By Staff Writer
ROSEAU, Dominica, Sept 8, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the victory of Ashma McDougall in the Roseau North by-election on Monday should put an end to the debate in Dominica as to whether or not the country is on the right or the wrong track for its development under the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP).
Preliminary results showed that McDougall, a business executive, had easily trumped Daniel “Danny” Lugay of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), who had been a parliamentary representative for the constituency on two previous occasions. She polled 1,506 votes as compared with 983 for Lugay.
A third candidate, Sherman Boston, who contested the seat as an independent, failed to make any meaningful impact, polling just 50 votes.
The Dominica Electoral Office said that 7,489 persons had been registered to vote, with 2,595 voters exercising their rights to cast ballots.
The by-election arose after former labour, public service reform, social partnership, entrepreneurship and small business development minister, Miriam Blanchard, resigned on June 12 due to ill health.
Skerrit, who has led the DLP since February 2004, one month after being sworn in at the age of 31, as the youngest head of government in the world at the time, said that the by-election results represented a vote of confidence in his government.
“I believe that Roseau North has spoken for the whole country. Roseau North has spoken for every part of the country, and I believe that the rest of the country has heard you and seen you,” he told party supporters.
“And so I believe that the debate in Dominica is over on whether the country is on the right track or the wrong track. And I think Dominica is on the right track based on what you have said in Roseau North,” Skerrit said.
Skerrit said he was pleased that the DLP had been able to receive the support of the young voters in the constituency, saying, “You know me, I believe in representation.
“I will ensure that, as the political leader of the Dominican Labour Party, we will ensure that you get the representation that you have voted for, because you have longed for this for so long.
“Because in Roseau North there are hard-working people, industrious people, and what they need is someone to guide them through this process. I want to say to the senior citizens of Roseau North, thank you so much. I want to say to the middle-aged voters …thank you so much.
“I want to say in particular to the young people, because it is really the young people who brought this victory home for the Dominican Labour Party. The young men, the young women…I believe we got more than 90 per cent of the young votes in Roseau North, and that is very important,” said Skerrit, indicating that McDougall would be included in the Cabinet.
In the last general election held on December 6, 2022, the DLP won 19 out of 21 constituency seats, with independent candidates holding the remaining seats after both the UWP and the other opposition party, the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), boycotted the polls over calls for electoral reform.
CMC/cj/ir/2026
