Prime Minister Gaston Browne has voiced concern over a pre-independence protest organised by the opposition.
Browne said an opposition group calling themselves ‘Faithful Nationals,’ want to hold a demonstration on the eve of independence, this coming Thursday.
“I am also aware to that they intend to be disruptive,” Browne said.
He said he was told that Algernon “Serpent” Watts, an opposition figure, “publicly stated that he would need people to bail him.”
“Now if he is literally projecting some violation of the laws of Antigua and Barbuda…I think this is a form of destructive politics,” Browne said.
The prime minister said while he welcomes difference of opinion on a variety of issues, “when you going to be destructive to try and tear down the country that is where I draw the line.”
“The whole idea that they want to become king and queen of the ashes when the country has been burned to the ground, those efforts must be resisted,” he said.
Browne said he is in favour of a strident opposition, “however a strident opposition should operate within the confines of the law.”
The country’s prime minister said “I just want to appeal to Serpent and others that they ought to respect our independence.”
He added, “I do not think that on the eve of our independence the 31st of October is an appropriate time for any form or protestation.”
“We must respect it especially from the standpoint that our fore-bearers had to fight for 400 years to achieve Independence.”
“And for us to treat their efforts with contempt and to be divisive when we should be celebrating the successes, sweat blood and tears of our forebears, I think that is the level of maturity we need to see from members of the opposition.”
Meantime, Browne has poured cold water on an opposition march last week, he said “the march last week was a monumental failure, I remember telling a number of people that the march was unlikely to succeed because it was based on slandering myself and a number of my family members.”
The opposition said this week that its second march in an many weeks it to protest “rampant mismanagement and corruption by the ABLP administration while we the people suffer.”
They have outlined two major demands of the ABLP administration:
1. The immediate resignation of Radford Hill as Chairman of the Integrity Commission.
2. A full inquiry into the Customs corruption scandal, which has allegedly put one Customs Officer’s life at risk.
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The demands sound reasonable. All he has to do to stop the march is address those two things. It’s time to take the country back.
We took back control with election 2 years ago. UPP only got 1 seat
Control only to corrupt it again?? You better take stock. The PM has already admitted that we are a minority in our country and you don’t become a majority once you become a minority. We do not have the control you think we have and our politicians are to blame.
Leading up to the 2004 election you guys run on the same topic. Corruption of the Labour Party. Then you guys spend 10 years and millions of dollars to prosecute and lock up labour party politicians. And while doing so you guys bankrupted the country and corruption was shown in every deal. I mean their are too many projects to mention. The fencing scandal. the WPP, the 10 million per mile roads, the spending of over 1 billion on roads and jelly bean sidewalks in St. John’s and of course all the UPP suddenly became home owners and drive big SUV’s and other blinks thy never had before. Their only safe and grace is that the PM has sad he will wast any government money to go after them. Safe from the buses that was not initiated by his government, but a routine audit by the Director of Audit. And that is blatant corruption.
Have you never even heard of the global recession that rocked even the great USA? And, now there is no recession, the UPP CIP which all of you fought against, low world gas price while we continue to pay the high gas price, and yet we have:an empty treasury, late or no pensions and salaries etc etc. You should be ashamed to even mention UPPs recession term compared to now.
Political corruption is a word that should never come out of the mouth of any member or supporter of the UPP ,you all took corruption to another Level.. Time for you’ll to sit to hell down,shut to hell up and thank God that you all are still walking freely on the outside.
,give some facts. Who creatively enriched themselves? Who grabbed any lands? What was the UPPs equivalent of NYAMCO?
See, its easy to speak of corruption but with ABLP its all real.
Take the country back? How and when? Hope you are not relying on the 2000 Picketers from last week.Remember you have to divide that by 17 constituencies.. You people are so drunk for power ,that you’ll are getting delusional..
Prime Minister is correct . This is a total disrespect for our Nation. They realize that the March was a TOTAL failure now They are preaching violence . Serpent and the others on the Snake Pit plus Observer Radio now realize that according to Joanne Messiah that They are a bunch of noises on the radio. Loud noises do not win election.GLADYS POTTER , CLEON ATHILL , KNIGHT ,SERPENT et AL will be making noises for the next 30 years. They are a total FAILURE. God bless Hon. Gaston Browne.
It was not a failure for me one bit
So true
Cause you are an idiot.
Rupert”Girly”Mann:
Since when marching for a cause is disrespecting the Nation?Gaston Browne and his band of merry men.They did march and protests every day.They picketed the Chinese Embassy in Paradise View.He kicked down the Social Security Office door.Now you are saying it is not respectful to march the day before Independence.That march last week was not a failure.This coming Thursday we would be marching again.Keep on eating at the trough like pigs.One day that trough from which you eat would be empty.Then what? Roddy Hill that I have known since school days.He is a good person.However,he should step away from that Integrity Committee,on his own.Do not wait around to be forced out.He is to close to the Prime Minister and his family.As a private lawyer and be on that Commission.There seems to be a conflict of interest.
By the way I heard a recording with Mr. Wilmoth Daniel talking about Serpent. What a shame..Serpent is a total DISGRACE. Please stay in your corner and DO NOT run for politics. Your reputation is AWFUL.
Yeah i heard the ones with asot and Gaston oh yeah and Robin lol u seems to know alot. Stick to calypso please
You guys will have to come better than this ,if you are to even be considered as even a viable opposition..I mean Really?? Really?? Are these same worn out rhetorics that will be used in all your campaigns? The young people are really not concerned or Impressed by your kind of Politics,its antiquated, done with.What they need to see from any Government is what they (the Govt) is doing for them to Empower their future.It is clear that over the period of 2004-2014,the vast majority of the voting public,did not feel empowered from anything the UPP did,pauperizing the nation,then giving their Children a Lunch at School,isn’t the definition of Empowering.. Tell them your plans and not about the ABLP presumed failures-but also remember it may even be impossible for anyone to take anything you guy’s put out there as truth ,after the dismal failure of your tenure i think its “ADIEU” to the UPP..
@RUPERT MANN: Speaking of tapes.Did you ever listen to those IHI tapes.
Nice try Gaston backer. The country can be stolen & ravaged by Dogs, it’s ok. All of a sudden marches & marchers are disgusting & voilent, hello! ABLP marched up & down the length & breath of Anu with threaths of violence, yet still they were not denied. No other protesting group ever threatened or caused voilence in Anu. Gaston, his Son & Hill should be immediately arrested & brought before the courts.
If there’s no violence or damage to property,then march!. I believe on recollection he called Trevor Walker the same ” king of the ashes”. It’s amazing how the PM likes to regurgitate what our ancestors strived for since he’s Hell bent on giving it away to the same perpetrators of their misery.
THE CHIEF JUSTICES OF THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SUPREME COURT, WE’RE BEGING, WE’RE PLEADING TO PLEASE LOOK INTO ANTIGUA’S PLEA. THE PM GOVERNMENT OF A&B, PLUS THE WHOLE INTEGRITY COMMISSION NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO. MAYBE WE NEED A MASSIVE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TO BRING THE GOVT TO THEIR FEET. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ASAP. CORUPTION AT THE CORE.
Time to write to the United nations on this man he is using his son to do a lot of evil
AMEN
Really ! Opposition should operate within the confines of the law ???? I wonder what was happening on 2014 ? The table turns
If the numbers of the march last week are so little bit as the put it then what he has to worry about?
THE NEW NAME FOR THE UPP IS THE “MARCHING PARTY”.I HEARD VERE BIRD 111 ON THE RADIO THIS MORNING BEGGING JOANNE MESSIAH TO JOIN THE FAITHFUL NATIONALS. VERE DOES NOT HAVE A PARTY.NONE OF HIS CANDIDATES GOT BACK THEIR DEPOSIT FROM THE LAST ELECTIONS.HE COULD NOT FIND 16 PERSONS TO RUN THE THE CONSTITUENCIES.
@Rupert Mann: What does Gaston Browne and many African Leaders have in common.They enriched themselves,family and concubines at the peril of their citizenry.They are also BLACK.
If only we were independent then I would agree with the P.M, oh I forgot he is independent and at the same time dependent on tax payer to fund his independence. My country is a joke. Mr brown its not to late to make a change, look at who held that position before you how many of them you think get to enjoy what they took from poor people? Careful with generational curses do what is right in the sight of god.
Alp march for 20 years now what they even blocked offices and all now what u cant take u medicine. Gaston should be investigated asap
These fools will be Marching for the next two decades ,some will be in their wheel Chairs when they decide to give up.The Upp will never and i repeat,NEVER win an Election in this country again.Marching,Walking,Picketing et al,its yours democratic right,so keep marching.
So true
Don’t call it, A March! Do not dress in Party colors.
Dress in The National Dress colors!
Rephrase the Application for the permit!
Call it an Independence Revival Party.
Invite Kanye West and his newly found faith crusaders!
End with Revue, and local fashion show!
Marketing and Politics go hand in glove.
I will suggest to the UPP…. PLEASE stop hiding behind the FAITHFUL NATIONALS .I realize that you cannot march under the UPP name because NOBODY in Antigua will attend. Antiguans are NOT stupid. We know that the strategy to garner support under the FAITHFUL NATIONALS but that would NOT work. I will also suggest to the UPP to take a SERIOUS look within Their party and see that HAROLD LOVELL , GISELE ISAAC et al need to be removed from around the party. Please see the following quotations…
Mr. Knight of the Snake Pit said the UPP is OLD WINE IN BROKEN BOTTLE.
The Youth said The UPP has lost its ATTRACTIVENESS.
Please look into your Party and stop Marching . It would NOT help.
FREE ADVICE.
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