Government Senator Lamin Newton is calling on the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) to publicly condemn the burning of APUA equipment in the Old Road area, saying silence from political leaders risks normalising lawlessness.
Newton said he specifically looked for a response from the parliamentary representative for the area and Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle following the incident.
“I even looked for the leader of the opposition himself to issue a signed statement condemning that,” Newton said during debate in the Senate. “That is the minimum that the people of Old Road deserve.”
The senator stressed that political disagreements should not be used to justify criminal acts, warning against attempts to link the vandalism to unrelated issues.
“We can’t conflate the two issues,” Newton told senators, adding that “the laying of the subsea cable has nothing to do with your issue.”
Newton, who is the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party’s caretaker for All Saints East and St Luke, made the comments while contributing to the debate on the Appropriations Bill in the Upper House on Tuesday.
APUA equipment was set ablaze in Old Road last week, prompting condemnation from government officials and an ongoing police investigation.
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Mr Newton, are you insinuating that Mr Pringles knows who burnt those pipes? A lot of the burning of things in this country, are done by ABLP operatives. I am not condoning any wrongs especially, of that nature but, your side of the coin have a track record. What was done, is horrible and the perpetrator (s) must be brought to justice ⚖️ and face maximum penalty. What the DCA did, was very politically motivated but, their day MUST and WILL come. A backhoe wasn’t needed to remove a tent 🎪 but, at the end of the day, we are all living here.