Do you remember the anger and frustration that you and so many of your fellow countrymen felt on Election Day 2009? We were all angry and frustrated because of the long lines. We were all angry and frustrated that too many polling places didn't open on time.
The UPP Government feels your frustration and wants change - the ALP wants more of the same. The Antigua Sun reports:
The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ALP) is condemning statements made by the prime minister concerning the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) and their handling of the 2009 General Elections.
Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer at a town hall meeting in Piggott’s last Thursday (22 April) said the ruling of Justice Louise Blenman, that the late opening of the polls on Election Day (12 March) falls squarely at the feet of members of the Electoral Commission. The PM said that some action needed to be taken to avoid a reoccurrence of the situation.
One member of the five-member commission, Agnes Blaize, as a result of what was said tendered her resignation to Governor General Dame Louise Lake-Tack earlier this week.
The ALP said it is not pleased with what the prime minister’s call for members of the commission to resign and for the "supervisor of elections to demit office immediately."
It's outrageous that the ALP is defending the Electoral Commission. Do they not remember the long lines, the late openings and the anger and frustration that so many of us felt? Do they think that by leaving the same people in charge and not holding anyone accountable for their failure that we're going to change things? Ridiculous.
Of course we understand, honour and respect the independence of the Electoral Commission. But, we also believe in the simple notion of accountability. If you don't do your job properly, your boss will hold you accountable. It's clear that the Electoral Commission didn't do their jobs properly. But, it doesn't seem that the ALP wants to hold anyone accountable for their failure. How typical.
The UPP Government is ensuring that professionals in Antigua & Barbuda have the highest quality training so that they can provide the highest quality service to our people. That's why the UPP Government is reaching out and securing opportunities for Antiguans and Barbudans to receive advanced training that will help them further their careers and improve the quality of service on our islands.
To that end, we're pleased to announce that six Antiguans & Barbudans were selected to participate in special training opportunities in Japan. The professionals include:
Darez Dundas - Education in Science and Mathematics in Primary School
Daryl Spencer - Waste Management Techniques and Environment Education
Karen Cabrall - Japanese Programme for Foreign Service Offices
Natasha George - Japanese Programme for Young Diplomats and
Sherese George, a teacher of the Ottos Comprehensive School is presently on the Japanese Teaching Exchange 2009/2010. This program allows Miss George to teach English to Japanese students.
The most recent selection, announced this week, is Valerie Browne Williams, a nurse.
The students are participating in a programme sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which was established on August 1974, with a view to contributing towards world peace and prosperity through its economic cooperation programmes. The UPP Government will continue to work with our international allies to identify more programmes like this that provide opportunities to our young people and improve the quality of life in Antigua & Barbuda.
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