ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (WiredJA)- In a scathing New Year’s message, Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle lambasted the Gaston Browne administration for what he termed a year of “bitter realities” marked by economic decline and unfulfilled promises.
The United Progressive Party (UPP) leader painted a stark picture of Antigua and Barbuda’s deteriorating living standards, despite government claims of record tax revenues.
“Even as the Prime Minister boasts of record increases in the collection of taxes and Customs duties, our standard of living has been falling lower and lower every year,” Pringle declared, noting that the administration’s claimed prosperity has failed to materialize in essential services and infrastructure.
The opposition leader highlighted widespread challenges facing the nation, from households struggling with rising food prices to persistent water shortages from APUA, even during the Christmas season. He pointed to several unfulfilled commitments, including the long-promised increase in senior citizens’ pensions and outstanding severance payments to former LIAT workers.
Pringle drew particular attention to the plight of essential service providers, describing nurses, police officers, and sanitation workers as “overworked and under-resourced.” Small businesses and contractors, he noted, regularly leave the Treasury “empty-handed” on Fridays, while farmers continue to await meaningful concessions to boost productivity.
The message took a particularly pointed turn when addressing youth unemployment and healthcare access. Pringle cited the lack of adequate sporting facilities for young people who have been jobless for years, while highlighting the struggles of sick and disabled citizens unable to access necessary medical care. The opposition leader also expressed concern for “the people of Barbuda, who stand to be dispossessed of their patrimony and deeply held community traditions.”
In one of his most poignant criticisms, Pringle observed that the administration’s failures extend beyond the living to the deceased. “While we, the living, suffer, even the dead can find no relief,” he declared, referencing an eight-year-overdue cemetery project where “bodies are condemned to stony ground.” This stark imagery underscored his broader argument about the government’s systemic failures in providing basic services.
Looking ahead to the imminent St. Peter By-Election in 13 days, Pringle rejected critics’ suggestions to “sit this one out,” instead positioning the vote as an early opportunity for change in 2025. The UPP has thrown its support behind candidate George Wehner, whom Pringle described as the “strongest soldier” and “best advocate” for the long-neglected constituency.
In a significant political development, Pringle announced plans to reveal the first ten UPP candidates and caretakers for the next General Election at a public rally in Parham on the 2nd of January. This announcement, originally scheduled for October, had been delayed due to undisclosed circumstances.
Despite facing what Pringle described as “attacks and setbacks from without and within” in 2024, he expressed deep gratitude to the party’s faithful, loyal, and committed members, supporters and friends. “Those of you who believe in unity and in progress, and who are determined to carry this great institution forward, come what may,” he said, “are the wind beneath the UPP’s wings.”
The opposition leader concluded his address with a call for “positive and progressive change” in 2025, urging citizens to demand greater accountability, transparency, and improved governance from the current administration. “If it refuses to deliver,” Pringle declared, “then this must be the year we resolve to remove the Administration.”
