Pringle Calls for “Turning Point” Against Corruption in Independence Address

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle used his 44th Independence message to deliver a stirring call for national integrity, urging Antiguans and Barbudans to reclaim the moral foundations upon which the country was built.

Speaking in a solemn tone, Pringle said that the nation’s independence must go beyond parades and patriotism to a renewed commitment to transparency and accountability.

“At this moment, the dark shadow of corruption threatens our Nation’s progress,” Pringle declared. “It has eroded our trust in the government, in institutions, and even in the church and civil society.”

The All Saints East and St Luke MP said that corruption is robbing citizens of their hopes and future. “Every dollar lost to dishonesty,” he said, “is a Social Security pension unpaid; a classroom left unfinished; a clinic left in ruin; a hospital without supplies.”

Pringle reiterated his party’s call for independent investigations into alleged corruption at the Ministry of Public Works and in the now-infamous “Vehicle-Gate” affair, which has dominated national headlines.

He reminded citizens that fighting corruption is not about politics but about principle. “We must shine a light wherever it exists,” he said, urging all citizens to demand good governance.