Nicholas says “so be it” if vaccine mandate costs the ABLP the next election

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Cabinet Spokesman Melford Nicholas said the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) government would stand behind its vaccine mandate even if it costs the party the next election.

The government said it was confident it would win any legal challenge brought against its policy that requires public sector workers to take the COVID-19 vaccine or go home without pay beginning October 1.

He said the government stance was informed by the welfare of the country.

“We do not have the opportunity to, having used up all of the available resources, all of the available credit, all of the available goodwill that we would have had to keep public servants employed and to keep services going to the public, to be able to see another tourism season that gets wiped out again.

“We just have nowhere else to turn and we are not going to preside over a failed state,” Nicholas told journalists at the Cabinet media briefing on Thursday.

The government is scheduled to face the polls in about 18 months.

“We have an election coming up in 2023, if at the end of the day having traverse this most egregious period of COVID and we get into a situation next year where we turn the economy around and we get people back to working and people still have resentment for the measures that we have had to take now and it results in our political losses, well, then, so be it,” Nicholas said.

“Each of us has made that commitment to the Prime Minister and in Cabinet and we’ve said so in parliament and I hereby reiterate that now,” he added.

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35 COMMENTS

  1. Really, all a you too dam wicked to take away the people’s livelihood. No measure of love for the poor. Fire them for not wanting to vaccinate but pay them for them years of Service not starve them and their children because Fu all you one year old is a millionaire. WICKED PEOPLE.

    • And JUST SAYING so will it be. However, there are many other reasons why the electorate will get rid of the ALP other than the vaccine mandate.

  3. Don’t ALP, we are behind you always,you keep the economy open,we still have a job, and many people are recovering… thanks

    • That’s why there’s so much covid. And talk for yourself cause nobody behind them they are selfish. And I see Gaston love social media so no body can tell me that he not seeing the fact that the vaccine aren’t effective yet still pushing it on people…it’s just what he means to do. He gonna definitely stand behind the mandate now so he can make as much money out of yall before he loses next election? He should do us all a favour and call election early like he did before.

  4. A life is worth is worth more than winning an election. If there are no lives then there can’t be any election. And if there is no election there can’t be any victory. So the question is ” what comes first, the chicken or the egg ” The question can apply to what comes first protecting a life or winning an election…… The wise ones will do the right thing and act responsibly… That is to vaccinate!!

    • You vaccinated right? So if you’re “protected” you don’t need to worry about anybody else. You had your choice and so does everyone else. The vaccine is not effective so there is no need for people to take it but like I said, it’s THEIR CHOICE. The more people take the vaccine, the more covid we’ll get and that’s a fact.

  5. Ah now the creative enrichment gawn start…25 million usd and one year before they go. I want some of you to stay cause you must feel the fall out.

  6. I’m young man and I can tell you for a fact that a whole lot of young folks are not in your corner ..
    I don’t know one young person in my age group that will vote for ALP not even one .
    The anger they speak with is unreal.
    That’s a uphill battle and serious problem.
    The old guards will do what they do best and vote traditional but ,when the young generation is in question that’s huge prob

  7. Translation: We will have made the necessary financial investments at the end of our tenure therefore losing the next election may affect us to some degree, but the at the end of the day we and ours will be financially stable until our death. However, I cannot say the same for those who will harbor resentment for our actions during the pandemic, their lot and kin may eat the crumbs from our respective tables if they so desire.

  8. Well said Melford, country first. The historical record eg 911, shows that persons reward government for giving foremost respect for their security. Fact is the major reason why nations are created is for security. This crazy idea that government should allow what makes us stronger to be weakened by covid illness (and in too many cases deaths), must be rebuffed. Airlines will tell you, when a plane is in danger of crashing, first secure yourself…

  9. “Each of us has made that commitment to the Prime Minister” Information Minister.

    What of the commitment you all made to the people that elected you,,,,to be their voice,,,to represent they?

    • “Each of us has made that commitment to the Prime Minister” Information Minister.

      This reminded me of Allan Stanford and Leroy King.

      It certainly seems cultish to me (as if they had to swear to a man).

  10. @WTF my sentiments exactly!! I thought governments were elected to serve the people but it appears that the ABLP Members only serve the PM and each other.

    • Yup that’s all they do. They getting some money in their pockets too so off they’d be his puppets. I’m worried for this country honestly

  11. Issue is that the UPP will do exactly the same thing that the ABLP is doing now. All they plan on doing is “educating”. They have no future plan to deal with COVID.

  12. UPP’s positions: very softly: I think persons should be vaccinated.

    VERY LOUDLY!: IT IS WICKED AND INHUMANE AND UNGODLY TO MANDATE VACCINATIONS AND FORCE PEOPLE TO PUT THINGS IN THEIR BODY! I wonder which voice the ignorant will hear…..

    I am sure most of the smart ones in the hierarchy are vaccinated but they sense the reluctance in the foolish and ignorant are are willing to sacrifice a few of their lives to get those votes.

    The peach was the party’s position that Gaston undermined confidence in vaccination “BECAUSE HE TOOK THE VACCINE”?????

    • Didn’t Gaston Browne say that people would not be forced to take a vaccine that they didn’t want to take, but that they would be subjected to regular testing at a price that began at $100 then $50 and ended up at $0?
      Unfortunately I can’t recall the volume at which that statement was made, whether loudly or a whisper!!

  14. In the meantime covid19 is slowly destroying our economy. Please vaccinate so that we can get our lives back.

    • @ Wadad 1 you sound like a fool educate yourself there’s no excuse to sound that stupid
      Name one country that got it’s life back from Covid

    • It’s so sad that you’ve drunk the Kool Aid. People the world over have been lied to about Covid and the jabs. Initially it was a rational choice. But when the facts change or new info comes to light people need to adapt accordingly. We now know the jabs fade, are dangerous, and won’t work to stop persons catching or spreading the Fauci sponsored Chyna virus. In fact the jabs make things worse. Ivermectin and HCQ protocols however do work. Unfortunately there is no money in repurposed drugs for big pharma, the media, and corrupt politicians.

  15. Problem is, we don’t have a competent opposition. So there is no threat to the election. Upp gone back to the old days of being irrelevant. So, more ABLP ot will be…

    • Well, we just have to vote UPP in power, give them a chance and prove them. Nothing beats a failure but a try.

  17. Am sure those who are vaccinated don’t know wats going on in their body, mi start catch fish and mi have couple banana tree, my household going to stand fast, we can’t go bk to work until we take the jab, and we ain’t taking it…. We have rights… Everyone can’t runs and take the jab someone have to live to tell the tales.

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