Dominica: Roseau North By-Election Set for September 7

Dominica: Voters in the Roseau North constituency will go to the polls on September 7, 2026, to elect a new parliamentary representative following the resignation of Miriam Blanchard on June 12.

Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit announced the date on Sunday, saying he had advised President Sylvanie Burton to issue a writ under the Public Seal of the State for the by-election. Addressing the citizens, Dr. Skerrit also announced the date of the Nomination Day which has been set for Friday, August 21. This would give prospective candidates an opportunity to formally enter the race before residents cast their votes.

The by-election is required under Dominica’s electoral law and Constitution Dr. Skerrit said, explaining the decision. This is required because the Roseau North seat became vacant after Blanchard’s resignation.

The by-election became necessary following the resignation of Hon. Miriam Blanchard on June 12, 2026 as the parliamentary representative for the Roseau north constituency, thereby creating a vacancy in the House of Assembly, he said.

Section 55(3) of the Constitution provides that when the seat of a representative becomes vacant because of reasons other than the dissolution of the House, a by-election must be held within three months unless the house is dissolved earlier. The September 7 date hence falls within the constitutional timeframe.

I urge all eligible electors in the constituency to participate in this important democratic exercise and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes a peaceful, orderly and issue-based campaign, he said.

He also confirmed that the Dominica Labour Party, which is led by him, is going to engage residents during the campaign and present its plans for the constituency and the whole country. He said that the candidate that is going to participate in the upcoming by-election from the DLP will be Ashma McDougall.

This vacancy was created when Blanchard submitted her resignation letter to Speaker of the House of Assembly Joseph Isaac. Her resignation letter was dated June 9 and was received on June 12. Blanchard said that her decision to resign was because of health reasons. Reports also suggest that she has earlier travelled overseas to get medical treatment in August 2025 for an undisclosed illness.

She had been a member of the Cabinet since 2016 and held several senior responsibilities over the years. She was responsible for public works and ports, planning and economic development, labour, public service reform, entrepreneurship and small business development.

She was also involved in Dominica’s reconstruction after Tropical Storm Erika and other national development efforts. Dr. Skerrit praised her perseverance while dealing with health challenges and described her years of service as significant.

With the September 7 by-election now officially scheduled, now the focus is on the other candidates besides McDougall who will compete in the election for representing the constituency in the House of Assembly.