In a significant political development, Jesma Paul-Victor has been formally reinstated as Leader of the Opposition in Dominica’s House of Assembly. The President’s Office confirmed the appointment on January 20, 2026, following an official nomination process.
Paul-Victor, who represents the Salisbury constituency, initially assumed the opposition leadership on December 20, 2022, under a unique power-sharing arrangement with Marigot MP Anthony Charles. This agreement emerged from the unusual parliamentary situation created by the December 2022 snap general election, which resulted in only two opposition members being elected as independents.
The original understanding between the legislators stipulated an 18-month rotational leadership, with Paul-Victor’s term scheduled to conclude on June 19, 2024. However, the transition encountered constitutional complications when Paul-Victor submitted her resignation on June 20, 2024. The President’s office invoked Section 66 of the Commonwealth of Dominica Constitution, requiring both opposition members to jointly designate their preferred leader through formal communication.
Despite Charles’ public statements in June 2024 expressing readiness to assume the leadership role and his affiliation with the newly established United Progressive Party (UPP), the necessary joint documentation wasn’t submitted to facilitate the transition. Charles had previously emphasized the importance of their rotational agreement and outlined plans to consolidate opposition voices while engaging youth in national development initiatives.
The recent reappointment process was initiated through an official letter from Charles to the President, nominating Paul-Victor for the position. This development resolves the prolonged leadership uncertainty, though questions remain regarding the future of the original alternating leadership agreement between the two independent parliamentarians.