UPP to Name New St. George Candidate as Algernon Watts Steps Aside — Full Slate Announced

The United Progressive Party (UPP) has confirmed that a new representative will contest the St. George constituency in the next general election, as current opposition MP Algernon “Serpent” Watts will not seek re-election.

The announcement came during the party’s New Year Address, delivered by Political Leader and Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Jamale Pringle. While outlining what he described as a strong and service-driven team ready to lead Antigua and Barbuda into a new era of accountability, Pringle noted that only one final candidate remains to be named.

“In a matter of weeks, I will be naming the candidate for St. George, after that Branch completes the required process,” Pringle said.

Watts, who won the seat for the UPP in 2023 in a major upset over the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), has opted not to return to frontline politics, prompting anticipation around who will be the party’s next standard bearer in the high-profile constituency.

Full List of UPP Caretakers Announced

Pringle unveiled the following lineup — individuals he says are prepared “to rebuild and restructure with people-first leadership”:
•⁠ ⁠Hon. Sherfield Bowen – St. Phillip South
•⁠ ⁠Senator Alex Browne – St. Phillip North
•⁠ ⁠Wayne Benjamin Marsh – St. Paul
•⁠ ⁠Captain George Wehner – St. Peter
•⁠ ⁠Senator Johnathon Joseph – St. Mary’s North
•⁠ ⁠Hon. Kelvin Simon – St. Mary’s South
•⁠ ⁠Senator Pearl Quinn-Williams – St. John’s City East
•⁠ ⁠Alister Thomas – St. John’s City West
•⁠ ⁠Franz deFreitas – St. John’s City South
•⁠ ⁠Ashworth Azille – St. John’s Rural East
•⁠ ⁠Hon. Richard Lewis – St. John’s Rural West
•⁠ ⁠Malaka Parker – St. John’s Rural North
•⁠ ⁠Emanuel Peters – St. John’s Rural South
•⁠ ⁠Harold Lovell – All Saints West
•⁠ ⁠Hon. Jamale Pringle – All Saints East & St. Luke

The St. George candidate — the 16th position — remains pending.

Pringle urged citizens to ensure their voter status is current as the UPP prepares for what it calls a pivotal election offering national reset and renewal.

“This journey is not ours alone,” he noted. “It will require all of us working together and putting the country first.”
Political observers expect St. George to be one of the most competitive races in the next general election, with the UPP eager to retain the constituency and the ABLP determined to reclaim it.

The official announcement of the party’s candidate is expected within weeks.