Dear Editor,
The United Progressive Party’s (UPP) rally in St. Peter last night was, quite frankly, a lackluster display that raises serious concerns about the party’s momentum and support ahead of the by-election.
Reports from those in attendance indicate that the turnout was extremely poor—a stark contrast to the energy and enthusiasm the UPP has tried to project.
Notably, the party’s social media channels conspicuously avoided showing the crowd, an omission that speaks volumes.
In politics, rallies are more than just speeches and slogans; they are a barometer of grassroots support and a way to energize the base.
The failure to attract a significant crowd suggests that the UPP is struggling to connect with voters in St. Peter, a constituency they cannot afford to lose.
It’s even more telling that the party chose not to acknowledge or address this visibly low turnout.
This weak showing raises questions about the UPP’s strategy and organization.
Are voters disengaged due to a lack of compelling leadership or messaging?
Is the party doing enough to address the real concerns of constituents, or are they relying too heavily on rhetoric that no longer resonates?
The UPP must take this poor turnout as a wake-up call. If they cannot rally supporters in St. Peter, a key battleground, it signals potential challenges across the country.
The party needs to reflect on its current approach, engage more meaningfully with voters, and present a clear and actionable vision for the future.
If the UPP fails to address these issues, it risks being relegated to political irrelevance.
A rally may be just one event, but its implications for the party’s viability in this by-election and beyond are impossible to ignore.
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizen
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50 people at a UPP byelection rally, down from the embarrassing 100 in All Saints West, signals an even greater problem.
Not even UPP supporters in party branches could be convinced to come out.
While we already know that the nation at large has rejected the failed leadership of Jamale and Gisele, failure to inspire even the most hardcore blue coolaid drinkers proves conclusively that the UPP is in a death spiral.
Is this an ideal situation for democracy? No. However the UPP have only themselves to blame.
I found it rather suspicious that the big woman operating the camera never showed the crowd
Why would they show the crowd and there wasn’t any crowd. Make it make sense!
To Concerned Citizens and Leadership Matters.
When is the ABLP’s rally? When they show a so-called poor turnout, will we see a stream of anonymous letter writers and commentators flooding these media with their verminous paid opinions? Social media and other new communications technology have surely reduced people’s appetite to leave home at night to attend meetings they can enjoy in the comfort and safety of home. Not to mention how the actions of the UPP infidels and paid ABLP destabilizers have indeed affected the morale of the UPP. Fact is, after the UPP showing at the last 2 elections, the ABLP went into such a panic about losing power imminently, they went into overdrive to do EVERYTHING possible to ruin UPP and rebuild their lost support. Nothing was ruled out — bribes, contracts to turncoats, assassination, overload of media deception. Everything to hold the rotten ABLP crumbling structure together. In a small nation of poor people such tactics may be successful, for a time. But when the masses finally awake and understand that it’s all a charade, that their best opportunity of halting ABLP plunder, pillage, looting of our patrimony, selling off our lands for kickbacks from international criminals, mismanaging our finances and government institutions — when the sleeping dunces finally understand …. Wow! All hell will break loose … UPP or no UPP to save them!!
To Concerned Citizen and Leadership Matters.
When is the ABLP’s rally? When they show a so-called poor turnout, will we see a stream of anonymous letter writers and commentators flooding these media with their verminous paid opinions? Social media and other new communications technology have surely reduced people’s appetite to leave home at night to attend meetings they can enjoy in the comfort and safety of home. Not to mention how the actions of the UPP infidels and paid ABLP destabilizers have indeed affected the morale of the UPP. Fact is, after the UPP showing at the last 2 elections, the ABLP went into such a panic about losing power imminently, they went into overdrive to do EVERYTHING possible to ruin UPP and rebuild their lost support. Nothing was ruled out — bribes, contracts to turncoats, assassination, overload of media deception. Everything to hold the rotten ABLP crumbling structure together. In a small nation of poor people such tactics may be successful, for a time. But when the masses finally awake and understand that it’s all a charade, that their best opportunity of halting ABLP plunder, pillage, looting of our patrimony, selling off our lands for kickbacks from international criminals, mismanaging our finances and government institutions — when the sleeping dunces finally understand …. Wow! All hell will break loose … UPP or no UPP to save them!!
Bets are on he would not get 300 votes in St. Peter stood a better chance with the baller he did not had the baggage like this joker so its just symptoms as Chet predicted they could have never found to representatives as Pringle predicted so it would be a Turner victory all the way. Any bets
So sad they couldn’t get 100 people at that so it definitely means a devastating blow to Them next week he was not ready for this so impromptu to scrape the barrel and come up with him he never built or manage anything now as a driver you can’t do any thing for the people no resources flat broke and looking for a handout would not cut it with the people
@Rankimg Rule a political party does whatever it has to to win or stay in power. If the UPP is not doing that to win power or whatever it is doing is not resonating with the masses it means it has to change its strategy. I was at the UPP rally in Parham on Thursday night and it was so shameful with the turnout. Compare that rally to those in St. Mary’s South by-election. What is the flipping difference? The hard headed people that is in the leadership of the UPP better reflect and take note. As I see it at this point, the UPP is slowly sliding into oblivion. How can Baldwin Spencer and Harold Lovell stand by and watch this slide? Do they have no say in what is happening with the Party? Have they been completely emasculated by Gisele Isacc and her incompetent leadership, NOT TO MENTION Jamale Pringle the leader?
@Ranking Rule. If the ABLP structure is crumbling and they are able to demonstratw such strength, what say you of the UPP solid structure thst could not turn out 30 members to a public rally? Not even the diehard UPP supporters are inclined to show any oublic support for this soon to be irrelevant party.
“A political party does whatever it has to to win or stay in power”. Hey, Political Observer, you really believe that do you? That’s the kind of totally demonic thinking that has ruined lives and nations throughout history. It’s the thinking of criminal megalomaniacs and lunatics that people have been stupid or careless enough to have allowed to take control of the reins of their government. Sounds like a pretty and clever statement to you doesn’t it? It’s the kind of thinking that gives rise to leaders like Hitler Stalin Amin Netanyahu Gaston, and all the other tyrants that have wasted the lives of people and nations throughout history. For them, to plunder steal kill oppress are just “whatever it takes to win and keep power”. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. That Antigua has produced “Political Observers” who think like you shows the depths of hell that politics and political thought and practice have descended to under the tutelage of the ABLP demons that have seized power in our country !!
This wasn’t even a rally in support of an incumbent, but rather to welcome and introduce the latest draftee to the would-be voters!!! What a snub!!! Does this indicate that the rank and file membership in the UPP is not in favour of this pathetic choice, George the gun-man Wehner? If his own people clearly reject him, how in the name of basic commonsense do you expect others to? I’m just tired of the UPP Comedy Show! It’s sad, boring and STIFFLING!
Ranking Rule is another UPP delusional mad man or woman.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Who wants to bet that the ABLP walkthrough this afternoon has more crowd than the UPP mega rally?
ABLP leaders are surely rejoicing to see such delusion taking hold of a once competitive party.
As a previous commenter said, what is the difference between the Shugy byelection and St. Peter? The Shugy crowds were great by any measure. That failed Parham rally was not even half of that. Not a quarter of that. Not even a tenth of what Shugy got. But to the insane posse leading UPP this indicates NOTHING!
Clear evidence of decline and disengagement among even their strong supporters is staring them in the face, yet mad people in UPP reassure us “all is well!” and UPP is “STRONGER THAN EVER!”
You cant make this s*** up! Great.
To UPP I say: don’t change a damn thing! Jamale Pringle forever! F*** Richard Lewis. F*** Shugy. NEVER change the leader. Jamale Pringle is the next Baldwin Spencer! Black Panther to the world! Keep driving the UPP to rot and ruin with your idiocy and magical thinking.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Now it will be up to the ABLP and all us citizens to collectively ensure continued progress and good governance even without any credible opposition.
Pringle told Burford that “the UPP is stronger than ever and a force to be reckoned with”
@Ranking Rule I see that you completely misunderstood my point about a political party doing whatever it takes to win or stay in power. I am not taking about dictatorships, I am taking about democratic societies that abide by the Rule of Law. If the ABLP is employing strategies to ruin the UPP, why the hell is the UPP not doing things as well to ruin the ABLP. This is not Sunday School, It is politics and politics is like war. The docile UPP and its even more docile leadership needs to wake up. Tell the UPP to wake up from its slumber.
Can someone please purchase a mirror for the UPP.
@Political Observer, do not retreat from your stupidness by suggesting I misunderstand your point. I understand you perfectly. Please note that politics and war are not synonyms. Yes, for some unscrupulous and unprincipled politicians, “politics IS like war”. But in truly democratic societies the practice of politics is guided by recognized and accepted principles of civil, civic and responsible engagement where various interest groups compete for the opportunity to manage the governance of the state; and that opportunity must be freely given or withdrawn by the citizens exercising an unfettered mandate in truly free and fair elections. Further, tyrants may arise within both democratic and undemocratic states. For example, Israel touts itself as being the only democratic state in the Middle East. Yet, who doubts that Netanyahu is the most bloody, genocidal tyrant of modern times? Hitler came to power thru fair and free elections. By it’s flawed constitution, Antigua and Barbuda is a democracy. Yet it’s leader is a tyrant wedded to the ABLP’s long held notion that it is a “heritage party” that, by whatever means, should enjoy perpetual rule over Antigua and Barbuda. So, dear Political Observer, our politics, for best results, must be pursued on the basis of mutual respect and fairplay, and not with the attitude that “all is fair in war”!
@Ranking Rule perhaps you need to read the works of Carl Von Clausewitz and you will appreciate the similarity between war and politics. Anyway, the point is political parties are vying for State power and in doing that they try to undermine and score political points against their opponent. That is all a part of the cut and thrust of politics. We don’t expect that political parties should engage in violence and all kinds of unlawful and unscrupulous activities in their fight for State power. However, my initial position is that if one political party is using certain strategies against their opponent that is effective, then the other side need to find strategies to counter. It would appear that in Antigua’s political landscape the ABLP is hammering and undermining the UPP and the UPP is not doing much to counter. The UPP appears to be a very dormant Opposition as compared to an ABLP in Opposition. That is the issue Ranking Rule. Yes politics should be pursued fairly but the mutual respect part might be a pipe dream.