MP Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon Resigns to Take St. Mary’s South Seat Back to the People’s Court

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As a proud son of the soil from humble beginnings in the village of Bolans, I was proud to be nominated as the United Progressive Party (UPP) Candidate to contest the St. Mary’s South Constituency on 28th December 2022.

 

Three weeks later, in the 18th January 2023 General Election, I was overwhelmingly elected, defeating incumbent Samantha Marshall, the Antigua Labour Party candidate, by 199 votes.

 

However, on January 31, 2023, I was served with a Petition challenging my right to sit in Parliament as the Representative for St. Mary’s South.

 

This challenge was premised solely on the grounds that I was disqualified because I was a public servant.

 

The Petitioner and the Antigua Labour Party first sought to prevent me from being sworn in as a Member of Parliament by seeking an injunction from the Court.  This was refused by the Court on February 14, 2023.

 

Since that date, I have been consumed by the litigation and the media controversy. This has created an unwarranted hindrance to the proper execution of my duties as the representative for the constituency of St. Mary’s South.

 

The matter is due to be heard by the Court during the first week of July, and while my lawyers believe in the strength of my case, the outcome is entirely in the hands of the trial judge.  Whoever loses the case will appeal to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.

 

This will delay the final outcome even further, as the appeal will have to be heard and a decision given.

 

In the meantime, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has boasted several times, including in the House of Representatives, that he is confident of an outcome in Marshall’s favour.

 

The ABLP has returned to their 2009 playbook and are trying to use the courts to circumvent the will of the people.

 

While in Opposition, the ABLP challenged the election of four United Progressive Party (UPP) members of Parliament. The appeal process took over 12 months and this crippled the UPP’s ability to govern during the appeal process.

 

It is unfair to the people of St. Mary’s South to have this uncertainty hanging over their heads.  This situation needs to be resolved without further delay.

 

Therefore, my decision, today, June 7, 2023, is that I want this matter to be settled by the people; not by the Court.

 

The constituents of St. Mary’s South elected me convincingly before, and I am confident that they will do so again in a by-election.

 

After careful consideration and prayers, I have submitted my letter of resignation to the Speaker of the House, Sir Gerald Watt, KC, informing him of my decision to vacate the seat in Parliament, so that a by-election can be held within the next 120 days, as the law mandates.

 

This will create conditions for a clean break and reset and allow the people of St. Mary’s South to reaffirm me as their MP.

 

To allow this matter to drag on for another 12 months will only distract and diminish the desire of constituents in St. Mary’s South.

 

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Defending the choice of the people requires immediate action to show the ABLP administration that we will not allow legal trickery to hold our democracy hostage.

 

I have the full support of the Leadership of the United Progressive Party, St. Mary’s South Party Branch and my legal team – to whom I am forever indebted for their support, counsel and professionalism.

 

We are committed to “Defending the People’s Choice”, and we will not allow this undemocratic assault on the will of the people to happen. I want to thank the constituents of St. Mary’s South for their support over the past few months.

 

Let us head back to the People’s Court to create a future that we all can believe in.

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22 COMMENTS

  1. MASTERFUL MOVE!

    Shugy is the man.

    Gaston is trying to overthrow the will of the people through the Courts.

    Shugy says Let The People Decide.

    This is the perfect opportunity to reiterate the will of the people to reject the wicked Gaston ABLP, reject bribery and reject voter padding – even more resoundingly the second time

  2. Smart move guy but the court will most likely rule since you did not qualify, Marshall won. This is the way it happens in most things in life once someone is deemed to be in your shoes. A pity like the follish virgins you have been found to not have the oil ready. Always amazing to me the UPP went from this is a non issue to now their chosen one resigning

    • @ 10 men

      a shame u shame a no, coz shuggy up one on you guys…..one step ahead 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @Tenman. An election, as you are aware, is supposed to reflect the choice of the people and the people did NOT choose, for whatever reason, Samantha Marshall. IMO it is not an issue of blue, red or the day a resignation from civil service job was read, it is wholly and solely the “choice” of the people that has to take precedence over fraud and corrupt politics. If the choice of the majority is not to be acknowledged (for whatever stupid reason) that negates the reasons for an election! To turn over/ignore the choice of the people is a beginning to removing freedom and going down a path of dictatorship…It makes a mockery of the purpose of any election (Venezuela should be a good example of that). People who vote want to know that their MAJORITY choice is going to be acknowledged; it is THEIR choice, not what you or GB would prefer!

      • @Jeb an election, almost similar to an exam is based on rules. You break the rules as Marshall’s UPP opponent did, you bare the consequences. I recall UPP in one of its manifestos promised to make that rule more palatable by allowing the loser to get back his job in the public service. They did no such thing and now pretend the rule is new to them

  3. This is a boss move. More power to MP Simon. Back to the polls we go. I waiting for the by election in St. Phillips.

  4. Wow…great move. By resigning nullify the need for a court case and the assumption that either party would appeal the decision….Lets end it here and now. How they say Pringle no smart.
    Take it back to the people….and there is no appellant option in the people’s court.
    I love that move. HOW DEM SAY PRINGLE NO SMART.

    • @Dexter ..Are you sure? The matter is already before the court. My take is its up to the filer to decide whether they wish to end the matter here. The man wasted time and resources when he knowingly participated illegally in the last election. Since when UPP afraid the courts? The other day many of you were arguing they should take the commission of inquiry matter to court

  5. That’s what happen when you refuse to follow the rules and get advice from King Lyadd Limpy Joe.

    Go back to the NAZARENE CHURCH and beg pardon. You are a joke 🤡

  9. I will release this word , God hardened Pharoahs heart, Our Prime Minister is insisting on fighting that St. Mary South seat, at the end on the day the people have spoken. You are adamant that you go to court to get that seat out of the hands of UPP, as the buble says whatsoever good thing any man doing the same shall he receive or what you sow you will reap. I hope when the shoe goes on the other foot you will be able to handle it.. Prime Minister God has giving you another change to redeem yourself and run this country right. The hand writing is in the wall.

  10. “I have not move people into my constituency so I could get a chance to win I move them out of my constituency to help others to win,” I won the election by stealing it in other words. GB

    • @tenman(fake)Hey fake tenman stop with the loser rhetoric, you well know he meant he did not go out to get persons registered

  11. Fu bad mind this time are we go bang she by one (1) so she get a heart attack. You not the first nor the last to leave NAZARENE CHURCH. God will never leave nor forsake you, and Only he can judge you.
    By-election we ready let’s go!!!

  12. Simon will defeat Samantha Marshall by a much wider margin this time around. It’s very simple logic.
    A… The ABLP showed its hand, by not only having their leadership boast in private about their tactics of manipulating, the voting process to win the election, they’re openly bragging about it in public, and this has shown the people how brazen and boastful they(ABLP Leadership) are.

    B…The lost in St. Peter’s to a first time INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE, regardless, as to whether he’s Asot Michael is still a Labourite at heart, and the People, of St. Peter’s sent a clear and precise message to the ABLP Leadership, that they’re will to split the ABLP into various factions(Chet Greene is paying close attention, as he makes his move against Gaston Browne. The ????, those multimillion ones are will Asot Michael and Chet Greene, strike a few deals and #Strike_A_Pose together, since, they’re both strongly supported, by The ME_TOO AGENDA). So, again, even the labourites have gone against the Gaston Browne led Administration, and is willing to split the ABLP internally. This plays to the #Youth Power in the Nation and similarly, to Simon, a youth(politically) as well.

    C…In the last election in January, even though Simon became the UPP Candidate at the 11th hour, him and his team defeated and established incumbent. This shows, that not only was him and his team focused, engaged and organized, with little funding, they set a pace unmatched by Marshall and her team.

    All Simon has to keep doing is moving forward. The ESSENCE, of the time will see him to VICTORY once again.

    Ras Smood aka Jumbee_Picknee
    De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Bastard

    Vere C. Edwards

    ps…I could give a rats ass about a political party.

  13. Brilliant move Shuggy!!!!!!

    120 days and the people will beat her AGAIN!!!! I hope this time she learns her lesson WELL

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