Cash, bikes, fans: As giveaways flow in St. Mary’s South, Pringle condemns ALP’s use of public resources to influence voters

Jamale Pringle, the political leader of the United Progressive Party
(UPP), is condemning the Antigua Labour Party’s win-at-any-cost
political tactics, now said to be in full swing ahead of the St. Mary’s
South by-election.

According to reports from the constituency, the Labour Party has
been deploying cash, bicycles, fans, and other gifts in order to secure
the seat.

Quite a bit of infrastructural work is being done in the constituency,
as well. This has been described as the party using public resources
to win the by-election and increase its one-seat majority in the
Lower House.
 
Pringle claims the Labour Party has gone as far as paving private
properties in the constituency with the aim of receiving votes from
that household.
 
He notes that the Labour Party cannot win an election fairly, and
says the time has come to do away with this type of politics.
 
However, like his colleague, Kelvin “Shugy” Simon, the UPP
candidate for St. Mary’s South, Pringle is confident that the
constituents will not be fooled by this trickery, since they are
intelligent people.
 
Meanwhile, what could not be achieved during the Labour Party’s
first two terms in office will now be undertaken. Government-
sponsored houses reportedly will be made available to St. Mary’s
South constituents ahead of the upcoming polls.
 
Minister of Housing Maria Browne reportedly has said that, by next
week, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHAPA) will be
handing over several houses to new homeowners in the Bolans
development.
 
This week’s Cabinet Notes reported that “National Housing has
already handed over some houses to homeowners in their
new Oliver’s Estate development, which will see over 300 homes
upon completion.”