标签： Dominica

A pre-election public debate organized by the Dominica Business Forum Inc. for candidates in the upcoming Roseau Central by-election has been lauded as a landmark example of constructive political engagement, despite organizers voicing disappointment over chronically low youth participation at the event.

Hosted on July 29 at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital, the discussion brought together three contenders vying for the vacant constituency seat: Ashma McDougall of the ruling Dominica Labour Party, Danny Lugay from the opposition United Workers Party, and independent challenger Sherman Boston. In an official press statement released two days ahead of the forum on July 27, the organization extended public gratitude to the three candidates, moderators and broadcast journalists Kaywana Fontaine Wilson and Mathias Peltier Jr., and the general public for their collective contributions to making the event a success. Local media outlets DBS Radio and Dominica News Online also earned praise from the forum for their work broadcasting the discussion live over radio and streaming it online, opening access to the conversation for both domestic audiences and Dominicans living overseas.

The non-profit umbrella group, which has served as a coordinated voice for Dominica’s business community since its founding and registration in December 2012, says feedback collected from both in-person attendees and online viewers has been overwhelmingly positive. A large majority of respondents voiced explicit support for the organization to host more similar cross-party candidate discussions ahead of future elections across the country.

For the forum, the event successfully fulfilled its core stated goal: creating a structured, respectful space where political candidates with competing ideological and partisan perspectives could come together to debate issues of critical national importance. Organizers emphasized that the polite, professional demeanor all candidates maintained throughout the discussion proved the tangible public value of constructive political dialogue. The forum added that the exchange set a strong benchmark that all future candidates seeking public office in Dominica should aim to meet.

Despite the widespread acclaim for the debate, the organization highlighted one notable shortcoming that it says warrants urgent attention: the disproportionately low turnout of young voters at the event. In its statement, the forum expressed deep concern that a large share of the country’s young electorate missed a critical opportunity to watch leading political candidates debate the policies and issues that will directly shape Dominica’s future. To strengthen the country’s democratic processes, the group argues that targeted efforts must be made to boost youth engagement in future similar events, as higher youth participation fosters more informed civic involvement and enriches the quality of public democratic discourse.

As a reminder, the Dominica Business Forum stressed that it remains a strictly politically neutral and non-partisan entity. Its core mandate, it says, is to collaborate with all national stakeholders across the political spectrum exclusively to advance inclusive, sustainable economic development across the island nation.

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.

As the Roseau North by-election approaches, independent contender Sherman Boston is calling for an end to partisan political division, arguing that cross-community unity is the only way to resolve the years-long unaddressed challenges that have plagued the Dominican constituency.

Boston laid out his platform during a public forum hosted by the Dominica Business Forum on Wednesday evening, held in the auditorium of the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital. The candidate, who has decades of experience working on local infrastructure projects, pulled from his own firsthand knowledge to detail the gaps in development that have left Roseau North residents underserved.

Among the examples he cited was the unfinished Netball Stadium, a project he helped conceptualize in the early 2000s that has yet to be completed. He also pointed to major highway infrastructure he worked on near Stock Farm and the local college, noting the critical safety gap created by the absence of sidewalks along the high-traffic route. For more than a year, Boston has been a vocal advocate for resolving longstanding problems with the constituency’s landfill, a issue that continues to impact surrounding communities.

These infrastructure shortcomings are not isolated, Boston explained, cutting across multiple neighborhoods spanning Stock Farm, Yampiece, Gutter, Tarish Pit, and Fond Cole. One of the most pressing issues he highlighted is the lack of vehicle access for hundreds of residents who hold legal land titles to their properties. Even after the government sold them the land and issued official documentation, many homeowners are still forced to walk long distances to reach their homes, carrying their belongings on foot because no access roads have been constructed.

Vulnerable populations bear the brunt of this neglect, Boston emphasized, adding that elderly residents in Yampiece, Gutter, and Fond Cole face disproportionate hardship due to the lack of safe, reliable access to their communities.

While Boston outlined a lengthy roster of unmet needs across the constituency, he made clear that his core campaign message is not just a list of grievances — it is a call for systemic change to the partisan tribalism that has stalled progress for years. “I could stand here all night listing every problem that needs fixing in Roseau North,” he told attendees. “But my priority tonight is to tell you that what we need first is unity.”

He argued that ongoing political factionalism has prevented meaningful progress on even the most basic community needs, and it is long past time for these divisions to end. Facing the complex current and future challenges that Dominica as a whole must confront, Boston said every citizen has a role to play in moving the country forward. “We need all hands on deck,” he stated.

Closing his remarks at the forum, Boston urged all Dominican people to set aside partisan divides and come together to build a nation that all residents can be proud of.