By Kisean Joseph
The UPP’s recently departed public relations officer Damani Tabor has levelled serious accusations against the party’s current leadership, alluding to deep-seated internal conflicts and raising questions about the party’s future.
On Monday, Tabor became the latest – and one of the most high profile – in a string of members to leave the opposition party, citing concerns with its “cohesion, performance and political viability”.
UPP leader Jamale Pringle has, in turn, hit out at what he deems a series of “staged resignations” aimed at undermining the party’s credibility.
Speaking to Observer yesterday, Tabor dismissed Pringle’s claims as a “very pathetic excuse and deflection”.
He denied any knowledge of coordinated resignations, claiming that many party members are considering leaving or “quiet quitting”, meaning withdrawing their efforts while remaining nominal members.
The former UPP spokesman directed criticism at party leader Jamale Pringle and chairperson Gisele Isaac, accusing them of creating “rampant division” and generating “massive disrespect and abuse” towards elected members of parliament and other officers.
Tabor alleged there had been a complete alienation of key strategists from the 2023 general election and St Mary’s South by-election campaigns.
One of the most damning accusations was the leadership’s alleged refusal to take advice from party elders. Tabor claimed former party leader Harold Lovell had previously addressed the executive body, stating that neither he nor former UPP Prime Minister Dr Winston Baldwin Spencer had been consulted by Pringle on pertinent matters.
According to Tabor, the response from party leaders was to accuse Lovell and Spencer of breaching trust by not openly endorsing Pringle at the UPP’s last convention.
Tabor painted a picture of a party in disarray, with no genuine effort to foster unity, despite what he described as “the smoothest transition in the history of the party” following the leadership convention. He accused the party chairman of sowing discord through media appearances, claiming that people hadn’t accepted the results and were “grieving”.
The internal strife appears to extend to the party’s leadership structures. Tabor alleged that when members of parliament make suggestions in their leadership group, they face attacks. He credited Lovell with occasionally coming to their defence, only to face attacks himself.
Particularly startling is Tabor’s claim that Pringle has never intervened to calm tensions within the party.
The alienation of talent within the party was another point of contention. Tabor noted that despite the UPP coming close to victory in the 2023 election and winning the St Mary’s South by-election, all major players from those strategy teams have been “completely excluded”.
In a revealing detail about the party’s internal dynamics, Tabor also mentioned that when a vote was put to the leadership caucus of the party – a body above the executive – there were more abstentions than ‘yes’ votes, suggesting a lack of confidence or deep divisions within the highest levels of the party.
Asked if he planned to take up the Prime Minister’s invitation to join the ruling Labour Party, Tabor said he had not accepted the offer and was not considering it.
Yesterday, a public statement issued by Isaac condemned “fabrications” about the UPP’s inner workings published by another local media house.
For his part, Pringle has sought to remind the public that he was chosen to lead the party in April by a majority of its members. He claimed in a statement on Monday night that those who did not support him have refused to work with him.
He added that while he may not possess the “unlimited wealth or higher education” of some of his departed colleagues, his “record as a political representative speaks for itself”.
As the UPP grapples with these internal conflicts, questions arise about its ability to present a united front to voters and effectively challenge the ruling party. The coming weeks will likely be crucial in determining whether the party can bridge its internal divides or if further fractures are on the horizon.
With allegations of leadership failures, exclusion of key strategists, and a breakdown in communication with party elders, the UPP faces significant challenges. How it addresses these issues may well determine its political relevance in the near future.
