‘Roseau North has spoken for the whole country’, says PM Skerrit on McDougall victory

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says the result of the Roseau North by-election carries a message for all of Dominica, telling supporters that he believes the constituency has “spoken for the whole country.”

Speaking at a post-election victory rally on Monday night, Skerrit said the result showed that residents had expressed their view on the direction in which Dominica is heading.

“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 an enthusiastic crowd.

He went further, saying he believed the result had brought the debate over whether Dominica was on the right or wrong track to an end.

“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.

The Prime Minister was speaking after Dominica Labour Party candidate Ashma McDougall secured the Roseau North seat, defeating United Workers Party candidate Daniel “Danny” Lugay and independent candidate Sherman Boston. Preliminary figures showed McDougall with 1,506 votes, Lugay with 983, and Boston with 50.

Skerrit described the result as a landslide, noting that McDougall won at every polling station, and called it “a clear undisputed message” from Roseau North.

He also congratulated McDougall for her campaign effort.

“She wanted to win, she did what she had to do to win, and it has paid off,” he said.

Skerrit described McDougall as a hard-working person who had demonstrated “a capacity, a commitment and a work ethic.”

“I wish her well. I look forward to her continued success,” he added, promising that he and his administration would be available to guide and support her.

He also announced that McDougall would soon be placed in the Cabinet of Ministers.

Alluding to the significance of this race, which he said was being followed beyond the borders of Dominica, the Prime Minister thanked Roseau North residents for their support, telling them that they are “wise and smart people” who knew what was best for themselves, their families and their community. He also emphasized that he believed it important that elected representatives be present, accessible and available to constituents.

In this vein, Skerrit announced that a general thank-you meeting and social gathering would be held in the community, with the date and details to be determined.

McDougall’s victory allows the DLP to retain a seat it won in the December 2022 general election, when the party secured 19 of Dominica’s 21 constituency seats.