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Caribbean Islands Government and Politics
The Governmental System
Under the Constitution adopted at independence on November 3,
1978, the president is head of state and is appointed by the prime
minister following consultation with the leader of the opposition.
Executive authority is vested in the president, but in the exercise
of most of his executive functions the president is required to
"act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or a Minister
acting under the general authority of Cabinet." The prime minister
is the head of government and in that capacity is the chairman of
the Cabinet of Ministers. Ministers are chosen by the prime
minister from a group composed of the elected members of the
country's unicameral parliament and senators appointed by the prime
minister.
The House of Assembly is composed of twenty-one of elected
representatives and nine senators, five appointed by the prime
minister and four appointed by the opposition leader, bringing the
total membership of the House to thirty. Whatever member commands
the support of the majority of the elected members in the House of
Assembly is named prime minister. The person commanding the
majority of the rest of the House becomes opposition leader. (The
pre-independence legislature was also known as the House of
Assembly.)
The movement of the ceremonial mace to the lower position on
its stand in the House chamber indicates that the House is sitting
in committee, usually to discuss details of a bill before returning
to a plenary session for a vote. Decisions are by simple majority
vote, except on selected matters, such as constitutional amendments
and the declaration of a state of emergency, when a two-thirds
majority is required.
The Constitution allows for any citizen of the country,
eighteen years of age and over, who is literate and not bankrupt,
to organize and take part in political activity. The Constitution
does not recognize political parties nor is their formation
required for participating in elections. Candidates may, therefore,
stand for election either associated with a party or as
independents.
Servicing this government structure is a civil service of about
2,500
persons. In the past, jobs in the service were much sought after
because of the employment security and status that they offered.
With the expansion of the commercial private sector and
nongovernmental organizations since the early 1970s, more
attractive conditions of work, including salaries, training, and
travel, have encouraged a shift of top- and middle-level
professionals away from the public sector. In the late 1980s, major
adjustments in the size and structure of the public service were
anticipated as part of the government's program of structural
adjustment. These changes were expected to result in a streamlined,
performance-oriented service in which productivity and merit, not
longevity of service, would be rewarded.
Dominica has a multi-level judicial system commencing with the
Lower Court, or Magistrate's Court, which is the first level of
recourse for
violators of the country's laws. The government-employed magistrate
makes decisions at this level without the benefit of a jury. At the
next level, a judge, assisted by a jury, presides over civil and
criminal cases. Jurors are selected from the list of registered
voters and, unless excused by the court, are obliged to serve when
called. Appeals may be made to the Eastern Caribbean States Supreme
Court, which consists of a Court of Appeal and a High Court. A
panel of judges is appointed to hear appeals, and these sittings
take place on the island. The court of last resort for Dominicans
is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, where
decisions of the Supreme Court may be reviewed for final ruling.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecution is a
government
department located in the Ministry of Legal Affairs; it is headed
by the
attorney general. The lawyers in this office conduct the
prosecution of
cases on behalf of the state. There are no legal aid organizations,
and citizens are expected to utilize lawyers in private practice as
defense attorneys.
Data as of November 1987
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