ROSEAU, Dominica-
An opposition leader has attacked a proposal for a hotel to control one of Dominica's most popular beaches, saying tourism revenue is not worth making residents "second-class citizens" on their own island.
The Tourism Ministry announced earlier this month that unidentified investors were interested in building a luxury resort and restricting access to the beach at Woodford Hill–one of only four white-sand beaches on this 289-square-mile volcanic island.
Privatizing the beach "is too high a price for our people to pay for whatever benefit the hotel might bring," said William Para Riviere, who resigned last year as general secretary of the ruling Dominica Labor Party, which he accused of neglecting the interests of ordinary islanders.
Riviere, who is running for office as leader of the new, left-of-center People's Democratic Movement, said in a statement that all must be done to ensure "no development will make us second-class citizens in our country."
Tourism Minister Yvor Nassief said discussions were under way with officials in Woodford Hill, on the Caribbean island's north coast.
Dominica, one of the poorest islands in the region, has been trying to promote its tourism industry as it recovers from a recession with the help of an austerity program designed by the International Monetary Fund.
All of the island's beaches are open to the public, but most have coarse, black sand. Riviere said Dominican law preserves islanders' right to access all the country's beaches without restrictions.
The beach at Woodford Hill draws residents from across the country of 69,000 people, and is especially popular during public holidays.
