PUBLIC OPINION: ANTIGUA'S UNITED PROGRESSIVE PARTY NEEDS NEW LEADERSHIP IF IT IS TO RETURN TO OFFICE

I have been speaking with Antigua business people, local as well as abroad, on the recent election in Antigua and Barbuda, to get their opinion on Antigua's future. These business people are not enemies of the United Progressive Party (UPP), but have serious concerns, regarding under what conditions they can move forward, to investment large amounts of capital into the country's economy. 

In the aftermath of the recent National Election, with the abysmal performance of the United Progressive Party (UPP), and the disturbing backstory regarding its current leadership, total change will be the only solution that could result in the UPP returning to power, according to the consensus of their opinion, as they recently shared their political views with me. Their collective wisdom, gleaned from decades of close observation of the local political scene, is not only instructive, it serves as a playbook for future electoral success, and in light of the recent election results, it deserves our attention.

First of, they uniformly opine that not only is there is little or no UPP rank and file confidence in its current leader, JAMALE PRINGLE, as a more grassroots, street smart leader, who not only understands the needs and aspirations of the  local man in the street, but who can inspire them to become hopeful for change, is needed. They have expressed the belief that there are other leaders in Antigua and Barbuda who have such a local background, and they deserve consideration as individuals whose connection with the people they would represent and serve is close and personal.

 Furthermore, they are definitely concerned that Pringle, as the longtime Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Parliamentary body that works directly with the Office of the Director of Audit, to provide oversight of government spending, was directly responsible for monitoring and supervising the grossly excessive spending of Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE, tracking and tracing suspicious or corrupt transactions, and reining in Browne's violations. In their opinion, he has completely failed in that role, and they have expressed  two possible reasons for that negligence: either he is completely inept, and incompetent, and failed in his sworn duty to protect Antigua from Browne's uncontrolled spending and related corrupt activities, or he may have allegedly received illegal compensation for turning a blind eye to the bribes and kickbacks. Either way, in their opinion, he has failed.

They have spoken with their American contacts, who feel that Pringle's failure to exert checks and balances over Browne's financial misconduct, for years, also makes him unacceptable to the Trump administration, as Americans view Browne's nationalism verging on Anti-Americanism, and his choice of affiliation with China, Cuba and Nicolas Maduro as a national security threat, and toxic. They told me that Pringle, through his inaction, facilitated Browne's drift to autocratic leaders abroad, and that makes him part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.

We know that Pringle was the first choice of UPP Chairman D GISELLE ISAAC, over the valid objections of many in her party, as well as independent observers whose feedback she summarily rejected, as she placed him into leadership over the objections of senior party members.For that reason alone, in the opinion of my Antiguan sources, she  should leave her chairmanship, and make room for more effective leadership, They note her public preference for Chinese influence and funding for Antigua ( Over $1bn), which could make her unacceptable to the United States; she should also leave the UPP scene, they concluded.

We anxiously await the next party convention, where leadership change can be accomplished, and hope that the UPP is able to move forward with new leadership, who would be effective and sensitive to the voters it needs to assist. They fell that a change must come to the UPP.