LETTER: Captain, The Ship Has Sunk

𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗸

Dear Editor,

I appreciate the opportunity to once again address the leadership of the United Progressive Party (UPP) through your platform. This time, I wish to bring to light the ongoing chaos and disarray within the UPP, most notably at last Sunday’s General Council Meeting.

When the Political Leader spoke for just over three and a half minutes to address what he called “yet another sad occasion for the UPP” following the resignation of Dr. Edmund Mansoor, it should have prompted serious reflection within the party. Dr. Mansoor, unlike others who have left, has gone a step further by joining the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP).

Instead of a moment for healing and reflection, last Sunday turned out to be one of the most chaotic afternoons I’ve ever witnessed within the UPP.

Here are some undeniable facts:

1. The General Council Meeting was characterized by chaos.

2. The Chairman made it clear that she wants Richard Lewis out of the party.

3. She revealed that a recent poll showed Richard Lewis trailing Michael Joseph in the St. John’s Rural West constituency.

4. The Chairman expressed her lack of trust in Richard Lewis, stating that he can no longer win his seat and should step aside.

5. Both the Political Leader and Chairman told members they were free to leave the UPP if they no longer supported the leadership.

6. There is a growing belief among members that Richard Lewis will soon leave the UPP, possibly to join the ABLP.

7. Prime Minister Gaston Browne has not shown interest in welcoming Richard Lewis into the ALP.

8. Discussions have surfaced about replacing Shawn Nicholas in the Senate with Pearl Quin.

9. Shawn Nicholas has threatened to resign from both the Senate and the party.

10. She has not yet resigned because Harold Lovell, her close ally, has convinced her to wait.

11. The party leadership has initiated efforts to expel Sean Bird from the UPP, accusing him of being an “ABLP flip-flopper”.

12. At least four senior members are contemplating resignation, with one already meeting with Prime Minister Browne over the weekend at a local hotel.

The ongoing turmoil within the UPP is a testament to the failed leadership of Jamale Pringle and the divisive influence of D. Giselle Isaac. Together, they have brought the party to the brink of collapse.

It is laughable that some continue to point fingers at Gaston Browne and the ALP for the UPP’s internal crisis. Prime Minister Browne has shown himself to be a visionary, strategic, and effective leader.

If Pringle and Giselle do not wake up to the reality of the party’s disintegration, the metaphor “Captain, the ship is sinking” will soon no longer apply—because by then, the ship will have already sunk.