{"id":246992,"date":"2025-08-19T09:59:47","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=246992"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:59:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:59:48","slug":"astaphan-questions-lovells-political-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/astaphan-questions-lovells-political-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"Astaphan Questions Lovell\u2019s Political Comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Astaphan Questions Lovell\u2019s Political Comeback<\/strong><\/p>

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Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan has cast doubt on the United Progressive Party\u2019s (UPP) decision to welcome back former leader Harold Lovell, who recently announced his intention to contest the All Saints West seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astaphan said he was surprised by Lovell\u2019s return, arguing that the UPP should have turned to \u201cnew faces, new voices\u201d to attract younger voters. He criticised the party for clinging to what he described as \u201can old message\u201d that may no longer resonate with the electorate.<\/p>

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Lovell, who retired from politics in 2023 after a narrow defeat in St John\u2019s City East, said he was persuaded to return following calls from supporters and former caretaker Barbara Coates. Political analyst Peter Wickham has expressed optimism about Lovell\u2019s chances, noting shifting dynamics after Anthony Smith\u2019s departure from the UPP.<\/p>

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But Astaphan questioned Lovell\u2019s track record, recalling his tenure as finance minister during the IMF bailout, and drew a sharp contrast with Prime Minister Gaston Browne\u2019s handling of crises such as the pandemic and Barbuda recovery. He also suggested speculation over Lovell reclaiming leadership would be a test for the party.<\/p>\n

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Astaphan Questions Lovell\u2019s Political Comeback Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan has cast doubt on the United Progressive Party\u2019s (UPP) decision to welcome back former leader Harold Lovell, who recently announced his intention to contest the All Saints West seat. Astaphan said he was surprised by Lovell\u2019s return, arguing that the UPP should have turned to \u201cnew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":232613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAstaphan Questions Lovell\u2019s Political Comeback - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/astaphan-questions-lovells-political-comeback\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Astaphan Questions Lovell\u2019s Political Comeback\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Astaphan Questions Lovell\u2019s Political Comeback Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan has cast doubt on the United Progressive Party\u2019s (UPP) decision to welcome back former leader Harold Lovell, who recently announced his intention to contest the All Saints West seat. 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