Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer
“I got the authority to pay for the charter flight to bring the Cuban students home to vote from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer,” was what Bruce Goodwin, the ambassador to Cuba, told the court yesterday, when asked who funded the US$60,000 trip for 108 voters.
Goodwin was the last witness responding to Antigua Labour Party (ALP) candidate Arthur Nibbs’ claim that undue influence was used to ensure he lost the election to Barbuda Political Movement candidate Trevor Walker.
The witness said the Antiguan and Barbudan students studying in Cuba enquired of him whether any provision was made for them to return home to participate in the general elections.
He said he contacted the prime minister and relayed the students’ concerns and he (Spencer) told him to “see how he could assist” and thereafter negotiations began to acquire a charter plane to get them home.
The ambassador said despite several hiccups during the negotiations, the charter was finally acquired.
However, it could not accommodate any more than 110 of the 200 persons.
The decision to determine who would make the trip was arrived at based on those who were eligible to vote; those who had registered and whether they had actually received their Voter Identification Card.
“Some of them were registered but did not have any ID cards so in that case, they were eliminated,” the ambassador said. “That left us with 109 but only 108 went on since one of the persons did not turn up. It was my decision, given the circumstances, and I had to do it fairly.”
Asked by the claimant’s attorney James Guthrie, QC, whether he, Goodwin, had passed on any of the information to the Electoral Commission about facilitating the students’ return home to vote, the Cuban ambassador replied, “No, I did not think it necessary at the time, it was my decision to make, given the circumstances.”
Goodwin said he and the agents from his embassy presented a budget to Spencer and the sum needed was approved, paid by wire transfer by the government of Antigua & Barbuda to Cuba.
Witnesses for the claimant, Nibbs, testified that the prime minister, through Goodwin, told the students, “I hope that after all this you don’t go back and vote for the opposition.”
Goodwin acknowledged making such a comment, but added it was a joke, at which both he and the students laughed.
“I do not think it was ironical at all. I think it was a general expression of humour; just an appreciation of the joke,” Goodwin said, answering to Guthrie’s question as to whether he sensed any irony in the students’ laughter.
Goodwin, who admitted in court to being a United Progressive Party (UPP) supporter, said he told the group that they should vote wisely and remember that no matter who they chose to vote for they should remember “the system is a secret system” and they should feel free to vote for anyone they chose.
“When I told them that, it was no joke. I was serious and I wanted to make that clear,” he said in response to Guthrie’s question as to whether he was still jesting.
“I also told them that it was the government of Antigua & Barbuda who was paying for the charter and the ground transport was taken care of by the Cuban government because I wanted to make it clear to them,” Goodwin said.
He was later quizzed about comments he made on OBSERVER Radio’s programme on March 14, two days after the elections, with radio personality “Serpent.”
Some of the comments included, whether he said, “Only certain fortuitous circumstances caused us to win and keep ALP out; … You see I just came from the airport because I went there to see the students board that plane to go back to Cuba and; … You cannot imagine the challenge I had to put up with to get that charter together. It was just two days before they got here that everything was finalised.”
The political analyst admitted he might have made those statements on the programme but added, “I was on for more than four hours. I said a lot more, so that’s not all.”
Additional comments, which Goodwin allegedly made and was asked to explain, were, “I am saying to you (Serpent) that if we were not so successful in organising that charter, Walker would not have won in Barbuda. Several Barbudan students who came on that charter would have voted for Walker … So if that was their choice, it made the difference …
“At one point I had to get the prime minister to call the foreign minister in Cuba to intervene with certain bureaucratic and bottle neck hiccups towards getting this charter implemented … If I were more softy, softy and not willing to push against the wall, the charter would not have come off and Walker would not have won.”
Goodwin did not deny making such comments, but said he did not regard any of his actions, in making arrangements for the students to return, a political exercise on behalf of the UPP.
He said when he used the word “us” in the statement where he said, “Fortuitous circumstances caused us to win,” he meant the UPP. And, when he used the word “we” relating to the statement, “If we were not so successful in organising that charter …” he meant the government.
Meantime, Kerrianne Baltimore, and another two witnesses for Nibbs’ petition, also said Goodwin brought them UPP T-shirts and told them they could wear them but they did not ask for them.
Goodwin, however, said, his agents received a request for the paraphernalia from the students’ representatives in Cuba who even provided the embassy with information about the sizes the students wanted.
Baltimore also told the court that Walker, who was also in Cuba with Goodwin, told her, “I hope when I send for you, you don’t go back and vote for your father.”
Baltimore, whose mother once had a relationship with Nibbs and with whom he fathered a child, said she did not interpret Walker’s comment as a joke, so she “simply smiled” but said nothing.
However, on Thursday, Walker admitted he did visit the students in Cuba and enquired about their wellbeing since they had been complaining about living conditions there, but said he never had any such conversation with the 21-year-old woman.
The young woman told the court living conditions were getting worse; sometimes there was no electricity and sometimes no water.
Denouncing suggestions by the claimant’s attorney, Walker said he had nothing to do with assisting the students to return home to vote. That is; he did not charter, or make any request to charter the plane and neither did he make any arrangement for payment nor make the payment himself to provide the chartered flight.
The incumbent also responded to claims made by Nibbs relating to roadwork commencing on the sister-isle “less than 30 days before the elections.”
Walker said such works began since 2005 and ended in 2006 after a dispute with the company, AmeriSwiss that was contracted to do the job.
He explained a new contract was entered into in 2007 with Patrice Luke, a private contractor.
Detailing reasons why the road work project did not commence immediately after the contract was agreed upon, Walker said there were still other things to be sorted out, such as “a batching plant had to be secured from Miami” and finances.
So far, the petitions for three of the four persons challenging the results of the March 12 polls have been completed.
On Monday, St Clair Simon will mount his case against Spencer.
Simon was not the candidate up against Spencer. In fact, it was Gail Christian who lost by 506 votes to Spencer.
The claimant’s case is that undue influence impacted negatively on Christian’s fortune.
Justice Louise Blenman is the presiding adjudicator, while attorneys for the claimants include Guthrie, Rika Bird and Samantha Marshall.
The respondents are represented by Douglas Mendes, SC, Michael Quamina, Leon Chaku Symister, Kendrickson Kentish, as well as Russell Martineau, SC who is advocating on behalf of Lorna Simon and the respective returning officers for the constituencies under scrutiny.
no comments today i see ,call the new polls
at 6:18 am
lock up the upp bribery,lock them up now.
at 6:20 am
if they can spend 60 thousand us,to bring home just 100 persons, how much would they spend to bribe forty eight thousand…………..lock them up
at 6:23 am
It would be fair to assume that even if the Government assisted the Cuban students to travel home to vote, the students would have already made up their minds how they were going to vote. It’s almost impossible to prove undue influence, unless the students or any student, was coerced into voting for the government candidate. An example of “undue influence” before the polls, is giving voters ham and turkey and computers and cash in exchange for their votes.
at 6:33 am
“undue influence” is all the ALP dreamers have to hold on to. It would be fair to assume that all the cuban students on the chartered flight had already made up their minds who would get their vote, before polling day. How do you prove undue influence in this matter. I’ll tell you what undue influence is. How about giving voters ham and turkey and computers and cash in exchange for their vote. That is undue influence.
at 6:45 am
If the students wanted to come home to vote, I think the government should accommodate them. Note that some students voted in Antigua and the minority voted in Barbuda. Who knows if any of the Barbudan students voted for Trevor Walker?
Can anyone say that the students who voted in Antigua made UPP or ALP win their seats definitively? Of course not.
The case of the week will be Mr. Simon’s testimony and case against the PM. Interesting that Ms, Christian refused to sign and/or contest the Rural west seat….hmmmmmm!!!!
at 7:29 am
I am not surprised UPP singers have no problem with what Goodwin did. In the past we down cried accusations that ALP politicians would pay for persons to fly to Antigua to vote, but this case is worse because tax payers money was used. Based on Goodwins testimony, to my mind undue influence has been proved. Looking forward to reading Dadliman and others thoughts on this news.
at 7:48 am
It was the ambassador who was on serpent’s programme boasting that his fly the Cubans home for the election scheme saved the election. The evidence is right there so let us stop pretending.
at 7:48 am
Just one question, I would like to ask, Who usually pay for the students to come home? And if I read correctly, Goodwin said that “the system is a secret system” and that they should feel free to vote for anyone they chose.
at 8:03 am
The issue is was there undue influence? Goodwin said “I hope that after all this you don’t go back and vote for the opposition.”. Tax payers monies were used in this process with walker alleged to have said ““I hope when I send for you, you don’t go back and vote for your father.”. Bruce also went on Observer and stated clearly that it was the students who caused the government to win, so we know why the 60K was spent. Persons need to put on their Antigua hat, what was done was wrong
at 8:17 am
Goodwin said on the radio that it is his initiative to get the students back here made the UPP win the election!
at 8:31 am
The ALP machine is working, they are now working for the next election they are making mountains out of mould hills. They are working on the minds of the population to disregard this government as honest men and women. This Government did the right thing in assisting these students, who were sent to Cuba to return home to exercise their rights to vote, the statement the Ambassador made on Serpents talk show about Walker winning is because of the return of the studens is not a fact, because no one knows who these students voted for at such time.
The ALP is side tracking this government from carrying out its duties, I call on my Prime Minister to use the facts at hand against the ALP members and seek justice for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
at 8:54 am
And he also said “the system is a secret system” and that they should vote for anyone they chose.
at 8:59 am
“Secret system”, “The Ambassador agreed that had he not arranged the charter from Cuba Walker would not have won in Barbuda.” pulled by caribarena $US 60 thousand for charter written by Ian Magic Hughes
at 9:27 am
but he insisted that had it not been for HIS intervention the UPP would have lost. He was pretty confident that the students would have voted for the UPP
at 9:27 am
secret system you are naive if you think that the UPP government was going to pay for majority ALP supporters to return from Cuba to vote. They had to be confident from their intelligence that the students were voting UPP probably because of the subliminal messages that they gave the students about the UPP providing them with the scholarships.
at 9:29 am
“Sec”Secret system”, “The Ambassador agreed that had he not arranged the charter from Cuba Walker would not have won in Barbuda.” quote obtained from caribarena $US 60- thousand for charter
at 9:30 am
There were hundreds (if not thousands) of other Antiguan students overseas at the time. What made the government single out the Cuban students for special treatment? I think Mr. Goodwin answered that question on Observer Radio. Corruption dressed up in any colour in still CORRUPTION.
at 9:42 am
thank you overseas observer- it was the ambassadors own conviction in his voice which gave him away!!
at 9:46 am
under oath “The Ambassador agreed that had he not arranged the charter from Cuba Walker would not have won in Barbuda.”
at 9:54 am
under oath The Ambassador agreed that had he not arranged the charter from Cuba Walker would not have won in Barbuda.
at 9:55 am
And don’t you think that they would be also foolish to think that all would vote for them, knowing that there were also Student who supported the ALP.
Did the other students ask for assistance? The Cuban Students ask for assistance.
at 10:19 am
These are students, not working people. They asked for help in getting home to vote and their ambassador assisted them. All over the world, the other ambassadors and workers in the embassy return home to vote. No one knows for sure who they vote for but tell me who pays? What must be borne in mind is that the Cuban students asked what provisions are made to get them home to vote. They never indicated who they would be voting for and no one knows for sure who they voted for. It seems as if Labour Party candidates can read people’s mind. They know the 500 people who left Potters school without voting were going to vote for Jonas; they can look into the eyes of Yorks poeple and know they were going to vote for Max; they know the Cuban students would vote for UPP. How come Vere Bird III had a list that was not from the Electoral Office? Where did he get it? Let stop here but I could go on and on.
at 10:20 am
Other countries have what is called “Absentee Ballot”. There are many antiguans studying in the US, London and even Canada did they think of flying these students home to vote. Conflict of intertest,what does this mean.
at 10:25 am
What about the Guyanese and Jamaicans, who no longer reside in Antigua, who the ALP provided airline tickets to travel to Antigua to vote in Antigua’s election? Is that bribery or undue influence?
Also, remember the comments made by Max Fernandez that he saw the people in the lines and knew they were going to vote for him. How did he know that? Could it be that financial inducement was provided to elicit a commitment to vote a particular way? Was that part of the $300,000 provided by the Big H to Max each week for distribution to his constituents?
at 10:54 am
MONEY IN FOLDED RED T-SHIRTS, NEW HOUSE ROOF, A HOUSE FULL OF NEW FURNITURE, COMPUTERS, AMNESTY @ THE ELEVENTH HOUR B4 TWO ELECTIONS! I WONDER IF ALL THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO BRIBE VOTERS OR TO EXERT UNDUE INFLUENCE TO ACHIEVE THE SAME END.
at 11:19 am
If nibbs daughter was also on the flight then we can assume that at least one student voted for nibbs. also a popular news presenter from ABS was on that flight and we should not pretend that we don’t know where that particular vote went.
So to claim that its only upp benefitted from that flight is absurd to say the least.
Come on people lets reason.
at 11:22 am
NaRcO, most of what you listed were paid for by the politicians or their party and are probably morally wrong. What the UPP has admitted to doing is not just morally wrong but probably legally wrong. They abused their position to do by using tax payers monies.
at 11:51 am
So wait…the tax money I’m paying is going to these causes? lol. So they decide to only bring back students from Cuba and neglect other Antiguans in other countries. You can’t get more corrupt than that. It will be interesting to see how many people they will bring back for the next election. They will probably need a lot more to steal a win. And remember this government is very close with the likes of Venezuela, China and Cuba (more so than the previous government). And we all know how Venezuela rigs elections to make sure Chavez stays in power. Let’s hope the same doesn’t happen here.
Also…
How about using some of this tax money to fix the roads, improve social services and help fight crime? Everything seems to be going backwards with this country. I haven’t seen any improvement in this nation and I don’t blame tourists for deciding to go elsewhere. Why would they want to pay 3000us to come to this increasingly unsafe and rude when they can go for 1000us to another island with a much better environment.
at 12:01 pm
The ALP Machine is working. They are trying to instill in the minds of Antiguans that the present government of this nation is not trustworthy. It is the responsibility of this government to allow any national to exercise their right to vote, the students were sent to Cuba by this government and if a request was made that they wanted to participate in the voting process, the leadership took action to make sure the request was fulfilled. IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
What ever was said on the radio in this situation cannot be proven that the students present allowed for the victory of any one. The Ambassodor made a mistake in making such a statement, I am sure he regrets.
I call on my government to take action against the ALP members for the wrong doings when they ruled. The people of this nation is still waiting.
at 12:24 pm
( 2 ) A person shall be guilty of undue influence-
(a) if he, directly or indirectly, by himself or by
any other person on his behalf, makes use of or threatens
to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any
temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm or loss upon
or against any person in order to induce or compel that
person to vote or refrain from voting, or on account
of that person having voted or refrained from voting; or
(b) if, by abduction, duress or any fraudulent
device or contrivance, he impedes or prevents the free
exercise of the franchise of any elector or proxy for an
elector, or thereby compels, induces or prevails upon
an elector or proxy for an elector either to vote or to
refrain from voting.
This was taken from the representation of the peoples act
at 12:27 pm
upp voters stop having tunnel vision
at 12:39 pm
if it was the alp what would you have said, stop being one sided people
at 12:43 pm
is this wright ? cant be what i am wearing upp got to be a cult that any thing said from the top every body run with it. and then next day they have to apolligized upp kill the cult now ,when u listened the alp ministers u get a breath of clean air.
at 12:49 pm
its not good thats all i say on the matter rong is rong.
at 12:51 pm
u wright serphant, but i have 2 keep mymouth close on this one.
at 12:53 pm
fled the area. my mouth close this is out of my league, i am just the .
at 12:56 pm
“undue influence” you’ve got the last word. ALP bloggers feel that they win if they scream the loudest. Easy call for the JUDGE.
at 1:24 pm
I recognize that the ALP has probably done what the UPP has done but in an indirect way. But to have the UPP directly use tax payers monies to do this, all I can say is wow. What even bothers me just like Edmead Javis during the medical benefit hearing, Bruce sees nothing wrong with what was done. Seems as if power truly does corrupt.
at 1:31 pm
THESE PEOPLE HAVE THE NERVE TO TALK ABOUT GOVERNMENT USING TAX PAYERS MONEY TO PAY FOR THE STUDENTS FROM CUBA.WASN’T THAT THE NORM WITH THE ALP IN 28YRS?WHAT IS GOOD FOR GOOSE IS NOW NOT GOOD FOR THE GANDA.COU PAN AHYOU!NO MATTER WHAT TAX $S THE UPP USE TO DO ANYTHING,CANNOT COMPARE WITH ALL THOSE MILLIONS OF THE SAME TAX $S SATSHED AWAY IN FOREIGN COUNTRY BY THE GANGS OF THIEVES IN THE ALP.WHOSE MONEY DID THEY USE BEFOR THE 2004 ELECTION FOR THE GRAND FETE BEFOR ELECTION BELOW THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING?ALL OF A SUDDEN SATAN WANT TO CORRECT SIN.
at 1:36 pm
Tenman…false knowledge is worse than ignorance. How do u know that the money the ALP politicians fronted the bill to pay for the votes they received (you said it not me). If I call correct we never really got a true account of how Government money was spent under the pressure of ALP administration. And If they were paid for by their pockets. How did the money get into their pockets? Come on dont hang on to words listen to the message. Numbers dont lie. Did the UPP win the election by 109 votes. If they did then we still cannot assume that is was due to the undue influence placed on the cuban students. We would still need to a statistical analysis to find the correlation between the 109 students transported here by the government who won the election. And at this point correlation does not prove causation. So what the ALP should have done instead of wasting tax payers money now. Was prove without reasonable doubt that undue influence was indeed present. Which my dear friend (who feeds on false knowledge..yes I can calling u out Tenman) is a very hard thing to prove. Seek knowledge and wisdom stop hanging on to the poor education that the ALP provided.
at 1:48 pm
“Really now”, Il followed the Medical Benefit hearing and heard how monies were taken by the then ALP government ministers. If you will note I stated it was probably done in an indirect manner. Last time I heard Winston Henry he stated the independent audits mandated for by our constitution, have already done covering the ALP period, so your point about not knowing what they did with the money seems mute. Your statement about the ALP not proving their case, I will await the judges decision. As far as my false knowledge I guess much of it came from attending UPP youth leagues meetings and growing up in a family that wanted Bird tarred and feathered.
at 2:26 pm
TO SUM THIS ALL UP: The UPP will do anything to win an election, but no surprise because the ALP would have done the same thing. When are people going to understand, these politician don’t give a dam about you. They will use you to fulfill their needs, then spit you out, when you are of no more importance to them. It is time for a new party with fresh ideas and real patriots.
at 2:30 pm
Tenman get a life if you read the statement from Mr Goodwin the students were the ones who inquired about the possibilities of voting in the elections not the other way round so as the peoples representative in Cuba he had a responsibility to see how he could have met that request and the person to contact was the head man himself. As for undue influence I dont see it that way so this is a waste of time.
at 2:33 pm
The only problem with this us that the U.P.P. should have been the ones to pay instead of the government.
at 2:52 pm
Tenman, at 7:48 am you wrote this “Based on Goodwins testimony, to my mind undue influence has been proved.” Could you read the definition of “undue Influence” as stated earlier from the Representation of the Peoples Act and indicate from which section in that definition you draw your conclusion from.
at 3:03 pm
Been asked not to respond here so I taking a break. Check caribarena for my response to your post on this
at 3:09 pm
Rethought that break. I would suggest that his hand picking who would go after admitting and verbalizing his wish for them to vote for the UPP puts it in b.
b) if, by abduction, duress or any fraudulent
device or contrivance, he impedes or prevents the free
exercise of the franchise of any elector or proxy for an
elector, or thereby compels, induces or prevails upon
an elector or proxy for an elector either to vote or to
refrain from voting
at 3:28 pm
hi has to go antigua and barbuda dat
at 4:09 pm
tenman, do you have a brain? he did not HANDPICK them. he used a fair criteria to determine who came home. he said all of those people who were registered and had ID cards would be sent for. How is that handpicking?
Anyways, the Cuban students are in a different situation than the students in the US, Canada or England. The students in Cuba are there under a GOVERNMENT scholarship i.e. them being in Cuba is directly under the responsibility of the government whereas the overwhelming majority of students in England, Canada and the US are there on their own accord.
at 4:41 pm
I notice the tendency to get personal when the “smart” persons are upset. I will try my best to refrain from such.
1.The electoral commission decided a few days before the election to allow persons who did not have their ID to instead use a government issued picture ID? Is this wrong? If true Bruces decision not to allow persons who though they wished to vote had no ID ended up preventing these persons from voting.
2. Tax Payers moneys were used in what was basically a UPP campaign operation which is an abuse of their power.
Let me end by stating. I am no lawyer. I have given my opinion. I look forward to the judges decision.
at 5:14 pm
At the time when the decision to fly Cuban students home was made, the Electoral commission still had not decided on allowing people who did not have ID cards to vote. His decision to fly home people who were registered and had cards was obviously the most prudent decision at that time. Furthermore, these were government students asking to come home to vote. If private money was used to fly them home, that would have constituted bribery. The reason government funds were used is because the students in Cuba are under the responsibility of the government.
at 5:38 pm
Just imagine so much crime in Antigua and every body take time to talk about the petition, don’t we concerned about crime and criminals wake up Antiguans .
at 7:19 pm
Trust me JAY, these fools aren’t sleeping. They r very much awake which is just sad and pathetic. This place just sickens me and these corrupt politicians. Both blue and red and potential colours……..
at 7:39 pm
can we talk about crime everyday, maybe you get real
at 7:49 pm
Tenman, are you serious? where is the abduction, duress or fraudulent
device or contrivance?
at 7:54 pm
“undue influence ” obviously we wont agree, that’s why many times a judge is needed. Lets wait and hear what the learned judge says and I like most will abide byher decision. Enjoy whats left of the week end
at 10:25 pm
i am hungry and instead of feading me u waste 60,000 on votes ,then after begging money ,this upp government is like a youngman that will takes his weeks pay purchase a shoes with all his money and reinturn ask u for $5 dollars to by bread [ waste of money.
at 4:22 am
60,000 dollars from the treasury was spent on a charter to bring home students. Probably similar amounts from the treasury were spent on other election campaigns. Maybe that is why when Lovell got there he met an empty treasury although we know they collected so much revenue. They wanted to get back there even if it meant breaking the treasury.
at 8:00 am
just 60,000 more will suffer, many more will die.
at 9:17 am
The use of tax payers moneys in an authorized manner to basically further the interest of a political party
at 10:16 am
fraudulent device or contrivance – The use of tax payers moneys in an authorized manner to basically further the interest of a political party
at 10:17 am
I have no doubt that the ALP government was crrupt. We have 28 years of evidence (much of it anecdotal) that supports that. I also have no doubt that corruption was one of (if not the main) reason why they were removed from office. Regretfully, the criminal justice system has failed to act and so we are left to speculate about the details of what went on during the ALP admistration. In this case details have been given in court and on public radio which CONFIRM that public funds were used to influence the outcome of the election. Which ever way we many choose to twist it, that cant be right.
We need to stop looking at corrupting through coloured spectacles and see it for what it is. Only when we insist that the the “law is supreme” and those who are empowered to act do so will there be genuine change in Antigua.
at 10:44 am
I am a UPP supporter, but I will not support this kind of stuff. We had a chance to lock up the ALP crooks but we did not that is because they have a lot on us to. That has pass. This is now the the election is the issue of the day. I wish My fellow supporters would look at the facts and BE ANTIGUAN not UPPguan. We got caught on our knees sucking and those who are cought need to go NOW. The truth is real. We need to do what is right. Let the court do it’s things and if they decide against us the PM must resign. Barbuda’s election redone or forfit. Goodwin removed for poor judgement. DPP do your job or you also need to resign.
at 6:40 pm
@ OVERSEAS OBSERVER the only change Antiguans want with respect to corruption is the $$$change$$$
at 8:11 pm
Why did NOT the UPP make a deal with the ALP and the court? like this: When you the ALP decide to answer questions concerning the MEDICAL BENEFITS SCHEME and more, and refrain from postponing, so many times, then we the UPP will be only too glad to answer your questions, concerning the Cuban Students and the voting. Also, I often heard that the ALP is a cult, but I tend to believe it for there are so many clairvoyants in the party. Next thing you know, they will tell the people of A&B they can raise the dead, and many brain-washed persons will believe. Only persons who have much to gain, want to see them back in power, but POWER IS A DRUG AND THE ALP IS HOOKED. Where is all this hoopla getting the country, in helping to fight crime?
at 11:11 pm
This is a lovely picture of the Prime Minister, Look at those sexy lips. Time to take a break and enjoy the view. Lighten up everybody, the world will still exist tomorrow, and long after we are gone.
at 11:17 pm
How amused I have been reading all the to-and-fro! I am just a few years shy of being 50! I have seen The Labour Party rule for most of my life time. What struck me most vividly were the following:1. Carla Samuels and old Bird’s Treasury cheque 2. USD11 million of airport funds 3. 40,000 of Public Works unaccounted funds, 4, many months of late salary payments. I could go on but I hope some people have a good memory like I do.
at 12:45 am
its amazing that a public library couldnt be completed for so long but a govt can spend 60 gran usd to get students to come and vote. …..wow
at 9:41 am
Antigua people just chat chat chat and basically do not understand political processes. Amb: Bruce Goodwin spoke from the heart, he admits that he is a supporter of the UPP, should he, in jest or seriousness make such comments in favor of the ALP ? He is in such a position as ambassador because of the UPP
if people are so myopic then how do i explain the money that was expended,all the students who returned would have voted for ALP i guess, and by the way they are there on Government’s expinditure and i think that it is the govt: responsibility to pay for this since all would have exercised their different political franchise to vote irrespective of political prefernces, now people stop the crap!!!
at 2:52 pm
Mr Goodwin there is something seriously unethical in using public funds to bring those students home. How come the Antiguan Government never offered to charter a flight for the Cuban students to leave to study in Cuba? It was hatred of curruption why people voted aganst ALP but as it turns out “Sonku na betta dan lunku” Shame on the UPP.
at 12:54 pm