1998 Scores
Status: Free
Freedom Rating: 1.0
Civil Liberties: 1
Political Rights: 1
Overview
In 1998, Prime Minister Edison James,the leader of the United Workers' Party (UWP), remained a regional spokesperson as a dispute with the European Union and the United States over banana imports grew more intense.
Dominica has been an independent republic within the British Commonwealth since 1978. Internally self-governing since 1967, it is a parliamentary democracy headed by a prime minister and a House of Assembly with 21 members elected to five-year terms. Nine senators are appointed, five by the prime minister and four by the opposition leader. The president is elected by the House for a five-year term.
In 1993, Prime Minister Eugenia Charles of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) announced her intention to retire in 1995 after 15 years in power. External Affairs Minister Brian Alleyne defeated three other candidates in a vote of DFP delegates to become the new party leader. In parliamentary elections in June 1995, the UWP won 11 of the 21 House seats. The UWP's James, the former head of the Banana Grower's Association, became prime minister. The UWP victory marked a significant power shift from the traditional establishment to a new and younger business class.
The DFP and the Dominica Labor Party (DLP) won five seats each and agreed to share the official opposition post by alternating each year. Alleyne assumed the post first. A High Court, however, ruled that one of the winning DFP candidates was not qualified to sit in parliament since he still held a public service position. The ruling reduced the DFP's representation in parliament to four seats. The UWP won the seat in special elections in 1996. Douglas became the opposition leader. In early 1996, Alleyne resigned as head of the DFP and was replaced by former diplomat Charles Savarin.
Dominica's offshore business sector continued to show strong growth in 1998. Approximately 4,600 international companies, five offshore banks, and five Internet gaming companies are registered.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties
Citizens are able to change their government through free and fair elections. There are no restrictions on political, civic, or labor organizations. In recent years, several civic groups have emerged to call for more accountability and transparency in government.
There is an independent judiciary, and the rule of law is enhanced by the court's subordination to the inter-island Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. The judicial system is understaffed, which has led to a large backlog of cases. The only prison on Dominica is marked by overcrowding and sanitation problems.
The Dominican Defense Force was disbanded in 1981 after being implicated in attempts by supporters of former prime minister Patrick John to overthrow the government. John was convicted in 1986 for his involvement and given a 12-year prison sentence. He was released by executive order in 1990, became active in the trade union movement, and lost as a DLP candidate in the 1995 election. The Dominica police, which were the object of a 1997 commission of inquiry into corruption, is the only security force.
The press is free, varied, and critical. Television and radio, both public and private, are open to a variety of views. Since 1990, television has been used as an effective campaign tool by all parties. The government respects academic freedom. Freedom of religion is recognized, but the small Rastafarian community has charged that its religious rights are violated by a policy of removing the "dreadlocks" of those who are imprisoned and by harassment of Rastafarian women by immigration officials who single them out for drug searches.
Since 1990, the 3,000 indigenous Carib Indians, many of whom live on a 3,700-acre reserve on the northeast coast, have been represented in the House of Assembly by an elected Carib parliamentarian. In 1994, Hilary Frederick was elected chief of the Carib people for a five-year term. A policeman was charged with the murder of a young man during the ensuing celebration.
Inheritance laws do not fully recognize women's rights. When a husband dies without a will, the wife cannot inherit the property, although she may continue to inhabit the home. There are no laws mandating equal pay for equal work for private sector workers. In the 1995 elections, two women won parliamentary seats. Government welfare officials have expressed concern over the growing number of cases of child abuse.
Workers have the right to organize, strike, and bargain collectively. Although unions are independent of the government and laws prohibit anti-union discrimination by employers, less than 10 percent of the workforce are union members.
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