Pringle: MP Smith’s defection could disillusion voters

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UPP Leader Jamale Pringle (Facebook photo)
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By Tahna Weston

[email protected]

Concerns are being expressed that the surprise move by All Saints West MP Anthony Smith Jr to resign from the United Progressive Party (UPP) may cause young voters to become disillusioned with the country’s political process.

This concern was raised by the UPP’s Political Leader and Leader of the Opposition, Jamale Pringle, in response to MP Smith tendering his resignation from the UPP and subsequently taking up a position within the Gaston Browne Cabinet.

Pringle said that Smith’s defection is a slap in the face, not only to the opposition party but also to the more than 2,000 people who voted for Smith, many of whom were young people.

He said that this type of politicking continues to turn off individuals from having trust in those who put themselves forward for elective politics.

“And this is where it hurts for me, because I understand, I know, what it takes to move a person within a constituency to vote for you. There are persons who would say to you ‘I don’t want any part with politics’, and you would go and speak to them and you will sell them your policies … you will outline the things that you have in store or you would like to see in your constituency, you outline things that you’d want to see in the community, how you’re going to make their lives better.

“And when that person moves to vote for you overwhelmingly, this is a slap in the face to them, and it sends a bad signal throughout the political landscape and we cannot accept these things.

“We cannot sit back as a people and say to ourselves that this is a situation that we can leave until the next general election,” Pringle stated.   

The UPP Leader claimed many constituents who voted for Smith have expressed a feeling of betrayal, and said some members of the UPP’s All Saints West branch – who considered Smith as a brother – were moved to tears during a recent meeting he held with them.

The opposition leader said one man who convinced his daughter to vote for the very first time was beside himself that the MP betrayed her support.

Those who overwhelmingly voted for Smith did so as a clear demonstration that they were rejecting the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and then incumbent Michael Browne, who received just over 1,400 votes to Smith’s 2,022, Pringle added.

“And for this slap in the face it’s something that touches and hurts to the core because the people did not even get an opportunity” to hear from Smith before he decided to become an independent candidate.

Smith left the UPP last week, citing issues with the party’s leadership, among other things. 

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