Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the United Progressive Party could face a split as internal tensions grow following the party’s heavy defeat in the April 30 general election.
Speaking on Pointe FM, Browne suggested that dissatisfaction within the opposition over leadership and recent Senate appointments could eventually lead to the formation of a new political movement outside the UPP.
“I understand that they have plans to start a new party,” Browne said during the discussion on the future of the opposition.
The prime minister claimed some individuals within the opposition now view the UPP as politically weakened.
“What is going to happen is that those individuals are going to coalesce and they’re going to see the UPP as a damaged brand and form a new party,” Browne said.
Browne also questioned whether Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle would be able to maintain unity within the party.
“To hold the UPP together, it’s unlikely that Pringle can hold the party together, and they’re likely to splinter and create a new institution,” Browne said.
The prime minister compared the situation to divisions that once emerged within the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party after he became leader, noting that breakaway political groups formed at the time but ultimately failed to replace the party.
The UPP secured only one parliamentary seat in the April 30 election, with Pringle retaining the All Saints East and St. Luke constituency.
The opposition party has not publicly responded to Browne’s remarks.
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Why can’t the UPP at its next convention just throw out Pringle as leader and Giselle as chairman? They are only in those positions as a result of convention voting and so voting should be able to get rid of them. Not so?
Why should they “throw out” the ONLY PERSON who ACTUALLY WON in the general elections????
The ONE AND ONLY DULY ELECTED LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IS THE HON. LARS JAMALE PRINGLE.
Well it has happened before so I don’t see why it can’t again.
Everyone knows what’s wrong with the UPP instead the UPP themselves.
…And hopefully, a new ABLP leader will arise to replace a Prime Minister that’s overstayed his welcome. The country needs some new blood with fresh approach and renewed vigour.
Another political party and a new leader sounds great to many…
Too glad Richard, Kelvin and Sherfield LOST. Those 3 worked overtime to UNDERMINE PRINGLE. They are backstabbers who wanted to see the back of Pringle, but look what happened to the 3 of them.
Mr. Pringle needs to find 3 NEW CANDIDATES TO REPLACE them 3 in their respective constituencies!!! They do not deserve to run on his ticket EVER AGAIN!!!!!
Same old modus operundi. Encourage a new party and secretly fund their campaign so that they can take away votes. That’s how he beat Lovell
Pringle is in a UPP safe zone anybody could win that seat, even a dead dog. Send him to another consistency he would lose badly
Gaston is attempting to fund and has encouraged certain persons to form a new party. He doesn’t love die hard ALP . Gaston has rebranded the ALP as the Antigua Brown Labour Party by shopping within the UPP and now he wants to see a new party emerge out of the UPP as the ULPP.
Mr. Prime Minister, in case you have not noticed, our country faces multiple problems that are getting worse every day. Your Government is bankcrupt. You cannot pay your creditors and arrears are increasing. The economy is stagnating. It has barely recovered to pre-covid levels. The lies and misinformation you keep spreading about economic development are just that…LIES. The cost of everything is going up. Gun violence is out of control. The water problems get no better and the pathetic and poor quality road works that the PWD are trying to implement are a JOKE. We know that the CIP program and the tourism sector are already taking a hit and this will continue. For Heavens Sake, when will you stop this obsession with the UPP and start dealing with the problems that ordinary Aniguans are struggling with…
If they want to be Pringle, they need to win him at CONVENTION instead of blasting him on Miss Knight show
So winning and loosing is the only contribution to politics and public service in Antigua?
I think many of you should really take a minute and examine your mindset.
So because the UPP lose, people like me should keep quiet about this corrupt and compromise fellow y’all voted for leadership?
Life isn’t over because you lose a race. And for me, it’s hard for me to think that GB is the best person to lead A&B going forward. There is a lot of work to be done in Antigua, so we will see what this administration do with their high position, because I for one ain’t impress with the past 12 years.
Antigua should be way ahead of where it is today, that’s a fact,and it’s not that I stayed in my foreign abode and say these things.. I’ve hit the ground many times, even when COVID was threatening to wipe many nations off the face of the earth.
So continue to fight for better, everyone who knows what Antigua coils become.
@Islanman26
The MAJORITY of Antigua (as EVIDENCED in the April 30 general elections) do NOT care what you think about GB. THEY think that GB is the BEST person to lead the country at this time…Hence the reason they gave him such an OVERWHELMING NEW MANDATE!!!
@ V for Vendetta you still chatting your nonsense like a broken record. Pringle won because he is in a UPP stronghold. Pringle as a leader is weak and the UPP will never win a general election with such a weak leader. Keep dreaming. I hope you wake up soon.
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