Electoral Commission must resign to restore trust in Dominica’s voter system, says businessman Gregor Nassief

Dominican hotelier and Chairman and CEO of GEMS holdings Ltd, Gregor Nassief, is urging a reset of the country’s electoral leadership, calling for the resignation of the Electoral Commission and outlining a path he believes could restore public trust in the system.

His appeal came in an open letter published by Dominica News Online on April 8, 2026, where he argued that persistent administrative failures have weakened confidence in the integrity of elections.

In the letter, Nassief, who has publicly critiqued the government in the past, briefly recapped a series of concerns that he says have been building over the past year.

These claims could carry added significance during what is typically seen as election season, despite the fact that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has not yet announced a date for general elections.

Chief among them is the handling of electoral reforms passed in March 2025, which were intended to modernize voter registration and introduce identification cards.

Instead, Nassief pointed out, continuous registration was halted the very day the legislation was approved and remained suspended for 355 days. During that time, several local elections were held, leading him to raise questions about whether all eligible citizens had a fair opportunity to participate.

He also challenged official claims about progress since registration resumed. One such assertion was made via audio statement released by the Electoral Office following the March 9 resumption date. Chief Elections Officer, Anthea Joseph, said that “a number of new voters” had visited their station to participate in the process, which she noted was an encouraging sign of public participation.

Acknowledging the public’s concern regarding the year-long pause, Joseph asserted that this was necessary to “strengthen confidence in Dominica’s electoral processes and ensure accessibility for all eligible electors.”

Yet, as of the date of his letter, Nassief cited figures suggesting that although approximately 13,000 people applied to confirm their details and about 350 new voters registered, only a fraction have been fully processed.

Further, he questioned the veracity of the voters list, noting a significant gap between the number of registered names (75,000) and the estimated voting-age population (55,000), as per International IDEA, which he attributed to outdated entries, including deceased individuals and long-term emigrants.

Another issue highlighted was the continued delay in issuing voter identification cards for existing, as well as newly registered voters.

Despite the voter confirmation process beginning in October 2025, Nassief stated that no applicants had received cards months later.

He specified that even those who applied after the  registration system reopened in March 2026 were still awaiting approval weeks afterward. In his view, these delays directly undermine the purpose of the reforms and contribute to growing skepticism about the system’s effectiveness.

The issues raised by Nassief echo remarks made by Prime Minister Skerrit in Parliament in February 2026, where he described the prolonged suspension of voter registration as a serious administrative lapse.

While the Electoral Office had explained that the pause was necessary to facilitate the rollout of a new computerized system and updated eligibility requirements, Skerrit argued that this did not justify halting the process entirely.

He maintained that “even if preferred technological systems were unavailable, the Commission remained legally obliged to continue registration by manual or legacy methods. It did not opt to do so,” adding that “the consequence has been a year-long interruption of a statutory process that Parliament clearly intended to be continuous.”

Against this backdrop, Nassief’s recommendations focus on structural change and rebuilding credibility.

Perhaps the most radical recommendation is his call to all members of the Electoral Commission to step down, arguing that new leadership is necessary to regain public confidence.

The Commission is comprised of five individuals, “a chairman appointed by the President acting on [his/her] own deliberate judgment and four members appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Mister and the Leader of the Opposition,”  according to the Electoral office website.

In this capacity, they work in tandem with the Chief Elections Officer, also appointed by the President, and are “responsible for registration of voters for the purpose of electing Representatives and for the conduct of elections of Representative.

Recently, ID requirements have been adjusted, and mobile initiatives have continued to roll out in communities across the country, with officials making appeals to the public to utilize these new mechanisms and secure their right to vote.

As far back as February of this year, the Dominica Bar Association had weighed in with its own mandate to the voting public, while urging authorities to review aspects of the process to maximize participation.

However, Nassief is currently proposing a complete break with the status quo. In his estimation, it is necessary to appoint a reconstituted Commission with the capacity and trust needed to address operational shortcomings and oversee a more reliable electoral process, vis-a-vis his outlined grievances.

Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of giving any new Commission adequate time to fix existing issues before a general election is held.

He also emphasized the need for a comprehensive public education campaign to ensure citizens clearly understand the voter registration and confirmation procedures. Without such efforts, he suggested, even well-designed reforms risk falling short in practice.

Nassief framed his proposals as part of a broader effort to strengthen democracy in Dominica. He argued that public confidence cannot be restored through assurances alone, but through consistent, transparent, and efficient implementation of the electoral system.

Until those standards are met, he warned, doubts about the process are likely to persist.

Attempts by Dominica News Online to get a response to Nassief’s letter from the Electoral Office have, as of publication, been unsuccessful.