deficiencies in their documentation, and remove the risk of eligible voters arriving at polling stations only to find their names absent.
The Forum also appealed to voters who have not yet completed their confirmation to come forward and to keep their records safe. It said it would continue to monitor the process and would speak again if the situation required it.
No response from the authorities was immediately available. The Forum said it stands ready to work with the relevant offices to ensure the process is completed fairly and within a reasonable time.
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