MP resignations could be best way to trigger constituency spending, Pringle says

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Jamale Pringle
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By Robert A Emmanuel

[email protected]

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle said United Progressive Party MPs may consider taking a risky political move to increase spending by the government in their constituencies.

Pringle told Observer that recent heavy spending on projects in St Mary’s South had not gone unnoticed by the Opposition as the Labour Party-led government seeks to boost the visibility and electability of its candidate, Dwayne George.

George, who will run in the October 24 by-election for the Labour Party following his defection from UPP ranks two months ago, has been credited by Prime Minister Gaston Browne with recent improvements in the area.

This follows earlier accusations by the Opposition that the previous Labour MP for the area – now Senator Samantha Marshall – had failed to pressure the government to address issues such as fixing roads, which led to her eventual electoral defeat by the UPP’s Kelvin Simon.

Pringle revealed that UPP executives had discussed various neglected constituencies across Antigua and concluded that triggering by-elections could be a possibility.

“My colleagues and I are very much interested in how things are unfolding in the St Mary’s South constituency so, you never know, you might just hear another resignation so that we can have other constituencies looked at as they are focusing on the St Mary’s South constituency.

“We are focusing on serving our people and if that is what it takes to give our people the best representation possible, then it works as a shot because we want to drive through our constituencies and know that our people are comfortable,” Pringle said.

The UPP has criticised Prime Minister Browne over his comments earlier this year regarding constituencies held by opposition MPs which he said would be placed on the back burner for government assistance.

Pringle referenced his own constituency, claiming the government has neglected it since coming to power in 2014, saying “the situation that existed then is still now and worse.”

“They [the government] is cutting style and behaving like it [the funds] is theirs and the people living in those areas do not contribute to the tax regime in this country,” he added.

Pringle said that if the drastic step of resigning to trigger more by-elections in different constituencies was what it took for the government to pay attention and take action, then they “may very well be looking at that option”.

“We are not elected to serve us, we are elected to serve [the people], and we should be willing to do whatever it takes to give them the best that can be offered to them by the government,” he said.

Simon’s resignation as St Mary’s South MP came amid an election petition questioning his eligibility. Simon said he would rather constituents determine their political representative, not the courts.

Pringle said precisely who might undertake the ‘resignation policy’ first will depend on an assessment of the various constituencies.

“It all depends on my colleagues because, you know, every constituency has its challenges…and if it is a strategy we are going to use, we have to look at the constituency that is affected by the worst condition,” he said.

“I might be complaining about something, but someone else may have a situation that is worse and if they are confident and are willing to do that [resign], you can yield to that person so that they can make sure that their constituents are comfortable,” he added.

UPP Chairperson Gisele Isaac told Observer neither she nor the party at large had knowledge of any such plan, and declined to give further substantive comment on the matter.

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