As the closely watched Roseau North by-election draws near, the two major party candidates have unveiled starkly different policy agendas, each highlighting what they frame as the most pressing unmet needs for constituents in the constituency. The policy pledges were formally presented this week at a public forum hosted by the Dominica Business Forum, held at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital.
Daniel Lugay, the United Workers Party (UWP) nominee, opened his remarks by flagging two urgent public health crises that he says have plagued the constituency for far too long. At the top of his list is the relocation of the Fond Cole Landfill, locally known as “Labass,” a facility he argues has long passed its functional lifespan and now poses severe risks to nearby residents. “This will be relocated out of the constituency to a more suitable location,” Lugay confirmed. “The Labass has now become a major health hazard, with frequent uncontrolled fires that release cancer-causing smoke and toxic fumes that impact surrounding communities.” He added that inconsistent municipal waste collection is a second persistent public hazard, noting that uncollected garbage often sits piled for weeks, creating breeding grounds for disease-carrying flies, mosquitoes and rodent infestations.
Beyond environmental and public health priorities, Lugay outlined the UWP’s core national commitment: expanding universal healthcare coverage for all Dominican citizens, a promise he says comes directly from UWP Leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine and the party’s Team Dominica platform. Lugay also called out the incumbent Dominica Labour Party (DLP) administration for failing to deliver on a decades-old promise of a dedicated vendors’ arcade, and put forward a plan for a new commercial hub and mall that would generate targeted employment opportunities for a wide range of local workers and small business owners. The proposed development would serve hair-braiders, nail technicians, massage therapists, artisans, visual artists, independent pharmacists, food service operators, musicians and other small entrepreneurs, according to Lugay. The planned commercial zone would stretch from the existing Public Works Corporation property all the way to the Dominica Banana Marketing Corporation building, encompassing the DEXIA warehouse and the former Home Industries site.
In her own remarks at the forum, DLP candidate Ashma McDougall laid out a competing set of priorities, centered first on expanding access to affordable, safe housing for Roseau North residents. “A home is not just concrete and steel,” McDougall explained. “A home provides security, dignity, and it is a transferable asset across a family.” She argued that any new housing development must include complementary infrastructure investments such as improved drainage systems, paved roads, and public street lighting to ensure livable communities for new homeowners. McDougall noted that while the existing $1 per square foot land legislation has already opened up new pathways to land ownership for many Dominicans, the administration is preparing additional policy measures to make home ownership more accessible and affordable for working families.
McDougall’s second key priority is revitalizing the small business ecosystem that forms the economic backbone of Roseau North. Two weeks prior to the forum, McDougall said her campaign team conducted on-the-ground outreach to small business owners across the constituency, mapping more than 250 small operations across 20 distinct sectors. “That is not a shortage of ambition,” she emphasized. “It is an economic base waiting to be energised and to be strengthened.” McDougall noted that too many promising local small businesses remain stuck at the survival level, with limited access to capital cited as one of the most persistent barriers to growth. But she added that improved financing alone is not enough to unlock that potential. Instead, she pledged to champion a comprehensive support pathway that guides entrepreneurs from early-stage startup through to market readiness, and where viable, helps them access international export opportunities.
On the issue of employment, McDougall argued that temporary income relief is only a short-term solution, and sustainable, well-paying work is the only path to long-term economic independence for residents. She outlined a two-pronged approach to expanding employment: first, building out training programs and pathways into the growing digital economy, and second, aligning workforce development with the DLP’s ongoing large-scale infrastructure investment plan, connecting job seekers to open roles in construction, hospitality, and other growing service sectors. She highlighted the already proven success of the government’s Work Online Dominica initiative, which she said has opened up new remote work opportunities that let residents earn competitive incomes without relocating or leaving their home communities. The program already connects single mothers in Stockfarm, Yampiece, and Tarish Pit, and young people in Fond Cole hamlets to legitimate remote work, she noted.