By Robert A. Emmanuel
The Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Harold Lovell has condemned any act of political vandalism targeting the party’s political opponents.
Speaking at a press conference held yesterday at the Antigua and Barbuda Worker’s Union (ABWU) headquarters, Lovell addressed the defacing of Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) billboard at the junction of Dickenson Bay Street and Friars Hill Road.
The campaign billboard featured the faces of the Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Lovell, which the Prime Minister face was splashed with cream paint.
The ABLP swiftly condemned the action and laid blame at the feet of their main political opponents, the UPP, and called on them to denounce the act.
Later, a candidate for the UPP, Algernon Watts, was quoted as stating that the act was a “strategic action” taken by the Labour Party.
However, while denouncing the act of vandalism, Lovell stated that “we have always respected the right of all political parties to put up their billboards.
“We do not condone vandalism of billboards — it is counterproductive.”
Meanwhile the UPP Political Leader claimed that the ABLP was unsympathetic when a UPP candidate’s billboard was similarly defaced.
“What I would say, however, is when Alister Thomas had his billboard vandalised, the Labour Party was silent … it has been pointed out that the same paint that was used to vandalise Alister Thomas’ billboard was the same paint used to vandalise the [Prime Minister’s] billboard,” Lovell stated.
The Prime Minister condemned the attack on Thomas’ billboard on social media.
There has been no indication whether the campaign billboard will be replaced or removed, despite the vandalism occurring on December 2.
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