Stowe is Chairman of the Electoral Commission

Members of the Stowe Electoral Commission: Clockwise from bottom left- Wayne James, Hilary Shillingford, Alec Lawrence, Lennox Lawrence. Chairman- Duncan Stowe: centre

Oct. 29, 2020

Attorney at Law, Duncan Stow has been appointed chairman of the five-member Electoral Commission.

A release from the President's office said "His Excellency President Charles A. Savarin, acting in accordance with Section 56 (3) (a) of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica, has appointed Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Duncan G. Stowe, to be Chairman of the Electoral Commission for the Commonwealth of Dominica with effect from the 30th day of September 2020.

"Earlier today, His Excellency President Savarin administered the prescribed Oaths and presented the relevant Instrument of Appointment to Mr. Stowe. This appointment now completes the full five-man membership of the Electoral Commission".

Stowe replaced Gerald Burton who has been chairman of the EC for more than two decades.

"Also taking his Oath earlier today, as a Member of the Commission, was Mr. Alick Lawrence, Attorney-at-Law, nominated by the Prime Minister," the release stated.

The Members of the Commission are: Duncan G. Stowe (Chairman); Alick Lawrence and Lennox Lawrence (appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister) and Wayne James and Hillary Shillingford (appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition).

Duncan Stowe and Lennox Lawrence are new members of the EC.

The Stowe Commission faces new challenges as the public, especially the opposition, continue to clamour for electoral reform and Sir Dennis Byron, the former head of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) prepares to conduct an inquiry into the issue of electoral reform.