Dominica’s main opposition United Workers Party on Thursday unveiled two new candidates and reaffirmed former parliamentarian Danny Lugay as its candidate for an expected Roseau North by-election, signaling what party leaders believe is growing momentum toward ending nearly three decades of Dominica Labour Party rule.
The launch of “Team Dominica” introduced urban planner Juliet Schillingford as the party’s candidate for Roseau Central and businessman Delbert Paris as its candidate for Marigot, while Lugay was presented as the opposition’s standard-bearer for Roseau North.
With a by-election widely expected within the next 90 days, the contest is already being viewed as a critical test of public appetite for political change and the first opportunity for voters to register their verdict on the Labour administration.
Party leader Dr. Thompson Fontaine framed the anticipated Roseau North battle as the opening chapter in a national campaign to replace the government, urging constituents to rally behind Lugay, who previously represented the constituency in Parliament.
“As we face a potential by-election in the Roseau North constituency, I call upon the constituents to send a strong message to this government,” Fontaine declared.
The opposition leader argued that after 27 years in office, the Labour Party has failed to deliver meaningful economic opportunities for ordinary Dominicans, particularly young people.
“Twenty-seven years is a long time for this generation of youth to be in the valley of economic depression,” Fontaine said, as party supporters applauded.
The UWP used the event to showcase what it described as a new generation of leadership, combining experienced political figures with younger professionals and community leaders.
Schillingford, a respected urban planning professional born and raised in Roseau, delivered one of the day’s strongest critiques of the government’s record in the capital city.
“Roseau Central has been neglected. Roseau Central has not been a priority, and the people of Roseau Central deserve better,” she said.
She pointed to deteriorating infrastructure, persistent traffic problems, struggling businesses and a lack of long-promised development projects, arguing that residents have been forced to accept declining standards despite decades of promises.
Paris, who received unanimous support from party supporters in Marigot, positioned himself as part of a new generation prepared to continue the constituency’s long tradition of independent political thinking.
He said Dominicans must reject political complacency and become active participants in shaping the country’s future.
The launch also highlighted a renewed sense of unity within opposition ranks. Fontaine confirmed that veteran political figures, including former Prime Minister Edison James and former Opposition Leader Lennox Linton, are expected to play active roles in upcoming campaigns as opposition forces work together to challenge the governing party.
Throughout the event, speakers repeatedly contrasted what they described as a culture of political dependency under the Labour Party with the UWP’s promise of jobs, economic opportunity and self-reliance.
Fontaine criticized what he described as the government’s reliance on handouts and patronage, arguing that Dominicans deserve sustainable employment rather than periodic assistance.
“We’ll work to dismantle this red clinic so that the people of Dominica will not expect handouts from us, but they will expect jobs,” he said.
The party also unveiled its “10 Pillars to Shared Prosperity” agenda, promising higher wages, tax reform, support for agriculture and manufacturing, youth entrepreneurship, government accountability and a gradual transition away from the country’s heavy dependence on the Citizenship by Investment programme.
The Roseau North by-election, expected to pit Lugay against Labour Party candidate Ashma McDougall, is increasingly being viewed as more than a battle for a single parliamentary seat.
For a resurgent opposition seeking to capitalize on economic frustrations and growing calls for change, the contest represents an opportunity to demonstrate that the political landscape is shifting and that the Labour Party’s long hold on power is no longer guaranteed.
After years of internal divisions and electoral setbacks, Thursday’s launch was designed to send a clear message: the United Workers Party believes it is back in the fight and intends to contest every seat with the goal of forming the next government.