PM Roosevelt Skerrit backs Ashma McDougall, outlines vision for Roseau North

Roseau, Dominica: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit emphasized youth empowerment, progress of entrepreneurs and overall community development as key pillars of DLP’s vision for Roseau North. He backed candidate Ashma McDougall and said that her leadership skills will be a great advantage for the people of the constituency.

Speaking during the official Campaign Lift-Off, Dr. Skerrit highlighted the reasons of picking up Ashma as the Labour candidate and DLP’s future vision for Dominica.

He emphasised that their focus is on the “bread-and-butter issues that matter most to the people of this country.” And that they chose Ashma as they were looking at “a candidate who is not only committed to service, but one who is equipped with the knowledge, experience, energy and innovative thinking required for the times in which we live.”

The event took place on Sunday, June 28 at the Lindo Park in Goodwill. Asthma McDougall is DLP’s official candidate for Roseau North’s by-election which is expected to be held before mid-September.

During the official address, Dr. Skerrit highlighted the reasons of picking up Ashma as the Labour candidate and DLP’s future vision for Dominica. He emphasised that their focus is on the “bread-and-butter issues that matter most to the people of this country.” and that they chose Ashma as they were looking at “a candidate who is not only committed to service, but one who is equipped with the knowledge, experience, energy and innovative thinking required for the times in which we live.”

The by-election is taking place after Skerrit officially announced that former MP from Roseau North Miriam Blanchard was “stepping down due to health reasons” on June 12, 2026. As per constitutional guidelines of the Commonwealth of Dominica, the elections are required to take place before mid of September, 2026.

While delivering his speech, he stressed that the geopolitical dynamics are changing rampantly in terms of “growing competition for investment, tightening of immigration policies and even in the struggle of small island states to access climate financing that has been promised for years,” and thus, “Vision without action is a daydream. But action without vision is a nightmare.”

He later shared their aim, “It is to create a Dominica where a young person can choose to become a farmer, an engineer, an entrepreneur, a scientist, a teacher, a software developer or a business owner, and have the opportunity to succeed.”

With respect to this vision, he said, “The representative for Roseau North cannot simply understand politics. That person must understand people. They must understand economics. They must understand opportunity. They must understand innovation. They must understand where the world is going and how Dominica can position itself to succeed within it.”

Then, he underscored the reasons for aligning Ashma for the role, “What immediately stood out about Ashma was not simply her professional background. Many people possess qualifications. Many people hold degrees. Many people can speak well. What stood out was her ability to move comfortably between different worlds.”

“She can engage young professionals about opportunity and innovation. She can sit with business owners and understand the challenges of growing an enterprise. She can speak with educators about preparing our children for the future. And she can sit with ordinary families in Goodwill, Pottersville, Louisville, Stock Farm, Fond Cole, Yampiece and Tarish Pit and understand the everyday realities they face. That ability matters because representation is not about speaking to one group. It is about bringing people together around a common purpose,” he said.

He pinpointed that major national projects like “geothermal energy development, digital transformation and continued economic diversification would create new opportunities.” In similar light, he elaborated, “Geothermal energy is not simply about electricity; it is about making Dominica more competitive and creating the conditions for investment and job creation. The digital transformation of our economy is not a slogan. It is about ensuring that Dominican businesses and Dominican talent can compete in a global marketplace.”

He further praised Ashma as, “When I look at Ashma, I am excited about the future of Roseau North. I see what can happen when a country invests in its people and those people decide to give something back. I see someone who could have chosen a comfortable path but instead chose service. I see someone who believes that success means little if it is not used to improve the lives of others.”

Therefore, he underlined, “The question before us tonight is not who could represent Roseau North yesterday, but rather who is best able to help Roseau North navigate tomorrow. The answer is Ashma McDougall. Not because she is the convenient choice. Not because she is the easy choice. Not because of sentiment. But because she is the right choice.”

He ended his speech by encouraging all the eligible voters to participate in the election process enthusiastically as, “There are moments in the life of a country when participation becomes more than a right; it becomes a responsibility. There are moments when the decisions being made will shape the opportunities available to an entire generation.”