Opposition Leader tells Governor-General he was ‘deceived at the highest level’ and urges him to investigate prime minister’s letter

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle is awaiting a response to his
second letter to Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams regarding
the appointment of Arthur Thomas to head the Antigua and Barbuda
Electoral Commission (ABEC).

In a letter dated February 23 and received by Pringle on February
26, Sir Rodney responded to the initial letter in which the
Opposition leader pointed out that Thomas’ appointment had not
met the legal requirement for consultation.

The Governor-General tells Pringle that he had had sight of a
February 15 letter from Prime Minister Gaston Browne in which

Browne thanked the Opposition leader for allowing him to consult
on Thomas’ appointment.

“Based on the assumption of regularity and my understanding of
what is required to cross the threshold of ‘consulting,’” Sir Rodney
writes, “I am firmly of the opinion that there has been no breach of
Section 3 of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2001
as alleged or at all.”

Responding to the Governor-General on February 27, Pringle tells
him “it is unfortunate – though expected – that you chose to
discredit my assertion.”

However, he tells Sir Rodney, “you have been deceived at the highest
level,” since the “letter on which you based your full satisfaction … is
a sham, intended to cover up the breach of the law.”

He brings to Sir Rodney’s attention that the seemingly backdated
letter was delivered to the Parliament Building by Chief of Staff
Lionel Hurst in the afternoon hours of February 19 – after the
Governor-General had appointed Thomas on the morning of
February 16.

“There was no consultation; not by appointment, not by telephone,
nor by email – any of which would have been independently
verifiable,” the Opposition leader’s letter reiterates.

“If the truth of this matter is of any interest to you, Sir, I strongly
urge that you ask the Prime Minister for proof that this alleged
consultation took place,” Pringle concludes, adding that he looks
forward to hearing from the Governor-General after his
investigation.