LETTER: Weapons of excuses as UPP chair fails to deliver any winning solutions

A week after the by-election, one might expect a heartfelt public thank-you letter to the voters of St. Peter from the United Progressive Party’s leadership. Instead, Gisele Isaac’s latest op-ed serves as yet another desperate attempt to spin a disastrous campaign into something worth celebrating. Let’s be real: the only thing “historic” about George Wehner’s candidacy was the magnitude of its failure.

Where were Isaac’s insights when the UPP needed them most? Nowhere. She’s quick to commend Wehner’s discipline, but neither he nor the party demonstrated anything resembling a coherent, winning strategy. Now, Isaac is fighting shadows—deflecting blame, conjuring excuses, and avoiding the hard truth: the UPP’s decline under her leadership is both undeniable and inexcusable.

From the moment Wehner’s name was announced, it was clear the campaign was doomed. His rhetoric may have stirred a handful of supporters, but it lacked substance, vision and solutions. His opponent, Rawdon Turner, released a comprehensive 26-page manifesto, while Wehner’s policy platform was nonexistent. Unless you attended the UPP rallies or caught the odd radio interview, his message was impossible to discern. Where were the official articles, the campaign materials, the structured communication strategy? Isaac, the supposed architect of the UPP’s “near election victory” in 2023, was conspicuously absent when it came to providing any of this support.

And then there’s the timing. Why did the UPP wait until the eleventh hour to name Wehner as their candidate? Isaac, instead of stepping up to guide the party through a critical period after Asot Michael’s passing, jetted off to Ghana. When the UPP desperately needed strong leadership, it was left floundering, scrambling to assemble a campaign. With maximum of 120 days to call the by-election, a candidate should have been in place before the end of November. But Isaac’s lack of urgency derailed any chance of success. In September, the Political Leader, Jamale Pringle, announced that he was ready to announce 10 candidates. So why was the Party caught flat footed and scrambling to name a candidate?

The election itself was an unmitigated disaster. Wehner didn’t just lose—he failed to secure any meaningful votes from Asot Michael’s base. The outright rejection of the UPP is a damning indictment of the party’s inability to connect with voters. Voter turnout was abysmal, highlighting a glaring failure to motivate the electorate. Where were the efforts to encourage re-registration or engage the community effectively?

Isaac’s attempt to blame ABEC’s infractions is laughable. These very issues have plagued elections for years, yet the UPP has done nothing meaningful to address them. How many times must we hear the same tired complaints before the party takes action? Pointing fingers at ABEC won’t solve these problems. The ABLP was known for filing injunction after injunction while in Opposition. The real question is: what is the UPP doing to address these electoral issues as well as its own organizational chaos?

Let’s talk strategy—or rather, the lack thereof. Where was the UPP’s campaign infrastructure? Who was managing canvassing, data collection, PR and outreach? Why wasn’t there a solid plan in place for election night? In fact, where was Gisele Isaac on election night? The UPP’s leadership failed at every turn. Isaac, as chair, should have been the driving force behind a cohesive, effective campaign. Instead, she stood by as the party floundered, and now she is ready to offer excuses instead of solutions.

Isaac’s delusional praise for Wehner’s “performance” only underscores her disconnection from reality. Her claim that a small executive team nearly delivered victory in 2023 now rings hollow. The St. Peter by-election exposed the UPP’s glaring weaknesses and Isaac’s inability to lead. The so-called playbook from the St. Mary’s South by-election was nowhere to be found. What happened to the organizational strength the UPP displayed in the 2023 elections? Under the Pringle-Isaac leadership, it has all but evaporated.

At this point, the only person Isaac is fighting is herself. Her lack of political savvy is painfully obvious, and it’s dragging the UPP further into irrelevance. If she truly cares about the party’s future, it’s time for her to step aside. The UPP needs fresh ideas, dynamic leadership, and a clear vision—none of which the Pringle-Isaac team has demonstrated it can provide.

The UPP is at its weakest point in three decades. Instead of embracing change and charting a path forward, Isaac clings to excuses and loyalty slogans. “It’s not about winning; it’s about loyalty,” she says. But loyalty without competence is a recipe for perpetual failure. At this rate, the UPP is destined to remain the “Loyal Opposition”, with Isaac and Pringle at the helm of a sinking ship. The party’s future depends on real leadership, not self-serving narratives. It’s time to wake up, Gisele, and step aside before you cement the UPP’s place in political oblivion.

Yours truly,
Frustrated citizen