The results of the St. George primary should trouble every serious supporter of the United Progressive Party. Kelton Dalson emerged victorious with just nine votes, while Kem Riley and Buffy Kentish each secured two votes. Let that sink in.
Out of more than 260 registered Plus members, only 16 were deemed eligible to vote?
I delayed writing this article because the facts are frankly embarrassing. But silence helps no one, especially not a party that is visibly collapsing under the weight of its own dysfunction.
This is not a minor organizational hiccup. This is a glaring illustration of institutional decay. It represents the deterioration of the party’s internal democracy and exposes a level of calamitous incompetence within the current leadership structure that can no longer be explained away or defended.
When a political party cannot mobilize its own base, cannot properly maintain its membership rolls, and cannot conduct a credible primary, the problem is not the supporters; it is the leadership.
Under Giselle Isaac’s leadership, the UPP has drifted from being a serious political force to a shell of its former self. There is confusion instead of clarity, exclusion instead of engagement, and arrogance where there should be accountability. The St. George primary is not an isolated incident; it is a symptom of deeper rot.
At this point, one does not know whether to laugh, cry, or simply walk away from his own political party.
Hard questions must now be asked, starting at the top.
If Harold Lovell has no intention of challenging Jamal Pringle for the leadership of the party, then he needs to gracefully step aside and sit down. The party cannot afford permanent kingmakers who are unwilling to either lead or let go.
As for Jamal Pringle, the situation is even more stark. Leadership is about results, credibility, and momentum,none of which are currently evident. If the party continues to shrink, fracture, and embarrass itself under his watch, then the honorable course of action is clear, he should resign and go to the back of the pack.
The UPP cannot preach governance to the nation while failing at basic organization within its own ranks. You cannot claim readiness for national leadership while presiding over primaries decided by single-digit votes.
The St. George primary should be a wake-up call, but only if those in charge are willing to hear it. If not, then supporters must confront an uncomfortable truth: the greatest threat to the UPP today is not the opposition, but its own leadership.
And that is the most painful reality of all.
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is the ‘P” in the spelling.
I almost took the bait on another UPP hit piece; but all I’ll say on this matter, is that I can smell a snap General Election in the air, because with the recent works on the country’s infrastructures, the promises to pay outstanding salaries, overtime and backpay, and the unlimited increase in negative opinion pieces like this, suggests that something is more afoot.
I’m expecting Fitzroy to come forward with his negativity anytime soon…
@ Who is the author of this article.
Try scoring cheap political points but it will not work.
Well you should be happy for the poor leadership of the party, it will make it easier for Gaston to win the next election and continue the pain suffering and emabarrasment brought onto this country by his sinister ways and selfishness.
I hope you have an american VISA and can travel freely. The problem is not with the UPP but the fooling of the nation of people like you to focus on DISTRACTION TATICS.
well said
@Distraction tatics – As soon as a writer says what’s on their minds and it’s not in keeping with your party alignment, you all think it’s a lie or cheap tactics. Come on man, do you not see what’s happening to the party? Is it Gaston’s fault only 13 people voted? Some things are just as clear as day, yet it’s everybody else’s fault except UPP! We need better representation. Period!!! This CANNOT continue to be the norm. Let’s not be bias. It nah look good now! Me tiad a dem. Jeez man. Trust me, plenty plenty more people feel just like me.
I can agree that it is not the UPP party that is winning elections or garnering votes but individual UPP candidates and dislike/hatred/anger towards to opposing party. UPP is not at all working together and for each other at this moment. This makes it scary to have them leading the country (not saying ABLP is better), just speaking on my analysis of UPP. UPP should sit down together and truly pick leaders and a team that could win the government. A government that appears competent and is competent. The current make up of the UPP team will appear incompetent (based on some of the candidates) to lead an entire government.
Trusting someone to be an MP is different from trusting them to run the entire government. I think this is what UPP need to work on to win. I would doubt that any substantial part of the population would want the UPP to be in charge without changing some of the candidates and leaders they currently have. I think it is vitally important to include Attorney Bowen, Attorney Lovell, and other past leaders mixed with new ones to show to the public that seasoned and competent people exist in the party that can be trusted to govern an entire country. I do not think UPP has demonstrated this specific quality to the public yet. This is a goodfaith analysis of UPP and the people within the country.
LETTER: An Embarrassment Too Deep to Ignore: The UPP’s Leadership Has Failed… Again! – Antigua News Room https://share.google/X7jG8yE4tCJZw7fX2
This is what happens when the Lipstick Hag 💄 is allowed to CONTROL the UPP
@PC- SHUT thr hell up, if i were an executive member of the UPP I would rather lose the election than soliciting your vote.
I am not a Party person and as I have said on more than 1 occasion I have voted for both parties since I was 18yrs but more times for the PLM, UPP because I found ALP, ABLP too damn corrupt, but this thing with UPP no look good tarl, you all got to give a better show than what we are getting. Me till nar vote ABLP, that would be giving license to continue corruption
Ok then @FC, using your own wayward logic when you wail like a banshee:
“…do you not see what’s happening to the [UPP] party…”
Well FC, here’s some reverse psychology for you.
There’s a lot more wrong with the ABLP, among the most controversial is the lack of transparency over past and current finances; Members within the Cabinet are afraid to go against an autocratic leader; lobbyists have overtaken the power and authority of the voting public; 3-4 high profile murders on the island is still to be resolved, and also 2-3 more heinous homicides to come to our courts.
As you can witness, the opposition would rather be in their current position than ABLP’S.
You @FC, and other myopic supporters like you are so unpatriotic; and hate seeing our democratic process at work.
Let me know if you want me to let loose on more issues with the ABLP?
Pretty please… 👍🏾
FC …thts real facts i had tht same convo with my UPP coworkers..it’s very shameful same thg jumping here there and everywhere instead of acknowledging it’s shameful and they need to get thgs together…
Some real DUNCE EMPTYHEAD decisions on the part of the UPP boi
Candidates who are IGNORANT
Candidates who are LAZY
@Boss lady
yeah right, useful idiot
So is this fool saying that “The Judas” is better than Lovell for the position?
😂.
UPP never promised to win every seat, they promised that they will be a better and less corrupt government, and that all these mistakes and blatant mismanagement of the peoples purse would never be under there watch.
They promise to run a better, more transparent government, and I for one believe in their integrity over any of these silent crooks in the ABLP.
Like I’ve always said. ” I’ll choose a unlearned man any day over swindler with fancy words” because you can always train that unlearned man, because his heart is in a honest place, where the only place for a crook is behind bars where he belongs.
Jesus Christ was a carpenter, he didn’t go around in fancy clothes and talking slick to people..he told the truth and he was honest.
That he should be our standard bearer as leaders, not the likes of a corrupt person like these ABLP swindlers.
Not one damn thing said about the millions stolen in the car thief, and all of a sudden, these great men should be inspiration to lead us?
Y’all got to be stupid or gullible.
The current course of things in Antigua has to change, has to.
This is not the way forward, and I know the opposition has learned and has been tone def to the plight of the voters like these band of merry men.
Well said, I have said same myself. One exception, its actually funny to watch
@Distraction tatics you sound so ignorant. So, Gaston Browne caused 75 countries to lose the ability to apply for US visas? Do you honestly think that our PM or anyone in the opposition can influence Donald Trump or the US in anay way? They introduce a million dollar CIP program, but is targeting ours, or did you miss that? There is a much bigger picture. Please find something better to do with your time like stay on topic. The country desperately needs an opposition that is interested in leadership and not just power. An incompetent opposition is just as bad as any one party winning all of the seats in an election. We need new blood in both parties to move away from our current situation, not people just playing along party lines. The UPP is a fractured organization with people just as greedy as the ABLP. Two sides of the same coin. Let that sink in.
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