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Secretariat for Political Affairs
Strengthening Democracy in the Hemisphere
Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation
Dominica
- General Elections on December 8, 2014
Political System
The Commonwealth of Dominica is a republic with a non-executive presidency and a parliamentary democracy. In 1978 Dominica became an independent country within the commonwealth system of the United Kingdom.
Executive
The Head of the Government is Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, elected for the first time on January 8th, 2004. The President of the Commonwealth of Dominica is nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The President is then elected by the House of Assembly for no more than two terms that last five years each. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government and exercises executive power to consult the appointment of government ministers.
Currently, the President is Charles Savarin, who was elected on September 30th, 2013, and Roosevelt Skerrit has been the Prime Minister for two consecutive terms since 2004.
Legislative
There is a unicameral legislature called the House of Assembly with 30 members in addition to the Speaker and the Attorney General. The House of Assembly has 21 seats and nine senators. Each of the 21 representatives runs in a single-member constituency and is elected with a “first-past-the-post” plurality, serving a five-year term. The senators are nominated by the President, five on the advice of the Prime Minister and four on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.
Judicial
The judiciary exercises its authority independently of both the executive and legislative branches. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica. The ECSC - based in St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges. Sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica.
Executive
The Head of the Government is Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, elected for the first time on January 8th, 2004. The President of the Commonwealth of Dominica is nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The President is then elected by the House of Assembly for no more than two terms that last five years each. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government and exercises executive power to consult the appointment of government ministers.
Currently, the President is Charles Savarin, who was elected on September 30th, 2013, and Roosevelt Skerrit has been the Prime Minister for two consecutive terms since 2004.
Legislative
There is a unicameral legislature called the House of Assembly with 30 members in addition to the Speaker and the Attorney General. The House of Assembly has 21 seats and nine senators. Each of the 21 representatives runs in a single-member constituency and is elected with a “first-past-the-post” plurality, serving a five-year term. The senators are nominated by the President, five on the advice of the Prime Minister and four on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.
Judicial
The judiciary exercises its authority independently of both the executive and legislative branches. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the itinerant superior court of record for the 9-member Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to include Dominica. The ECSC - based in St. Lucia - is headed by the chief justice and is comprised of the Court of Appeal with 3 justices and the High Court with 16 judges. Sittings of the Court of Appeal and High Court rotate among the 9 member states; 2 High Court judges reside in Dominica.
