Letter to the Editor
Stop the lie about Harold Lovell and Joanne Massiah
To say that the UPP kicked out Joanne Massiah because she challenged Harold Lovell for leadership is a BIG LIE.
It is time to stop the lie. I am no longer a member but I remember how things went down.
Lovell proposed that Joanne make a bid for the leadership because he had lost. The party did not approve. The party felt she was not ready and that he should continue to lead the party. She was not happy with that position because as she said “she won her seat and he lost his”.
Lovell went back in the game because the party insisted. She could have read the tea leaves and thrown in with him. She would have taken over after him. However, she listened to her friends in the ALP who buttered her up and advised her to run against him.
When the leadership race started, she was losing big time to Lovell in the four branches they contested. At a general council meeting to present the two teams to the membership, she cried foul, took her team, walked out and stayed outside with the most terrible conduct. Against the wishes of some senior members, Lovell and his advisors met with her to patch things up, but the meeting was inconclusive.
She became sour and she and her team began a reign of resistance to the party. After a long period, the party had no choice but to expel her for the unsavory things she was doing like walking out of meetings, giving negative media interviews about the party, recording party meetings and posting them on air, etc.
Imhoff was a disciple of Massiah. She was brought to the party by Massiah. She had plenty attitude and made sure everyone knew how much she thought of herself. After Massiah left, she was a UPP primary candidate for St Peter. After losing badly, she threw a tantrum and left and joined Massiah’s party. Of course, she was not happy there too and left.
It is interesting to note that if Joanne was still in UPP and she was over where she is now, if she Imhoff would have been so accommodating to her.
Back then the UPP was so hung up on getting women in the party leadership that it moved hastily and made a lot of mistakes trying to do this. They let the Labour Party sucker them into this by saying they do not like women in their party. This was furthest from the truth. The dilemma was getting women who could deal with the politics Labour Party style and win.
It is time the men review the mistakes made doing this and take a hard, long honest look at the right way this should be done to get better parity. The gap that Gisele Isaac filled was left gaping open because the party did not know how to achieve meaningful accommodation. Isaac walked in, cleaned house and set out her own furniture and tea set.
At present, it looks like the men are on the back burner. The old guard leadership seems to have thrown up its hands trying to find a clinical way to tame Isaac and her minions.
That is not good for the UPP nor the call for good leadership to achieve governance in the next general elections.
King Truth
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The letter seems truthful from what I have heard from UPP insiders. However, the biggest problem with the UPP now is not just Jamale Pringle as leader but worse Gisele Isaac as Chairman. She lacks the political sense and personal skills to be leading a political party. The problems facing the party now are mainly due to her and of course Pringle’s weakness. Harold’s weakness also allowed her to become the Wrecking Ball that she has become. At this point she is completely useless to the UPP. The weakling Harold should have realized that but I understand he usually deferred to her positions.
@ King Truth, you must know by now the ABLP playbook at the run-up to any by-election is to distort the truth, make untold and unworkable promises to the gullible electorate.
And do not forget that similarly to the last General Election, when many bellies are full with ham and turkey after Christmas & New Year, let us not fail to recall Gaston Browne’s crowning glory in garnering votes, will be his One Nation concert – and bingo, the clown Prince wins again.
WHEN WILL THE REST OF THE COUNTRY SEE THROUGH THESE TRANSPARENT FOOLISHNESS?
Remember, the higher Gaston climb he tree, the more he show he tail.
it’s great to be back after my sabbatical 😉
Brixtonian ‘Better Than Ever’ ✊🏾
If Harold was not a flip-flopping spineless coward, none of the 3 acrimonious conventions would have taken place. How many times can one man quit then come back?
The man just can’t ever make up his mind. In today. Out tomorrow. Back in the next day AFTER the person he asked to run to succeed him followed his wishes. The same BS happened to both Joanne and Richard.
Ultimately Harold Lovell had 75% destroyed UPP with poor leadership and the Pringle Puppet is finishing off the job.
Selah!
Hog wash…Harold Lovell was lucky he wasnt disavowed and cast out after he challenged Baldwin. After the tissue paper assertion. Begged forgiveness but had to abandoned those who supported him…. after the called ahim a communist.
He had to pledge ” win, lose or draw ..since they hot wind that there might be a break away.. its no secret.
Anybody in Antigua & Barbuda who thinks that Harold really honestly lost to Melford need to have their heads examined, remember we were told how people were transferred into certain constiuencies. I believe Harold was a casualty of that
@Leadership Matters you are 100℅ correct. When the history of the UPP is written Harold will have to take much of the blame for the present decline in the position of the party. He had so much potential but is a weakling and allowed people like Gisele Issac to get away with murder. Damani Tabor who was an insider captured the issue most correctly with Harold’s stupid philosophy that there is an “I” in Team. That idiocy was part of his downfall.
Eh eh. Brixy is back!
@ Born & Bred Antiguan, you are putting the rest of us to shame with your nonsense. Pity you can’t be deported!
Go back to Canada Lovell!!! You done enough DAMAGE TO ANTIGUA!!
@ BRIXTONIAN
Welcome back. You got so many blows that you went in hiding. Hope you have been reading the DOWNFALL of your UPP. Anyways welcome back for more blows.
I am happy you are back before the BY-ELECTION.
If during the leadership selection the constitution of the UPP party was followed then those that gripe over loose are not worthy of leadership. If D. Gisele Isaac became chairman of the UPP , then nothing is won.
I don’t consider Richard Lewis a good leader. He is not charismatic. He has no appeal and not a likable person.
UPP doesn’t have a Charismatic Leader, that command the support of the of the UPP supporters. At this point on the other hand Gaston Brown commands the support of the entire ABLP executive, all MO’s , all branches, the entire ABLP supporters.
He is also respected by a large amount of the independents, a good amount UPP supporters and the business community.
Shugy was rising fast as a charismatic politician, however after his second he has gone into hiding.
Funny the By-elections brought out a nice hope for the UPP diehard and those of us that want to see a good opposition. Surprisingly George Whenner is the one responsible for this. He is running a remarkable campaign. Don’t think he will win because of the infighting in the UPP party. However this by-elections show that UPP can rebound.
😂. From all the foolish comments on here by these laborites, you would think that it’s the UPP party that has been in office for the past ten years.. 😂.
News flash to all you fools..it has been the dictator Gatson Browne who has been in charge, the same man who do whatever he pleases,and answer to know one. This same PM who tear gas his own people,and almost ran Antigua to the ground with his terrible decisions in COVID.
The same PM who brought in 1000 so-called African businessmen, who simple disappeared into thin air after their arrivals. The same PM who continues to show confidence in these corrupt Nigerians, with back door deals with Antigua Airways and now Air Peace.
The same PM who refuses to clean up his Capital and continues to sellout the prime lands to selfish investors like the Chinese,with all these treaties he signed with them.
This man is not about Antiguan’s interest, and have clearly gotten rich from these backdoor deals, like the Alpha Nero and the Antigua Airways debacle.
But the strategy here is clear by this corrupt government, to set the focus on UPP so the citizens of Antigua will stay blind to their ineptitude.
All now not one drug dealer has been arrested for the amount of drugs that has come into this island. Not one person has been arrested for all the illegal guns coming in. He even have a sellout in Dwayne George who conduct illegal business at the port for his friends.
And oh, no arrest or closure to the families of all these unsolved murders.
Instead he continues to lie to the people and making deals with so-called gangs.
But yet you will think that’s it’s the UPP that’s in governance in this country..
Stop falling for the “slight of hands” tricks people..this government has not been doing their jobs for the past 10 years, and have gotten rich in the process.
And oh, I would not be surprised one bit if someone hands are dirty in the assassination of Asot Michael. Why would anyone even want to kill a MP with no motives at all? Huuumm!
I would like to read even just once of how Gaston is destroying the politics of Antigua and Barbuda and not this glowing endorsement of the nonsense that is happening to us under his leadership.
Now, it’s a myth that Gaston is a good and respected leader. He is really a transactional leader and not much else. Worse, he has no qualms using the resources of the state in furtherance of his ambitions. If you don’t believe, let him take away the enrichment schemes he continues to allow to family and friends; let him work with respect for our traditions and norms and ;let him put Antiguans first and not constantly coming up with schemes that he feels will benefit him politically above all else. Imagine being a leader who “everyone”:loves only for what they can get. Thing is, he really doesn’t care because he is using state resources and not his own. But, how long can this go on? I am sure that is a question that haunts Gaston daily. At some stage their will be nothing to give to maintain favour, then the entire facade will be exposed. Where will all those who are praising Gaston he at that time? Oh, they will be praising the new flavour, who will be giving them more.