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The Government and Political System in Dominica

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The country of Dominica, officially called the Commonwealth of Dominica, practices a Parliamentary Democracy type of government. Its capital is Roseau, and population is concentrated in its main cities – Roseau and Portsmouth. Its government system is divided into 3 branches namely: executive, legislative and judiciary branch.

The President of the country acts as the Head of State and is elected by the people for a 5-year term. Upon assuming his position, the President then appoints the Prime Minister as the leader of the majority party of the parliament. The President also appoints his Cabinet of Ministers which heads the different offices of the government like Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and others.

The legislative branch of the government is a unicameral parliament called the House of Assembly. This body is comprised of 21 regional representatives and 9 senators. The regional representatives are elected by the people during the elections which represent the country’s administrative regions. Upon assuming their seats in the parliament, they get to decide on whether they elect or appoint Senators. If Senators are to be appointed, 5 are to be appointed by the President with the advice of the Prime Minister. The other 4 senators are also appointed by the President, now with the advice from the opposition leader. On the other hand, if the senators are to be elected, then the regional representatives will vote for all 9 senators.

There are 3 courts in Dominica, and appeals are made and passed to the Eastern Caribbean Court. After, appeals are then passed to the Privy Council in London.