OPINION | Anything but Progressive: UPP Guilty of Historical Vandalism

By Hon. E. P. Chet Greene

The United Progressive Party’s (UPP) repeated, self-serving decision to boycott V.C. Bird Day is more than a political disagreement; it is a deliberate act of national disunity that dishonors the very foundation of Antigua and Barbuda. While nations around the world celebrate their founding fathers, the UPP chooses to wallow in petty obstructionism, proving itself to be a backward-looking entity unworthy of governing a modern nation.

The UPP’s boycott attempts to diminish a legacy that is woven into the very fabric of our nation. Sir Vere’s contributions are not mere historical footnotes.They are the pillars upon which modern Antigua and Barbuda stands and is being built.

Papa Bird’s career began by championing the working class, leading the Antigua Trades and Labour Union to secure better wages, abolish child labor and win the right to annual holidays with pay. He thereafter spearheaded the nation’s political transformation, serving as our first Chief Minister, Premier and finally, our first Prime Minister upon the attainment of independence in 1981. He is undeniably the architect of our sovereignty and of workers rights.

Foundational Social and Economic Reforms: His leadership delivered transformative national policies, including free education and free medical services, which revolutionized access to opportunity and healthcare for all citizens. He also revolutionized the country’s telecommunications and utilities infrastructure. The entire nation is in agreement that Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr, was and is our alpha where social transformation and economic reforms are concerned.

A Pillar of Caribbean Integration: Beyond our national borders, V.C. Bird was a dedicated regionalist. He was instrumental in the movement for Caribbean unity, from the West Indies Federation to being a key signatory of the CARIFTA Agreement in 1965, which later evolved into CARICOM.

The UPP’s posture is isolated and out of step with a universal practice among sovereign nations. Countries globally set aside specific days to honor the singular contributions of their principal national heroes or founding figures. Right next door to us Saint Kitts and Nevis observes its holiday on September 16, the birthday of its first Premier and a foundational labour activist, Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw.
True to African traditions of honoring and respecting our elders, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau both commemorate Amílcar Cabral on January 20, the anniversary of his death, honoring his pivotal role in their independence struggles. The list goes on and on.

This global context exposes the UPP’s stance as an anomalous political stunt, not a principled stand for inclusive recognition.

The party’s actions reveal a character that is fundamentally at odds with progress and national unity.

For a second consecutive year, the UPP has snubbed the official national ceremony to host its own separate event. Their stated reason of protesting the “relegation” of other heroes is a disingenuous smokescreen. Antigua and Barbuda already has a separate National Heroes Day to collectively honor all other national heroes, making V.C. Bird Day a specific, well deserved tribute to the Father of the Nation. The UPP’s boycott deliberately manufactures conflict where none need exist.

A party that boycotts the celebration of its country’s foundational history is a party that has turned its back on the nation’s journey. This act signals an inability to build upon the past, preferring instead to fracture it for momentary political gain. As one online commentator noted, this ongoing boycott “bares no fruit” and contributes to “unnecessary national division.” Such behavior is not the mark of a viable alternative government but of a faction trapped in perpetual opposition.

The UPP’s boycott of V.C. Bird Day is a shameful and calculated act of historical vandalism. It disrespects the monumental achievements of Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr., ignores a dignified global tradition and sows needless division. A party that chooses to stand against the unifying figure of its nation’s birth has irrevocably shown itself to be anything but progressive and wholly unworthy of the responsibility to lead Antigua and Barbuda.