It was a bombshell announcement. Seemed, Member of Parliament for the St Mary’s South Constituency, the Honourable Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon, was immediately resigning from his handily won seat in Parliament to make way for a by-election. According to a release issued by him yesterday, “In the January 18, 2023 General Election, I was overwhelmingly elected, defeating incumbent Samantha Marshall, the Antigua Labour Party candidate, by 199 votes. However, on January 31, 2023, I was served with a Petition challenging my right to sit in Parliament as the Representative for St. Mary’s South. This challenge was premised solely on the grounds that I was disqualified because I was a public servant.
The Petitioner and the Antigua Labour Party first sought to prevent me from being sworn in as a Member of Parliament by seeking an injunction from the Court. This was refused by the Court on February 14, 2023. Since that date, I have been consumed by the litigation and the media controversy. This has created an unwarranted hindrance to the proper execution of my duties as the representative for the constituency of St Mary’s South.
The matter is due to be heard by the Court during the first week of July, and while my lawyers believe in the strength of my case, the outcome is entirely in the hands of the trial judge. Whoever loses the case will appeal to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal. This will delay the final outcome even further, as the appeal will have to be heard and a decision given. . . . It is unfair to the people of St Mary’s South to have this uncertainty hanging over their heads. This situation needs to be resolved without further delay. Therefore, my decision, today, June 7, 2023, is that I want this matter to be settled by the people; not by the Court. . . . This will create conditions for a clean break and reset, and allow the people of St Mary’s South to reaffirm me as their MP. . . .” Hear, hear, hear! Bravo, Shugy!
What a strategic move. The beleaguered (and illegitimate) incumbency, hanging on to power by the skin of its teeth, has been outmanoeuvred. They were intent on muddying the water and gummying-up the works with long, protracted wranglings in the Court. Shugy was clearly not in the mood to abide the legal dilly-dallying, he was eager to be about the peoples’ business, unhindered and unencumbered. So he rolled the dice, and made the bold, big move.
Not that his move is a gamble. Far from it. He administered a beating to the lame Samantha Marshall at the January 18 polls, after only three weeks of campaigning, and we have no reason to believe that the outcome in this by-election will be any different. In fact, the only difference will be that Shugy will increase his tally of supporting votes. He has proven himself to be an indefatigable worker, standing up for the people of his constituency, and for all of Antigua and Barbuda. He is a simple, plain-spoken young man, unpretentious and unassuming, blessed with handsome, good looks, and a warm and affable personality. His honesty, his sincerity, and his earnestness have endeared him to the people of St Mary’s South. He is a rapidly rising star in the UPP, and we are persuaded that his future as an advocate for his constituents is bright.
Of course, as mentioned before, the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) was caught flat-footed by Shugy’s brilliant move, and they will now be scrambling to put their dirty tricks campaign into high gear. He of a High Place, as is his wont, uttered manifest foolishness when he said that Shugy knew that he was going to lose the court ruling, so he took ‘preemptive’ action by resigning. Chupz! He of a High Place uttered other fiddle-faddle which we will not repeat. After all, no useful purpose will be served. It was just the same tiresome attempt to insult and diminish; the same meaningless bluster. His shtick is wearing thin.
The Labour Party Member of Parliament Chet Greene also displayed the expected bravado by regurgitating the tripe coming from He of a High Place. So sad. Just when we think that Minister Greene will rise to the occasion by distancing himself from the nonsense from on high, he dutifully falls in line, never mind the silliness of it all. Sigh!
Based on the outpouring of love and support that we are seeing for Shugy, we are confident that he will prevail, even more impressively, in the by-election. We here at NEWSCO heartily endorse Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon as the representative for the St Mary’s South constituency. He is a breath of fresh air, brimming with the ideas and enthusiasm to effect a meaningful change in the lives of his constituents and Antigua and Barbuda. Way to go, Shugy!
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