By Shermain Bique-Charles
After preparing since 2018 for what he described as a major move, Anderson Carty, the independent candidate for St John’s Rural West, said he is ready to represent his constituents in Parliament, following years of alleged failed leadership.
During an interview yesterday, the former United Progressive Party (UPP) ally told Observer that he left the opposition party because he was not satisfied with certain decisions. Since then, Carty said he has been in preparation mode for public office.
“My first love was always community work and I shied away from elective politics for a long time, although I had been a supporter of the UPP for many years, mainly on the sideline,” Carty said.
He said his main reason for entering the political race this time around centres on what he called “continued neglect” of the residents of St John’s Rural West.
“It was not being properly served. At the time I moved away from the UPP, the representative at the time [Baldwin Spencer] could not find a balance between his duty as prime minister and his constituency,” he said.
Carty explained that he was also dissatisfied with the unbalanced scales in Parliament, with the UPP having just one elected representative.
“The party politics is not working. People are supporting party over community. People are supporting politics over principles. The community has to be primary, and when you attach yourself to parties you are no longer in a position to speak boldly and stand up for communities because you have to toe the line,” he said.
“I live in the belly of the community and I see the struggles of my people every day of my life, unlike my political opponents who live on the fringes of the community so they don’t get to understand what’s happening in the community.
“So, every day my neighbours and people around me continue to struggle and for years we have not seen tangible representatives,” Carty said.
He said over the years, MPs’ primary focus is being a member of parliament instead of being a community representative.
Meanwhile, staggering levels of unemployment, lack of infrastructural development, bad road conditions, youth truancy, the abuse of marijuana, and lack of police presence continue to be some of the major issues affecting the community, according to Carty.
“Our sides of our roads are filthy, our gutters are not properly designed – water accumulates in them and creates a health hazard for the community – the rising situation with drug use, and the abuse of marijuana and no interventions.
“In certain areas, there’s an issue of security and the lack of police presence in Golden Grove. This is impacting our community,” he said.
He added that the lack of community organisations has posed a major challenge, especially to the young in the constituency.
On January 18, Carty, along with the UPP’s Richard Lewis, Antigua Barbuda Labour Party’s Gail Christian, and Stephen Richardson of the Democratic National Alliance will be contesting the St John’s Rural West seat, although, Carty concedes, where campaign funds are concerned they may have more resources than him.
Carty, 53, said he has been living in the constituency for approximately 47 years and is the proud father of two sons and one grandson.