{"id":239739,"date":"2025-06-05T11:33:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=239739"},"modified":"2025-06-05T13:16:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T17:16:36","slug":"a-call-for-patriotism-over-poison-mp-anthony-smith-urges-upp-to-choose-nation-building-not-character-destruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/a-call-for-patriotism-over-poison-mp-anthony-smith-urges-upp-to-choose-nation-building-not-character-destruction\/","title":{"rendered":"A Call for Patriotism Over Poison: MP Anthony Smith Urges UPP to Choose Nation-Building, Not Character Destruction"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Call for Patriotism Over Poison: MP Anthony Smith Urges UPP to Choose Nation-Building, Not Character Destruction<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In every democracy, political parties have the right\u2014even the duty\u2014to challenge each other, debate ideas, and push the national discourse forward.<\/p>

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But there is a dangerous line that should never be crossed: the line where opposition turns into destruction, where political rivalry morphs into national sabotage.<\/p>

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It is with this deep concern and love for country that I, MP Anthony Smith, issue this heartfelt call\u2014not just as a parliamentarian but as a patriot\u2014to those in the United Progressive Party (UPP):<\/a><\/strong> the tactics of character assassination and deliberate national embarrassment must stop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the UPP is ever to be taken seriously as a potential government, it must shed its destructive instincts and recommit to a path of patriotic responsibility.<\/p>

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A History of Character Destruction\u2014Now Aimed at a Prime Minister<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have all now seen the recent<\/p>

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failed power play by the UPP<\/a><\/strong>. The quashing of the Alfa Nero subpoenas in a United States court didn\u2019t just vindicate Prime Minister Gaston Browne\u2014it exposed the UPP\u2019s elaborate scheme of lies, defamation, and foreign collusion.<\/p>

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Dozens of baseless allegations were made\u2014from fictitious claims that the Prime Minister is worth $700 million USD to laughable suggestions that he owns WIOC and National Housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These allegations weren\u2019t mistakes; they were deliberate attempts to mislead the public, tarnish a leader, and shame an entire country before the international community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when the U.S. courts ruled, it was clear: justice and truth prevailed over UPP deceit, treason, and political opportunism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I Know Their Tactics Firsthand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know what it\u2019s like. I was once in the UPP. I joined with the genuine belief that we could build a better nation. But when I sought to offer ideas, I was told to \u201cwait my turn; me just come\u201d\u2014not on merit, but because the senior policymakers and their inner circle had already decided who gets to lead and who gets sidelined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I spoke up, they tried to pull me down from every angle\u2014spreading false stories, attacking my character, and attempting to destroy the reputation I had worked hard to build as a young professional, in service of the people. I left because I could no longer support an organization where ego, envy, hate, and internal sabotage had become standard practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I am not alone. Others before and after me suffered the same fate\u2014Joan Messiah, Cleon Athill, Stuart Anthony, Damani Tabor, Dr. Edmond Mansoor. All of them, to one extent or another, were sidelined or slandered by a party that has shown no remorse for devouring its own, let alone respecting national leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now they have turned their destructive sights on the Honourable Gaston Browne, and worse\u2014on the very reputation of Antigua and Barbuda itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UPP Propaganda Has Hurt the Country, Not Just the Government<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The false claim of a \u201cmissing $10 million\u201d was their Trojan horse\u2014used to mask dozens of lies and attempt to manufacture scandal. That lie, and many others, have now backfired catastrophically. The court has rejected them, and the nation has seen through them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even more shameful was the billboard erected in Washington, D.C., during an official visit by Caribbean leaders\u2014a deliberate attempt to shame our Prime Minister and embarrass our country abroad. This was not \u201cactivism\u201d; this was sabotage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group behind this effort, allegedly created to help Antiguans abroad, now censors anyone who does not support the UPP agenda. If you are pro-Antigua but not anti-Gaston, you are kicked out of their chat group. Is this democracy? Is this who we are as a people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UPP Supporters Must Demand Better<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me be clear: the UPP has many good, patriotic supporters. I know this. I\u2019ve spoken with them. Many want better; many are tired of the venom. But they are being overshadowed by a dangerous faction\u2014a faction built on hate, orchestrated by a vindictive leadership, germinated from the demonic presence of its Chairwoman, Gisele Isaac, and carried out by senior figures who have long abandoned any sense of national responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not healthy opposition. This is political cannibalism\u2014and it must end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Call to the UPP: Let Us Disagree Without Destroying<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I call on current UPP leaders to reflect. Do you want to govern this nation or tear it down? Are you willing to put Antigua and Barbuda first, or will you continue to engage in the politics of personal destruction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the UPP wants to move forward, it must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n