Dominica: UWP approached Ashma McDougall first, she declined and chose Labour

Dominica: Ashma McDougall, the Dominica Labour Party's candidate for the upcoming Roseau North by-election, was previously approached by the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) to contest the seat on its behalf but she declined the offer and chose DLP. The claims were made by Housing Minister and Roseau Central Parliamentary Representative Melissa Skerrit during a recent press conference held on Friday.

While speaking at the official meet and greet event introducing McDougall as the DLP’s candidate for the upcoming Roseau North by-election, Melissa Skerrit said that McDougall's qualities were recognised not only by Labour supporters but also by political opponents.

“Ladies and gentlemen, when both sides agree that somebody is qualified for the job, then the people's choice becomes very easy,” she said.

She further described McDougall as a dedicated educator, entrepreneur, economist, youth leader and community organiser who possesses the qualities needed to represent the people of Roseau North. "The people of this constituency deserve a representative who will be present, accessible and willing to work hand in hand with the Government of Dominica to improve lives and create opportunities," said the Minister.

She went on to claim that the UWP had identified those same leadership qualities in McDougall and sought to recruit her as a candidate. According to Melissa Skerrit, the opposition party recognised McDougall's intelligence, leadership, credibility, discipline, sincerity of purpose, positive energy and strong connection with people. However, she said McDougall ultimately declined the offer after careful consideration.

According to her, the Roseau North candidate understood that meaningful development requires collaboration with government and the ability to deliver tangible results for constituents. "A good idea without a government cannot build a road. A good speech cannot build a house. A press conference cannot give you a job, and a Facebook Live cannot fix your community," she told supporters.

The Minister highlighted the fact that McDougall chose what she described as "results," "progress" and "Team Labour" over opposition politics. She further suggested that the alleged approach from the UWP demonstrated broad recognition of McDougall's qualifications and suitability for public office.

Notably, McDougall was officially introduced as the Dominica Labour Party's candidate for the Roseau North by-election following the resignation of former parliamentary representative Miriam Blanchard on medical grounds earlier this week. Several Labour Party officials used the event to endorse McDougall and described her as the party's choice to continue representing and advancing the interests of the constituency.