National Broadcast

My fellow Antiguans and Barbudans, brothers and sisters, good evening.

As you continue to enjoy your quiet Antiguan and Barbudan Sunday evening, I take this opportunity as your Prime Minister to share some thoughts with you for a few minutes.

I have always seen it as my duty from time to time to update you on matters of national importance. The events of the past few weeks and days have made it more urgent that as a nation, we engage each other more frequently in honest, open conversation about the things that affect us from day to day.

I think we can all accept that in every family there are disagreements from time to time. There are differences of views in every organisation. And in every country around the world, political representatives do not always see eye to eye on the various issues concerning governance and economic management. In fact, diversity of views is an important part of every healthy democracy.

We teach our children that they should never resort to confrontation in order to settle disagreements. The traditional values on which our society is built embrace and encourage courtesy, decency, civility, respect, non-violence, tolerance and peace, among other forms of wholesome behaviour.

In fact, entire professions are built around conflict resolution by peaceful means including mediation, conciliation, arbitration, negotiation and adjudication. These principles are the foundation of the trade union movement which gave rise to the modern political system in Antigua and Barbuda.

Like other pioneers before me, I grew up on these sacred principles in the union movement, which has been my own professional undertaking for most of my life. Importantly, these tenets of orderly and peaceful resolution of disputes also constitute the practical and theoretical underpinning of the English Commonwealth legal system that we have practised in our jurisdiction for centuries.

There is a clear and present danger when political representatives seek to bypass these established moral and legal channels in the selfish pursuit of power and personal political gain.

There is no doubt that in March last year, the United Progressive Party, which I have the honour to lead, was elected by the majority of Antiguans and Barbudans in a contest that was held in accordance with the Constitution of our country. It was an election that was certified by external observers as being free and fair. There is not one reputable national, regional or international organisation that questioned the outcome of that election.

However, the Antigua Labour Party petitioned the court to overturn the results of the election in several constituencies including the one I have the honour to represent with pride and humility. I have never quarrelled with their constitutional right to challenge the election results.

On March 31, there was a ruling in the High Court voiding the election results in three seats: my own St. John’s Rural West, St. John’s Rural North, and St George.

I respect the decision of the court and I would never disparage the decision, the court or the judge who made that ruling. Our Government and the UPP are law-abiding institutions which have every respect for the established and accepted rules and legal systems that govern our country.

Rather than picking a fight with the justice system or any particular officer of the court, because it is not in our nature to do so, the Government and the UPP find that the Judge’s comments about the current state of the electoral system are instructive.

Cabinet will be giving serious consideration to measures required to improve the system, including the possibility of a complete system of voter re-registration. The human resource and financing needs of the system must also be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Let me make it clear that the United Progressive Party is ready, willing and able to take on the Antigua Labour Party – and we believe very strongly and victoriously– at the polls if and when the time comes.

However, it was the ALP itself that was principally responsible for inserting into the 1981 Independence Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, the right to appeal any decision of the High Court, including in electoral matters.

“What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

In accordance with the constitution that the ALP has sworn to defend, the UPP applied to the court for a stay of the decision and was granted that temporary stay. Utilising the constitutional right that the ALP, and any other organisation or individual has, the UPP appealed the court ruling asking that the matter be considered in the appellate court.

In accordance with the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda, the UPP continues to duly form the Government and I continue to preside as your Prime Minister. No amount of political posturing and uncivilised behaviour by a rowdy minority can change that fact.

The United Progressive Party administration remains fully in place and we continue work to deliver service to the people of Antigua & Barbuda and to provide the mature, responsible leadership that this country needs, particularly at this time.

By taking to the streets and inciting violence and disorder in their utterances, the ALP is openly and without shame, defying the established legal system and is making a mockery of the Constitution they helped to craft and swore to obey.

As a government we respect the rights of every citizen to engage in peaceful protest. But there are laws against inciting violence, and the government and the security forces are duty-bound to impose and uphold the laws of this country.

There are strict laws against acts of violence and intimidation and where such acts materialise they must be dealt with fairly and without favour.

If democracy in Antigua and Barbuda is under threat, it is not from me, the Government that I lead, or the United Progressive Party of which I am the Political Leader. Democracy is indeed being threatened in our beloved country by the power-hungry actions of the Antigua Labour Party.

These people are not only hungry, but they are drunk on the whole question of power, and they would seek to take power in Antigua & Barbuda by any means necessary. That is the most dangerous thing you could ever have in this country.

No amount of noise by the Antigua Labour Party will deter the United Progressive Party from governing this nation according to the will of the majority. I want the people of Antigua & Barbuda to understand that we are willing to stand up to the ALP and whoever else is bent on destabilising this country.

The actions of the ALP and its leadership have nothing to do with the interest of Antigua and Barbuda and its people.

They are desperate to get back the reigns of government to again plunder the national treasury like they did before. They want to get back in to save themselves from prosecution, which the State has started against them, and which they are using legal gymnastics to avoid.

Let me give you some examples.

The High Court has found that the transfer of 3 acres of land within the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park by the former ALP government to then government Minister and now ALP Chairman GASTON BROWNE, was null and void and ordered that he return the Land Certificate to the Registrar of Lands. He has appealed the decision, but his application for a stay was refused by the Court of Appeal.

The High Court has also dismissed a claim by ALP Parliamentarian ASOT MICHAEL, that the search of his premises by the police was illegal. That search had been conducted in respect of his involvement in the IHI fraudulent transfer of tax funds and a number of documents were seized for use in both the civil action and the Commission of Inquiry.

In the case of ALP Leader, LESTER BIRD, ASOT MICHAEL and OTHERS, preliminary directions and a trial date are being awaited. The Lindquist Report details the fraudulent transaction and traces the various overseas bank accounts into which were deposited the excess funds (after paying the monthly loan installments due to IHI).

Preliminary directions and a trial date are also being awaited in the matter involving the purchase of beach Crown lands at a gross undervalue to a company owned by Lester Bird, Robin Yearwood, and Hugh Marshall.

In another matter, the High Court ruled that the Police Commissioner had full legal authority to institute summary criminal proceedings against ALP Member of Parliament, Steadroy Benjamin in relation to the fraudulent applications for passports that he certified as personally knowing the applicants. He has appealed the decision, which has not yet been heard. Both the applicant and the woman who facilitated the use of her dead son’s birth certificate were found guilty by the court.

We believe that justice might be delayed but justice will not be denied.

The process is slow but I believe it is sure, and the leaders of the Labour Party will be brought to justice for the corruption and criminal abuse that marked their reign as the government for 28 years.

In all the confusion they are now creating, their real concern is not the interest of the people of Antigua & Barbuda. They know what is hanging over their heads.

They want to stop every effort that the UPP government is making to ensure that justice is done. They are trying to save their skins by seeking fair or foul means to get back in power and cover their tracks. That is what they are about and they must not be allowed to succeed. As sure as night follows day, no matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

Do you remember what we found when the UPP was overwhelmingly elected to office in 2004 after 28 years of the ALP mismanagement? Do you remember that the economy was in shambles?

Recall with me that the Treasury was broke. Government workers were not receiving their salaries. Medical Benefits and Social Security were not being paid by the government and so workers could not claim any benefits.

Some children were not learning in school because they were hungry.
Mount St. John was an empty shell after millions of dollars which should have been used to build the country’s first major hospital disappeared.

They plundered the profits of statutory corporations.

Many pensioners were living like paupers and the ALP government treated them with disrespect.

Young bright Antiguans and Barbudans were denied scholarships and educational loans until the UPP came to office and provided the youth with those opportunities.

The current political developments come at a time when the people of Antigua and Barbuda are being adversely impacted by the economic fallout from the global recession.

That is compounded by the Stanford debacle and the leaders of the ALP should be hanging their heads in shame for having brought such an international disgrace upon the proud, hardworking people of this country.

The personal and national economic challenges have also been made greater by the collapse of Clico and British American Insurance.

The country is now getting back on track. There is agricultural growth. Tourism is holding its own and showing signs of improvement. Antigua and Barbuda continues to be rated as the best vacation destination in the world.

While the ALP is preaching doom and gloom, confidence is returning and investors are once again investing in our country.

The Sugar Ridge Resort was opened recently. The Jumby Bay Resort was re-opened only a few days ago.

The economic recovery is underway and we cannot gamble with the future of our country, which is now in the safe hands of the UPP government.

If as a country we remain calm, focused, disciplined and steadfast to our economic recovery programme, we will reap the benefits of more and better paying jobs, and more robust economic activities.

We must stay the course together today so that we can all reap the rewards tomorrow.

Our stewardship of the economy and the country has earned the respect of the international community after decades of Antigua and Barbuda being shunned as a rogue state and our people being treated with disrespect internationally because of the actions of the former ALP government.

We must never forget these things. And we must never return to that sorry and shameful past.

These are some of the atrocities of the Labour Party that must strengthen our resolve to say “never again”.

Now more than ever the country needs stability. To see the people through to recovery and economic revival the ship of state needs to be steered by people with steady hands and sound heads. Not by rabble-rousers with a corruption-tainted past and questionable motives about their future ambitions.

At this time of rebuilding, the country needs peace and calm not power-hungry persons preaching anarchy and violence.

I call on all well-thinking, decent Antiguans and Barbudans, who I know make up the majority of our population, to remain committed to the current peaceful path of rebuilding our country.

As a government we haven’t gotten it right all the time, but we have got it right most of the time. We remain committed to truth, honesty and integrity. We remain committed to serving you the people, not as your masters, but as your humble servants.

We need the United Progressive Party to steer this country forward, to be at the helm, and to take Antigua & Barbuda to the next level.

We believe that we have the men, the women, the methods, the understanding and the appreciation of what is to be done.

And most importantly, we have the support of you, the people.

During these trying times, I urge the law abiding people of this country, my people, to renew your faith, confidence and trust in the UPP government – the government of all the people.

I will never let you down and this government that you elected to serve you, will never betray you.

Until next time when we will again reason together about the things affecting our country, may God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless beautiful Antigua and Barbuda.