By Robert A. Emmanuel
Scores of United Progressive Party (UPP) supporters adorned their blue and yellow party and colours showed rapturous support yesterday for the newly sworn-in Member of Parliament (MP) for St Mary’s South, the Honourable Kelvin “Shugy” Simon.
There was a string of applause from the UPP supporters as each member of the opposition—including independent MP Asot Michael — embraced their representatives in the Lower House of Parliament.
Grinning from ear to ear Simon, who was re-elected as the St Mary’s South representative for the second time in 10 months, greeted supporters and students of the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School as he made his way around the parliamentary floor.
Simon resigned in June, thereby seeking to bypass an election petition brought by the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to disqualify Simon as an MP.
Prior to his official swearing-in yesterday, MP Simon shared his sentiments with Observer media saying: “It is a proud moment for St Mary’s South, and it is a proud moment for myself and we will not see it any less than that. Even if it took 100 days after the election, we will still celebrate it.”
Simon defeated the Labour Party Senator Dwayne George by 179 votes in the October 24 by-election. George was later appointed Junior Minister of Finance days later.
Yesterday’s sitting of parliament, which was expected to debate the Fire and Rescue Service Bill among other legislative changes, adjourned without any debate taking place.
