Dominica's main opposition United Workers Party on Thursday unveiled two new candidates and reaffirmed former parliamentarian Danny Lugay as its standard-bearer for an expected Roseau North by-election, signalling what party leaders believe is a decisive shift in the country's political momentum. According to Antigua News Room, the event marked the launch of "Team Dominica" and was framed by party leadership as the opening salvo in a national campaign to end nearly three decades of Dominica Labour Party governance.
The launch introduced urban planner Juliet Schillingford as the UWP's candidate for Roseau Central and businessman Delbert Paris as its candidate for Marigot, while Lugay — who previously held the Roseau North seat in Parliament — was formally presented to supporters as the party's choice for the anticipated by-election.
With the by-election widely expected within the next 90 days, political observers are already viewing the contest as a critical test of public appetite for change and the first opportunity for voters to deliver a verdict on the current Labour administration.
Party leader Dr. Thompson Fontaine urged constituents in Roseau North to use the upcoming vote to send a broader message. "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," he said.
Fontaine 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," he told supporters.
Schillingford, a respected urban planning professional born and raised in Roseau, delivered one of the sharper critiques of the government's record in the capital. "Roseau Central has been neglected. Roseau Central has not been a priority, and the people of Roseau Central deserve better," she said, pointing to deteriorating infrastructure, persistent traffic problems, struggling businesses and stalled development projects as evidence that residents have endured declining standards despite years of promises.
Paris, who received unanimous backing from party supporters in Marigot, positioned himself as part of a new generation ready to continue the constituency's tradition of independent political thought. He called on Dominicans to reject complacency and take an active role in shaping the country's future.
The event also underscored a renewed sense of unity within the opposition. Fontaine confirmed that veteran figures, including former Prime Minister Edison James and former Opposition Leader Lennox Linton, are expected to play active roles in upcoming campaigns as the party seeks to present a consolidated front against the governing party.
Speakers throughout the launch drew repeated contrasts between what they described as a culture of political dependency under Labour and the UWP's vision of jobs, economic opportunity and self-reliance. Fontaine was pointed in his criticism of government patronage. "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" policy agenda, which promises higher wages, tax reform, support for agriculture and manufacturing, youth entrepreneurship initiatives, improved government accountability and a gradual reduction of the country's heavy dependence on its Citizenship by Investment programme.
The anticipated Roseau North by-election is expected to pit Lugay against Labour Party candidate Ashma McDougall. For an opposition seeking to capitalise on economic frustrations and growing calls for change, the contest represents far more than a single parliamentary seat — it is a chance to demonstrate that Dominica's political landscape is shifting and that Labour's long grip on power is no longer assured.
Thursday's launch was clearly designed to send that message: after years of internal divisions and electoral setbacks, 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.
