CNW – Economist Dr. Thomson Fontaine has been narrowly re-elected leader of Dominica’s main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), warning supporters that internal divisions could prevent the party from returning to government.
Fontaine secured 83 votes at the party’s leadership election on Sunday, edging newcomer Pastor Randy Rodney, who polled 75 votes. Rodney, pastor of the Truth and Grace Fellowship Global Church, said his decision to contest the leadership was driven by a sense of responsibility.
“It is one taken out of a burden, a burden to see justice strengthen, opportunities expanded and unity restored,” Rodney said. He later declined nomination for the post of deputy leader.
In his victory address, Fontaine — a former employee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — called for an end to infighting within the party, including criticism directed at his leadership.
“We are all in this together. Let us combine our efforts. Stop seeing faults, or the many faults in your leader, and let us stand together,” Fontaine told supporters.
“It is not acceptable that you sit on the sidelines, hoping that I fail as a leader. That’s not acceptable. If one of us fails, all of us fail… We are in this together to win the next general election.”
Fontaine emphasized that the stakes were too high for division, urging members to support new strategies he is implementing to rebuild the party.
“There is too heavy a price to pay if we fail. We are talking about the future of this country,” he said, adding that while some of his approaches may differ from past practices, patience is needed.
“So I am doing some things differently… In 2025, we are not in 1998… Just be patient, give it a chance.”
He also claimed the party is gaining traction nationwide.
“Persons who previously dismissed our party are willing to give us a second chance,” Fontaine said. “They are drawn to our message of shared prosperity and how a United Workers Party government under my leadership will transform this country.”
The UWP last held office between 1995 and 2000 under Edison James. It was defeated by the Dominica Labour Party (DLP), initially led by Rosie Douglas until his death in October 2000, and later by Pierre Charles, who served until his death in January 2004. The DLP has since been led by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who has been in office since 2004.
Ahead of Sunday’s election, former UWP president and opposition leader Lennox Linton defended the party’s annual leadership elections, describing them as a key pillar of internal democracy. Linton issued a statement following remarks by Fontaine, who had previously criticized the constitutionally mandated elections as a “wash-your-foot-and-come” process.
Fontaine reiterated his concerns, arguing that frequent leadership challenges could undermine stability.
“Anybody come off the streets, wash their feet and challenge me for the leader,” he said, questioning whether such a system benefits the party.
In response, Linton said the matter had been discussed by the UWP’s National Executive Committee and that Fontaine had agreed to the release of Linton’s statement, indicating that the issue should ultimately be left to the public to judge.
Sunday’s closely contested result highlights ongoing tensions within the opposition party as it seeks to position itself as a viable alternative government ahead of the next general election due in 2027.
