UPP wants Arthur Thomas to decline appointment as ABEC Chairman

Attorney Arthur Thomas to be Sworn in as New ABEC Chairman

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The United Progressive Party (UPP) has raised objections to the appointment of Authur Thomas as the new chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC).

Thomas is expected to be sworn in today at 9 a.m. However, the UPP has questioned his integrity, citing his association with Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted founder of the failed cryptocurrency giant FTX.

The UPP has indicated that Thomas had to resign from his positions with the Caribbean Union Bank (CUB) and the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission due to his association with Bankman-Fried.

The UPP’s statement has demanded answers to a pertinent question, “If his connection to these entities was enough for him to resign, why should he head the body charged with safeguarding the practice of fair elections?”

The party has raised concerns about the importance of personal integrity and the ability to engender the trust of the nation, which they believe are prerequisites for the ABEC chairman’s position.

The UPP has expressed apprehension about the timing of Thomas’s appointment, given the upcoming trial of Bankman-Fried on matters involving his foreign holdings.

The party has emphasized that the ABEC chairman’s position demands the highest level of integrity and public trust, and Thomas does not meet that criteria.

The UPP’s political leader, Jamale Pringle, has pointed out that the former ABEC chairman, John Jarvis, enjoyed the respect and esteem of a broad cross-section of the society.

However, the same cannot be said of Thomas, given his recent resignation.

The UPP has vowed to object to Thomas’s appointment in all national, regional, and international forums and has appealed to Thomas to decline the appointment in the interest of preserving the integrity of the office and fostering public trust in ABEC.