Grateful Simon reflects on win, says SMS constituents proved money is not everything, and lauds them as the real MVPs
The people of St. Mary’s South are the real MVPs, says Kelvin
“Shugy” Simon, as he extends heartfelt thanks and appreciation to
the constituents who voted for him in Tuesday’s by-election.
Simon, the United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate, amassed
1,065 votes against the Antigua Labour Party’s 891, beating Dwayne
George by 174 votes. Observers have commended Simon for this
convincing win, given all that was thrown at him by the Labour
Party and the Gaston Browne Administration.
Simon acknowledges that he could not have made history – with two
election wins in one year – without the trust and dedication of his
constituents.
Expressing his jubilation, the newly minted representative says he
feels vindicated, since the Labour Party – and, moreso, Prime
Minister Browne – had dismissed his January 18 win as a fluke.
Meanwhile, Simon admits that, while he was confident he would be
re-elected, he did not expect his opponent to do so well.
However, he says that money and other inducements were a slight
factor in George doing slightly better than former MP Samantha
Marshall.
Accordingly, Simon says the people of Antigua and Barbuda must get
over the politics of money and allow a party’s programmes and
policies to determine how they vote.
According to Simon, while some persons sold their voter cards and
souls for money, the majority of his constituents demonstrated that
money is not everything; rather, as the Bible says, “the love of
money is the root of all evil.”
Therefore, he says, most of his people should be emulated, since
they have demonstrated they cannot be bought.
Simon claims that PM Browne – who is unable to honour back pay to
civil servants and owes contractors millions of dollars – almost
bankrupted the Treasury in order to win the election.
The decision in St. Mary’s South is evidence that it is time for PM
Browne to take his leave, Simon says, since the by-election was a
referendum on his leadership.
