Upp Chairman – By Deslyn A Joseph
Upp Chairman Blasts Gov
United Progressive Party (UPP) Chairman D. Gisele Isaac has leveled a scathing critique against the current administration, accusing the government of engaging in desperate, last-minute maneuvers to secure political favor in the St Philip’s North constituency.
Characterizing the upcoming electoral contest as a referendum on the government’s performance, Isaac pointed to a sudden surge of localized activity ranging from gutter clearing to the installation of streetlights as evidence of attempting to mask years of systemic neglect.
“For three years, the residents of St Philip’s North have lived without meaningful representation. While the previous representative was unable to serve due to health conditions since January 2023, the administration failed to provide the constituency with even cursory admission of their needs until the seat was recently vacated,” she stated.
“They did nothing at all for three years, and now in a matter of three weeks, they want to bring heaven down to earth,” Isaac added. She cited the state of local infrastructure, specifically describing a basketball court so surrounded by “bush and cassie” that it is virtually unusable, as a symbol of the government’s genuine track record versus its recent “spring cleaning” efforts.
The chairman further dismissed claims of agricultural reform, calling the reclamation and distribution of 150 acres of land an “opportunistic” sham. Isaac argued that the government is actively destroying the nation’s food security by uprooting mature fruit trees to make way for doubtful housing projects.
“There is no agricultural reform,” Isaac stated, referencing reports of excavators clearing productive estates in St John’s Rural South. She criticized the administration for failing to meet its 2025 food import reduction goals while simultaneously converting prime farmland into housing schemes that she believes serve the financial interests of those involved rather than a national need. Isaac also noted the instability within the sector, pointing out that the administration has seen five different agriculture ministers in just 12 years.
Addressing the government’s recent focus on immigrant regularization, she labeled the move another “election gimmick” intended to placate a community dissatisfied with the nation’s failing healthcare, education, and infrastructure. She suggested the administration is more interested in keeping themselves in office than in the genuine welfare of immigrants, who she believes have “wised up” to these recurring political cycles.
Meanwhile,on the regional front, Isaac expressed disappointment in CARICOM’s perceived weakness, particularly regarding external pressures from the United States. She criticized the lack of official leadership concerning changes to U.S. visa policies and the intimidation of Caribbean nations.
She concluded by painting a picture of a nation running on “autopilot,” where essential services like electricity, water, and the judicial system are in various states of crises.
“The recent $10,000 court award for an unlawful seven-week detention is a symptom of a judicial system that is underfunded and ignored,” she stressed.
“Antigua and Barbuda is not being run well,” Isaac added, suggesting that the Prime Minister’s recent threats of dismissals within agencies like APUA are born of desperation rather than a vision for better governance. “You can smell the sweat coming off the Prime Minister because that constituency holds the key to the next general election,” she noted.
