Small business pull-up today in St Mary’s South as by-election fever heats up

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Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon with a St Mary’s South entrepreneur during the small business pull-up in October 2022 (Photo courtesy social media)
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In preparation for the pending by-election in St Mary’s South, the United Progressive Party (UPP) will host a small business pull-up event today.

The initiative will begin at 2pm Saturday, departing from the Urlings Primary School, with the aim of patronising the constituency’s micro and small businesses. It mirrors similar events the party staged in the run-up to January’s general election.

“We are looking for an afternoon of fun, frolic, fellowship…and just to make sure that they know that the entire United Progressive Party, we stand with our brother Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon,” UPP General Secretary, Senator Shawn Nicholas, said on Observer AM yesterday.

Nicholas spoke of the exposure the businesses received as a result of the previous instalments of the venture.

“Persons now know if I need tamarind stew, where in Antigua I can go. If I need homemade pizza, where can I go.

“Almost like a Craig’s List we have; who provides what service and where…We have created a platform and channel, so to speak, for these small businesses,” she said.

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has also been engaging in preparations aimed at capturing the seat, with Senator Samantha Marshall hosting a walkthrough in Urlings last Friday.

Earlier in the week Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that the ABLP was already in the process of preparing for a by-election in the constituency.

On December 10 last year, the UPP’s small business pull-up concluded in St Phillip’s South after 16 weeks of patronising businesses. During the initiative, over 400 micro and small business across Antigua’s 16 constituencies were supported.

Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon announced his resignation as MP for St Mary’s South on June 7. By law, his resignation prompts a by-election to be held within 120 days.

According to Simon, he vacated the seat to prevent the constituents from being negatively impacted by the lengthy legal battle he anticipated would’ve ensued.

The legal battle referenced is the election petition that was filed on behalf of the ABLP questioning Simon’s eligibility for office as he was still a civil servant upon nomination. He later resigned from his Ministry of Education job two weeks before the January 18 election.

He is now set to face off again against the ABLP’s Samantha Marshall, who he previously beat by 199 votes.  

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