Castries, Saint Lucia – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has issued a sharp statement expressing concern over the electoral reform process in the Commonwealth of Dominica, while urging the country to uphold democratic principles and human rights amid widespread civil unrest.
The IACHR, a key body of the Organization of American States (OAS), has been closely monitoring Dominica’s electoral developments since 2018. Its latest pronouncement comes in the wake of controversial legislation passed on March 19, 2025, which has sparked mass protests and led to the arrest of at least 24 individuals, including opposition figures, lawyers, and human rights defenders.
The trio of Bills—namely the Registration of Electors Bill, the House of Assembly Elections Bill, and the Electoral Commission Bill—introduce new protocols on voter identification, bribery, media access, and electoral oversight. However, the IACHR criticized the omission of critical measures related to campaign financing and the independence of the Electoral Commission, areas deemed essential to safeguarding political rights and democratic integrity.
Protests erupted following the passage of the Bills, prompting a forceful state response involving tear gas, rubber bullets, and reported physical attacks on demonstrators outside Parliament. The IACHR condemned these actions, emphasizing that peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right protected under international law, including the American Convention on Human Rights and the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
“The right to participate in public affairs, to vote, and to protest peacefully must not be suppressed,” the Commission said. “State responses must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate—not tools of repression.”
While the Dominican government insists that the reforms followed extensive consultations with civil society, opposition parties, legal and religious bodies, and the media, concerns remain over the exclusion of specific protections against undue influence and electoral manipulation. One persistent issue is the financing of transportation for overseas voters by political parties, flagged repeatedly by international observers.
The IACHR has urged Dominican authorities to resume genuine dialogue with all stakeholders and to align its electoral reforms with international human rights standards. These reforms, it stressed, must prioritize transparency, equity, and institutional independence.
In closing, the IACHR called on Dominica to end the criminalization of protest and to recommit to the democratic values enshrined in the OAS framework. As a regional watchdog, the Commission reaffirmed its role in defending the rights of all citizens to participate in the political life of their nations—free from fear, coercion, or exclusion.
