The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is facing a crisis of leadership and confidence with the expected loss in the bi-election in St. Mary’s South (SMS) to the United Progressive Party (UPP) on October 24, 2023. The ABLP candidate, Dwayne George, is expected to be defeated by the UPP’s Kelvin Simon by a significant margin, according to official polling.
This is the second time that the ABLP is loosing SMS since 2014. The UPP had won the seat in the general election held in January 2023 with a comfortable majority of votes over the ABLP. However, the seat became vacant after simon resigned in June 2023, following allegations of misconduct.
The expected bi-election defeat has exposed the deep divisions and discontentment within the ABLP, which has been in power since 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Gaston Browne. Many party members and supporters have blamed Browne for the poor performance of the ABLP in SMS, accusing him of mismanaging the campaign and neglecting the constituency. The base of the labour party never came out to support the campaign in SMS.
Some of the criticisms leveled against Browne include:
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Failing to address the concerns and needs of the SMS residents. Effectively the campaign was all about Gaston Browne.
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Ignoring the advice and suggestions of senior members and local party activists and representatives, who warned him about the growing dissatisfaction and disillusionment with his leadership.
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Taking the SMS seat for granted and assuming that the ABLP would win it easily by throwing money around.
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Underestimating the strength and popularity of the UPP candidate, Kelvin Simon, who had opened a constituency office in SMS a week before the bi-election and had been actively engaging with the community.
The bi-election has also raised questions about Browne’s ability to lead the ABLP into the next general election, which is due by 2028. Some party insiders have suggested that Browne should step down or face a leadership challenge, as he has lost credibility and trust among both his party and the public.
However, Browne is expected to dismiss these calls and insists that he will “cut the throat” of anyone that dares to challenge him for leadership of the ABLP. Browne told his cabinet colleagues that if any of them dares to challenge him, that he will cut their throat!! Browne remains confident and committed that he could frighten any challenger to stand-down by his threatening and vicious talk to cut throats and “mash-up everything if they try to move me”!!
The ABLP currently holds 9 out of 17 seats in the House of Representatives, while the UPP has 5 seats and one seat is held by an independent member and another by the BPM.
Executive Officer ABLP
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probably need a bi election in All Saints East and St. Luke too.
Black Panther has neglected the people of Swetes, only certain people’s homes he visits and only certain people he looks out for.
We want to know where Dwayne George get $25,000.00 from. Antiguans must know the truth. Why isn’t anyone bringing this up? Get the AG involved. Get the GG involved. Get Scotland Yard involved. Blatant political bribery must stop.
Dwayne George we want to know did Gaston Browne give you the money?
Where did Gaston Browne get the money from?
Gaston Browne so beyond desperate to hold on the power, he won’t stop at anything to keep it. We all know about his past and less than unscrupulous “ethics”. Poor man from Point who end up in politics and now have more money than anyone could ever earn on all the salaries from all the employment positions he ever had. We haven’t forgotten the incident where Air Peace from Nigeria came in and had security guards surrounding the plane so no one could know what was being brought in the cargo hold. Again the AG, GG and Scotland Yard all need to be investigating this.
Antigua going nowhere except down when we have a completely corrupt PM. Who suffers? We do. While the corrupt PM living a life of squalor, govt workers not getting paid, social security not being paid, pensions not being paid, water not being delivered, sidewalks especially in town not being maintained.
Just remember a vote for Dwayne George is another vote for another self-enrichment politician. Remember while we can’t even put bread and cheese on our tables, Gaston Browne eating pork chops, steaks, shrimp, lobster and washing it down with fine wine.
The ondcp should investigate that
Are these really true? Antiguans are not too intelligent when it comes to politics. Any such kind of challenge would most likely result in serious separation of candidates and voters. Significantly decreasing ABLP ability to win a general election and becoming the government.
But I honestly feel base on my situation, that no government officials should ever tell you they can not help.
This reminds me of my father telling me, okay, I will spend all my money on your brother in medical school, when he becomes a medical doctor, surgeon, he will help you become an attorney.
So, they spent all they have on my brother, who to the younger brother, was like his earthly God. The younger brother love him tremendously and did not mind everything spent on the older brother, as long as the older brother would attempt to help.
But instead, the older brother said, I have a wife now and eventually, we are going to have children. I cannot help you at all. So, younger brother got practically nothing, in comparison to what older brother got.
Younger brother went through so much unnecessary hardship, treated like nothing, but younger brother made some good moves and completed his law studies and own his own offices, even trying to expand to help others.
So, it hurts, contacting various ABLP ministers, who all completely ignored him or others who said contact the minister in charge of this or that but no one helped.
No Minister of government should ever use the words I can not help to the public. Especially when it pertains to a matter of national importance and substantial merit. That has significant impact on your international relationship with other countries, enhance your tourism product, provide well paying jobs and promise to assist communities and government agencies in ways the government has not.
You do not say I can’t help you to someone as motivated as this.
Not someone who plans to give as much I intend to give in November, if such urgent help was given. Now it is uncertain if these things will be able to be done since the person would need the security of his license approval.
One thing this person does not do, is break promises.
So, I can understand that their are some anger and frustration with the political party but it can be fixed with people truly caring for each other and their constituencies.
Those same voters who will attack their own brother and son for politicians, getting so angry you are speaking on their politicians forgetting it is not the politicians who use to do without to ensure you have everything (even did not have a woman so that all money can go to you as a mother) but then when things became even better, that is the same person who gave you access to $2 million to build whatever house you want, and still send you on average close to $100,000.00 per month, for years.
Never placed a rule on what you can withdraw and what you can do, to this date, never audited any of the accounts your name are on and still put you on numerous other bank accounts as Beneficiary if that person dies, and you are still alive.
Do you not comprehend this person is who you should stand up for. This person was never going to ask you to not vote Gaston or ABLP or Samantha or Dwayne, this person was simply telling you to show up with 20 family members who vote ABLP to their office, to convince them the importance of our support and they should do everything they legally can to ensure this family member who takes care of his family is able to continue to take care of family, community and even the government.
I promise that was literally the only thing in my mind, never ever considered anyone to switch their vote to UPP. To be frank, if I was voting, I would have simply withhold my vote than switching. So, I was never going to advise anyone to switch but to simply demonstrate our power in our vote.
But instead I was attacked and I promise you this, I will not forget it and it will always be use to motivate me to not anymore put family over myself that I have been doing since 2012.
I was just a decent person who loves to share but I also believed I was sharing even more as a way to deal with how I was treated by the brothers, the father, and mother.
Luke 16:10. I gave them much more than I give to myself as my form of revenge. You may call it stupid but that is how my mind works. I think being good to those bad to you is the worse kind of punishment to them.
I am adjusting that tactic a bit. And I will finally say, people treat each other better, help your people, especially when it is in the interest of the nation and you are a government official, elected or not elected government official. Family, help your family.
I beg these of you, please. I will never ask for anything else from the public but for these few things.
Win or loose (and I am of the opinion that Dwayne George will loose) gaston browne have brought down the A.L.P.
I am amazed that senior men and women of the A.L.P. allowed gaston to do this to their party.
He (gaston) insulted them left, right and center, regardless how cute they are or how green they get. Imagine he telling them ‘are you a coup leadership’ and not a damn man was able to bark. What a shame.
The next government will have its work cut out for it but the people deserve what they get because it was a majority of them who voted for the hardship that there is to come.
PUT YOUR NAME OR SHUT UP. GASTON IS RIGHT, NONE OF YOU WOULD DARE CHALLENGE HIM FOR LEADERSHIP…BUNCH OF COWARDS. I HAVE SEEN GASTON SHOWED THE ENTIRE ATLU WHO IS BOSS BECAUSE HE KNOWS THEY ARE A BUNCH OF SPINELESS MEN AND WOMEN
SO WRITER WHO EVER YOU ARE, PUT UP YOUR NAME TO YOUR LETTER OR SHUT THE F$CK UP.
A send you want your devil government send people to take them out?? U better understand how evil these people are.
Latest polling…DWAYNE GEORGE leading Shugy Simon by 14 points.
LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR DWAYNE GEORGE and ABLP.
That’s all you have on the issue? You sound sad and dejected.
Lol….u ga cry in your car
Chet Greene is making his moves. You can feel it in the atmosphere.
This just laughable. Whomever wrote this no thing about the ABLP. The ABLP is a better and more united party than it’s ever been. Am no member of the ABLP just been following politics very young age. This by-election is not an easy run over like most people thinks. Dwane George has a much better chance in winning than samantha did.
You must realized that Dwane George have lots of person that would have never supported the ABLP “…and i know plenty of them, trust me.” rite now they doing so,..including the diehards ABLP supporters. This win can be for anyone. But i feel Dwane George going to win that seat by 5 or 6 vote very small margin.
Smart move the Priminister.
It’s politics folks.
Why do you think that these persons will suddenly support ALP through a hired gun at this time? I don’t understand your rationale.
In all the
silly season, and the lunatics braying their hee haws, one sobering thought comes to mind. GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL, NOT MAN! HIS WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN! AMEN!
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