On Sunday, United Progressive Party members and supporters gathered to thank God for the party’s resilience despite facing various challenges and obstacles.

The UPP is celebrating its 12th Convention Week, which kicked off with a thanksgiving service at the Christian Assembly Ministries in Paynters.

This marks the party’s first convention since 2019, and Jamal Pringle, the Leader of the UPP, took the opportunity to address the attendees.

He emphasized that the party, and by extension, the country, requires God’s intervention now more than ever before.

“In times like these, an anchor and refer not just to this congregation, not just to this party but to the nation and the people of Antigua and Barbuda. The UPP has always been a people-first political institution but even before people we acknowledged our God, in our successes and our failures, in our good times and in our not-so-good times, knowing that he is our source and our solutions,” he said

Pringle said the Thanksgiving ceremony was also being held at a critical time in the country’s political-economic and social lives

“I believe that God wants to use us, these parties, to bring about a better today and brighter tomorrow for this country. I believe that these testing and trials we have endured are intended to equip us for the work ahead…we can make all the plans we want, but only he can bring them to competition in the spirit of togetherness…” he said

The Thanksgiving ceremony also consisted of prayer, worship, and reflections.

The convention is being held under the theme “Together in Unity: Forward to Victory,” and will consist of a variety of activities and run from April 14 through April 24.

Today, Monday, April 15, is Media Day and will feature Party representatives and spokespersons on various radio stations and social media platforms. They will recount and celebrate the UPP’s accomplishments during its ten-year tenure and discuss economic and governance issues currently affecting the nation.

Tuesday, April 16, will see constituency branches and the Executive gather for a night of karaoke and games at the Barefoot Bar at Pensioner’s Beach. On Wednesday, the “Outreach to Our Stalwarts” initiative will honor retired supporters who helped to blaze a trail throughout the Party’s 31-year history.

Thursday, April 18, will feature the “Youth Connect” activity, designed to inspire, educate, and empower the youth.

The event will be held at Freedom Hall and feature a keynote address by Senator Damion Crawford, Shadow Minister of the PNP in Jamaica, and a panel of experts who will address the topic “How is Today’s Economy Affecting the Youth: The Disparity Between Economic Growth and Their Pockets.”

The convention will officially open with a grand ceremony on Saturday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Centre.

The event will feature three guest speakers: Antiguan Commissioner Dion Irish, Chief of Operations for the City of Boston, Ms. Mickela Panday, former M.P. from Trinidad and Tobago, and Dr. Thomson Fontaine, Political Leader of the UWP in Dominica.

The ceremony will include entertainment and Party affirmations and is expected to attract hundreds of supporters.

Finally, the business session will take place on Saturday, April 21, and culminate in the election of a new Central Executive Committee, which will run the UPP’s affairs for the next two years.

Meanwhile, the political arena is currently abuzz with anticipation as all eyes are focused on the impending leadership showdown between the incumbent leader, Jamal Pringle, and Richard Lewis, the Member of Parliament for St. Johns Rural West.

The stakes are incredibly high, and the atmosphere is fraught with tension, as both men have thrown their hats into the ring with equal fervor and determination.