The leader of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), Harold Lovell, Friday predicted that the party would win a majority of the 17 seats in the March 21 general election, reversing the defeat it suffered at the hands of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) in 2014.
Lovell, appearing on the state-owned television, did not say how many seats he believes the party, which lost by a 14-3 margin in the last election, would win.
He said a mock poll had shown “at best we are going to sweep the slate clean.
“So whichever way you look at it, I think it augurs well for the United Progressive Party and sufficient attention has not been paid to the fact that people came out and said they are supporting the UPP.
“But at the end of the day, let’s face it, there’s only one poll and that poll will be on the 21st of March,” Lovell said, dismissing suggestions that the ABLP had informed its supporters not to participate in the lock poll.
“I am not aware of that. One minister may have said they are not paying much attention to it, or something words to that effect. But the interesting thing is this is the fourth (mock) poll and the first two polls which were done when the UPP was in office, in fact, the second poll indicated that the ABLP would have won the elections…and the ABLP trumpeted that as indicative of what was likely to happen.
“Now if the Labour Party felt that this poll is going to show that they are not in a strong position then I can appreciate how they would try to pour cold water on it,” he told television viewers, adding that the mock polls were “only indicative snapshots at a particular point in time”.
Lovell, a former finance minister, who is leading the UPP into the general elections for the first time after succeeding former prime minister Baldwin Spencer as the leader, said the party is extremely happy with where it is right now going into the election later this month.
“We have a very successful launch on Sunday, the energy was there, we were very very pleased, it exceeded our expectations and in my view, the election will be won and this is borne out by our own internal polling, it will be won by the United Progressive Party..”
He said the internal polls show the party winning “a majority of the seats” but declined to give a figure.
He disagreed with the findings of a poll conducted by the Barbados-based pollster Peter Wickham that the ruling party would be returned to office with possibly the same amount of seats it won in the 2014 poll
“But we say we will win a majority,” said Lovell.
The UPP leader defended the socio-economic policies outlined by his party in the campaign for the elections, telling viewers when the UPP was in office on the last occasion the price of oil on the global market was US$120 a barrel. He said in addition, the collapse of the CLICO, British American insurance companies had resulted in millions of dollars being lost as well as the collapse of the Stanford empire following the arrest of its owner Allen Stanford, who has been jailed in the United States.
He said the ABLP administration had benefitted from a significant decline in oil prices but had not been able to show any tangible gains for the population.
Lovell defended the tax and other measures granted to the Sandals hotel here, in direct contrast to the position being adopted by the Gaston Browne government that is at loggerheads with the Jamaica-based international franchise.
“What we would do is go around the table and we would say to Sandals that we want you to build another hotel property in Antigua because since this government has come into office not one single hotel has been completed.
“What we would do is sit with them and come to a sensible arrangement which would allow them to deliver because that’s the bottom line. You see you just don’t give, you give to get and if you are going to get then you give, but if you are not going to get then you don’t give,” he told viewers.
Lovell defended the decision to reduce the price of energy and consumption taxes here, saying it would not follow the policy outlined by the government to write off the arrea4rs owed to the utility company by electricity consumers.
“When you put money in people’s pockets, people spend that money and by doing that you stimulate economic activity in the country and that’s how you get it back,” he said, adding that the UPP administration would also initiate policies to broaden the tax base.
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LMAO….21st of this month ABLP shall will the elections….If UPP by some miracle really get the people too follow their craziness then it will soon be revealed that the country cannot run with the cuts he proposing and he Harold knows this its jus the empty headed ones who really and truly believe this….Supporters Lovell win yall gonna be asking questions…How come tax still pan all the things Lovell say ga tek off..How come gas still the same etc..SMH..Poor blind souls who just hate ABLP because their parents and grandparents dont like them either….
But ABLP already ran to implement some of the UPP’s promises on removing ABST. So I guess it can actually be done, but would not have been done without the UPP suggesting it.
UPP predicting Victory
ABLP predicting Victory
DNA predicting Victory
True Labour?
Missing Link?
Go Green??
MR LOVELL,, HELP AWE NO JACK,, WE CAN’T FIND THE UNIVERSITY IN THE UK THAT THE PM GRADUATED FROM, Inquiry minds WANTS to KNOW, MORE LIES, MORE LIES
Mr. Lovell you are a true statesman. Despite the obvious hostility of the ABS host and the callers, you kept your cool. You are so different from the vagabond, the Cusser-in-Chief who called into Voice of the People. He lied. He lied. And lied again. He claimed that he never said that the CIP made 1 billion dollars. Really PM . It was in your advertisement. When you lie you should keep a diary. You might forget but recordings exist. Simply put-YOU FLAP.
He must be joking. With all due respect, the man must be living in la la land. He will not even come close to winning his own seat, muchless a majority. One or two UPPers might slip through in close races, but quite likely DNA will form the official opposition. Lovell will then resign as Leader of the UPP, and will be replaced by somebody more suitable to the party and the nation. The red flag will continue to fly proudly in this Great Land.
If Lovell so confident they going to take the majority of the seat why won’t he disclose them. He reply think that we are so stupid. What seats are you guys winning?.
Did ALP in 2014 say which seats they would win? Why would anyone disclose that externally? Be sensible about it.
THIS ELECTION WILL BE CLOSE BUT ABLP HAVE NO PLAN FOR THIS COUNTRY IMAGINE LOVELL THAT THEY SAY CANNOT RUN THIS COUNTRY CAME UP WITH SOME PLANS TO BETTER THE LIFE OF THE MASSES AND GASTON AND HIS PARTY STARTED TO CRY IT DOWN, ANYTHING TO BENEFIT POOR PEOPLE IS FIGHT DOWN BY THE ALP.HOW CAN YIDA NOT PAY ,HOW THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN JOLLY HARBOUR CAN GET AWAY WITH NOT PAYING TAXES ON GOODS THEY BRING IN AND THE COUNTRY CAN STILL SURVIVE THEN WHAT IS GASTON SAYING. ….THE ALP PARTY WANT PEOPLE TO COME CRYING TO THEM SO THEY COME UP WITH THIS AMNESTY PLAN TO PLAY LIKE THEM.DOING SOMETHING ……ALP HAS NO PLAN TIME TO VOTE THEM OUT……..THE MINISTER OF THE YEAR IS DANIEL AND HE WILL WIN THE SEAT HANDS DOWN LOVE THE FACT THAT HE LEFT HIS SAFE SEAT AND WENT TO BEAT THE DICTATOR
What a joker this guy is. He really think that him and his flushable waste of a party have a chance. Give me a break…can’t wait till the 21st so we can shut him down
Don’t hate the PLAYER, HATE THD GAME. YOU GUYS ARE SOLKE LOOSERS, MR LOVELL IS SUCH A CSLM INDIVIDUAL, MORE THAN WE CAN SAY FOR THE VAGABUN FOR A PM, WHEN UPP WIN THEY SHOULD START ARRESTING THEM FOR INCEST, HE’S CLASSLESS, CLUELESS & A LIAR, TELL US WHERE HE GRADUATED FROM? TIME TO START THR EXPANSION OF 1735
Well 12 days to go and the nonsense does not stop…clowns must works
I am now convince that Mr. Lovell have concluded that we Antiguans and Barbudans are duncy-bat, we suffer from Amnesia, don’t understand governmental affairs… it’s sickening…. Mr. It’s was the UPPITES that abolished PIT…by the way that is best way in letting the tax payer keep their money and spend it as they wish, we wouldn’t forget you, when you dismantle the middle class…..you can fool your acolytes but we are much smarter than 2004… We will show you and your blind followers that on the 21st that we’re not foolie anymore… Wait and see…..
I’m tired of getting my intelligence insulted!!! Sick an tired!!
If the UPP so confident why won’t he name the constituency the party going to win in. He really think that we foolie
Why not ask the PM and the ABlP why is it they have to buy peoples vote if they are so good?
The devil really have a hand in running the land.
I guess Lovell is referring to the Mock Election held by the Free and Fair Election League. Because I cannot understand that if you have a reputable poll that predicts you to win the next election that you will not make that information available. They did so in 2014 when the Casuro poll predicted they would win the election. This time around they are too secretive about everything. Not even a decent manifesto they can produce. Which speaks volumes, that their donors must have left them. Butch has sweet talk but Butch doesn’t put his money where his mouth is. He’s too cheap. And suddenly they claim billboards do not win elections. but they didn’t realize that last election when they had sneakers and all sorts of giveaways.
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