QR DOMINICA

The State House houses the President’s Office and Residence, the Electoral Commission, Integrity in Public Office Commission and the Public & Police Service Commission.

The construction of the $27 million State House commenced in May, 2011 and was constructed by the Shanghai Construction Company.

The former state house comprised of one building which was refurbished to house the conference centre with the capacity to host two hundred people.

Two new buildings were constructed; one to house the President’s Residence and Office and the other to house the Commissions.

The Office of the President was transferred from its former location in Morne Bruce, to Victoria Street, Roseau on March 17, 2014. The President and his family also moved into the Residence on March 17, 2014.

The Public & Police Service Commission and the Integrity in Public Office Commission have relocated to the State House while the Electoral Commission is expected to move this week.

Charles A. Savarin was elected President of the Commonwealth of Dominica by the House of Assembly on Monday, September 30, 2013 in accordance with the provisions of Section 19 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica. He comes to the office of President after a long and distinguished career as a teacher, trade unionist, parliamentarian, diplomat and government minister…

ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE
There shall be a President of the Commonwealth of Dominica who shall be elected by the House and shall hold office for a term of five years. The President shall have such functions as are prescribed by the Constitution and such additional functions (if any) as may be prescribed by Parliament: Provided that no such additional functions shall be conferred upon him without his consent signified by writing under his hand addressed to the Speaker.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRESIDENT
The responsibilities of the office of the President can be examined in three distinct areas namely:

Constitutional functions
Ceremonial functions
Community services
The Constitution has defined the powers of the President. The Constitution establishes rules governing the exercise of the President’s functions:-

He appoints the Prime Minister who is the member of the House of Assembly who appears to him likely to command the support of the elected majority of the House;
Acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, he appoints Ministers from among the Members of the House;
He shall remove the Prime Minister from office if a resolution of no confidence in the Government is passed by the House and the Prime Minister does not within three days either resign from his office or advise him to dissolve Parliament.
If at any time between the holding of General Elections of Representatives and the first meeting of the House thereafter the President considers that in consequence of changes in the membership of the House resulting from that election and of any general election of Senators, the Prime Minister will not be able to command the support of the majority of the elected members of the House the President may remove the Prime Minister from office.

Whenever the Prime Minister is absent from Dominica or by reason of illness is unable to perform the functions conferred upon him by the Constitution, the President may authorise some other Minister to perform those functions (other than the functions conferred by Section 62 of the Constitution) and that Minister may perform those functions until his authority is revoked by the President.