Prime Minister Gaston Browne has responded to the United Progressive Party’s (UPP) selection of Sherfield Bowen as its candidate for St. Philip’s South in the next election.
According to Prime Minister Browne, Shawn Nicholas — who lost to Bowen by 18 votes — is a better prospect.
“That person, as you know, comes with a significant amount of political baggage and I don’t know how a political party would want to take on that level of baggage,” Browne said.
“That person, who had been a friend of mine from since the Lester Bird administration, would have approached me at least on two occasions, in 2014 as well as in 2018, to run, and I said to him that I was not willing to entertain him because of his baggage.
“If he didn’t have that kind of baggage I would say certainly. And inasmuch as I am not pronouncing on his guilt or innocence and the fact that he was exonerated, we all know the circumstances of that particular situation,” Browne added.
Emasculating female candidature
According to the Prime Minister, the situation highlights the whole issue of female participation and how political parties can emasculate female candidature.
“I am of the view that Shawn Nicholas is one of the few individuals within the UPP who has the type of competence and the integrity to serve, who obviously was just allowed to be emasculated,” he said.
“[She is] someone within the senior leadership of the UPP and should have been given the kind of support based on what she has to offer.
“The fact that she lost twice before really doesn’t matter. You have to look at the fact that she came up against Sir Robin, who controls one of our strongest seats and to displace Sir Robin is just difficult; and I don’t know that the two losses that she suffered before that anyone should use that to determine her capacity.
“I would imagine that the fact they were trying to shift her to St. Phillip’s South, the process should have been managed in such a way that she would have been given the full support to emerge as the victor,” the Prime Minister said.
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I am at a LOSS why the UPP would select such a CANDIDATE to represent US in St.PHILLIPS South. Sheffied Bowen has too many BAGGAGE.Harold Lovell should VETO this momination. SERPENT and BOWEN have too many BAGGAGE to go into election. ABLP will have a field day with these TWO Candidates. UPP is NOT serious of winning 2023 election. Now I can call 2023 election. ABLP all the way. UPP cannot form a CABINET with These candidates.UPP has now scraped the bottom of the barrel.
CHESTER HUGHES lacked the testicular fortitude to win the seat for the UPP. It takes a real man like Bowen to bring it home.
Linda P. You say Serpent have too many baggage.I think you should really take the time to look at your ABLP MP’s in Office at this time.Look at them individually and then collectively.And you have the gall to talk about baggage and Serpent.Has Serpent ever been accused of thiefing from the POEPLE.Have you ever listened to those IHI tapes?If not,perhaps you should.You would then see what baggage is all about.Serpent is going to win that Constituency of St.George’s.When your tap DAWG calls the elections.
Election will call in 2023 but guest what it’s going to be a clean sweep, you guys not getting in power , so cursing will not solve your problem, 28 yrs, tne people rejected you guys
“That person, who had been a friend of mine from since the Lester Bird administration, would have approached me at least on two occasions”
He WOULD HAVE approached Gaston or he DID approach Gaston?
Better yet just say, “he approached me…”
The grammar coming from the PM is atrocious.
@ GRAMMAR IS..
Such a FOOL you are…Teaching English lessons and your narrative is so ATROCIOUS.
Then arrest him, Grammar Police! You are being so pedantic that it isn’t even funny. In free flowing speech, grammar rules are broken all the time. The question is whether or not you understand the message being communicated. If the answer is yes there is no need to be a Grammar Nazi. Communication is all about sending and receiving messages, and if that effectively done move on.
Gaston putting on airs and trying to sound intelligent and sophisticated makes his sentences too complex and violates basic grammar rules.
Here’s the correction: “Mr. Bowen, who used to be my friend, approached me on at least 2 occasions…”
Simple and to the point.
Gaston is trying to make himself sound intelligent and he just sounds like a nincompoop with a weak grasp of the English language.
What does that have with communication and intelligence? We understand what the prime minister said. You need to live in old road to learn some real dialect and figure out where our ancestors came from.
He who is without sin, cast the first stone. All of us who were born was born with a whole lot a baggage…Sin… If God can forgive us of ours we can forgive others as well. The Honourable Dean Jonas came with some baggage from the UPP but we the ABLP took him in and he won largely, twice. Let the parties put who they want and we the people vote for who we want with guidance and wisdom from the Most High.
UPP will have to work extremely hard with these Candidates so far to win election. Awaiting to see the remaining five Candidates.
@ DIAMOND
I respect your comments but what I am saying ….. You try to enter an Election with Someone with least amount of BAGGAGE. We are talking about Someone who went to PRISON for murdering a Person. Please understand the GRAVITY of this charge. Alot of UPP members are not happy. Let face the facts.
R.I.P Tessa Barthley. The late Ms. Barthley is from the same constituency where Mr. Bowen will run.
UNDER THE RADAR I see that you did not identify yourself as a UPP supporter, however, you have indicated that a lot of UPP members are not happy with the candidacy of Bowen, all I will say to you the ultimate decision will be made on election day. Bowen will be a formidable candidate to beat in St. Phillip’s South, so I will just ask you and the unhappy UPP members to have some patience and wait until then.
How can you emasculate a woman? Does PM Browne know what emasculation means?? Anywya ya’ll say teaching English isn’t for us commentors so let me hush.
The PM sounds like an in imbecile half the time because he uses words he doesn’t understand and violates grammar rules frequently.
Just speak simply and truthfully. Full stop.
So anyone who went to prison should do what? The thing is he and the PM has a similar fetish the greener the better.
The real issue is the increased amount of ABLP opportunist on the UPP ticket. That is the alarming fact.
Errol Cort
Winston Williams
Elston Adams
Lamin Newton
Bertrand Joseph
Where will there commitment go? The ABLP will have ears in the Cabinet….How will Mr Lovell manage this keeping an eye on the turn coats and running country at the same time…..
Oh yes! For sure Lovell is the next PM. The people of this country will give him what he truly deserves.
Another humiliation at the polls
Bowen did appeal his sentence to a Higher Court and won.So what is the issue? He is not a convicted felon.
@mel to be fair how can you blame UPP for these guys switching sides. Out of the names you listed Error Cort was the biggest m
@ TABOR
Mr. Tabor you never want to face reality. What I am saying no Political Party want to enter an election with so many BAGGAGE. When I match up the CANDIDATES that UPP presented so far against the ABLP Candidates I cannot see where the UPP can win the election. I heard Peter Wickham echo these same sentiments. These UPP Candidates are much WEAKER than 2018. Tabor face the facts and help UPP present better Candidates.
Why the selection of Sheffield Bowen did not make HEADLINE news in the OBSERVER ? I heard Lovell will VETO Bowen nomination. What say you Tabor !!!!!
What is with the UPP and recuriting all these old washed up has beens. The UPP cant really be serious about getting back into power.
Neither candidate was feasible for the constituency. What vetting process is the UPP executive using as a baseline for potential candidates? Serpent now Bowen! One said “ I have to political aspirations.” Taking a life by violence is a terrible thing. I don’t know the full story why that action was taken but rumors talk of an evil deed. UPP leader. Wheel and come again. Wrong track. Wrong direction. Labor 17; UPP naught. Sad to say when you have a inept party in government.
Dictator Gaston at it again.
When Antigua sunk into the abyss, hope all you voters will be happy.
Gaston, how do you know that Shawn Nicholas will be a better candidate because of the baggage on Bowen? Do you know if Shawn has baggage? Wait, you never checked? Maybe you don’t want to see anything? BTW, you can’t tell UPP who to pick, because you will always choose the one you feel Weston could beat. The St Phillips South branch (not the people yet) has spoken. It is Bowen they want.
Miss Nicholas seems to lack patience. She sounds like JT Wentworth ad. She wants it and she wants it now. Why did she leave StPhillips North? Did she expect to beat Robin just like that. She has to do the work. Base on what my UPP friends tell me, she is not exactly a non-lazy person. Politics is hard work. Just going around and smiling won’t cut it. This is her chance to go and help reorganize the UPP as the general secretary. Stop trying to undermind Bowen in the constituency. She has lost. She must start to work. St Phillip wants Bowen, not Nicholas. Two more to go, not too late to try to get in one of them.
Sharn get tyadd a blow fram de man wid de cigar. Do you blame her for trying her luck elsewhere? We encourage victims of abuse to walk away from their perpetrators. So why should Shawn not follow suit? It’s only the lame spineless Lovell who is obsessed with being Melford banging post. Lovell is one politician who likes to be bruised and battered. Shawn has more sense than Lovell.
No surprise Tabor defending Bowen so hard. After all both of them are lawyers. Lawyers and politicians are some of the most wicked set of people in exitance. All of them ah the same. I don’t know who anyone and profess to be a christian and still is a lawyer or politician or aspiring politician.
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