Supporters of the Antigua Labour Party did not seem to “get the memo” as only nine protesters turned up to yesterday’s picket held outside Parliament. (Photo by Tameika Malone)
Supporters of the main opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) did not seem to get the message that the picket was postponed. Just a handful turned up yesterday outside the Prime Minister’s Office.
The picket was organised to protest government’s nomination of Ambassador Bruce Goodwin and educator Juno Samuel to serve on Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC).
Among the placard-bearing protesters was suspended ABEC member Lionel Max Hurst who led the chant, “Baldwin Spencer must go.”
Hurst, who is under investigation by a tribunal for his open political activism, along with ALP PRO Dean Jonas were the only two senior party members taking part in the picket.
He said he and the eight persons present decided to go ahead in the face of contradictory messages about whether the action would proceed as planned or be called off.
“There’s been an announcement on ZDK (Monday) night that the protest was cancelled, so those of us who are here are actually continuing despite the fact that the leaders of the ALP had other obligations. Every person that you see here are continuing the protest that we began every Tuesday,” Hurst said.
Hurst told The Daily OBSERVER that the purpose of the protest was to continue the call for Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer to vacate his office. He said the protest against the UPP nominees on the Electoral Commission was in fact being saved for next Tuesday.
However, Jonas who was the ALP St George’s candidate expressed a different view about the poor turnout.
“Some people called into the radio station and made mischievous statements that the protest was off, but I was at a candidates’ meeting and there was confirmation that the protest was still on,” Jonas said. “We are protesting the impending appointments of Bruce Goodwin and Juno Samuel to the electoral commission and I think that Goodwin’s appointment is particularly dangerous.”
