City South – By Jeressa Jeremy
City South Candidate Catches
The United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate for St John’s City South, Adrian Williams, said he has provided the Commissioner of Police with video evidence of a person destroying his campaign billboards in the Briggins area.
The information came in the wake of several reports of campaign paraphernalia being destroyed across the country. Williams said he used hidden cameras, shaped like stones and turtles, to catch the act after his own signs were targeted.
“I was able to pick up from my camera the person that committed the act against my billboard. And so, that person will be picked up today by the police, and I will be pressing charges, because an example must be set,” he said.
Williams said the destruction seems to specifically target candidates from his party.
“What has been taking place, sadly, is persons seem to have been engaging in a very destructive practice of tearing down paraphernalia and billboards, posters of candidates from the United Progressive Party,” he said.
“I, myself, have been a victim, along with many of my colleagues who would have had their entire billboard taken down, and these billboards are very costly, well over $2,000. In one case, for Brother Emanuel Peters, they would have removed his entire billboard, including the plywoods and the upright; just taking them out,” he said, adding that the cost of replacing the signs is high, including the price of wood, canvas, and labour.
Meanwhile, Williams pointed out that the billboards of te Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidates have not come under similar attack. “And this has been done right next to the Labour Party billboards, and not one of them have been troubled. And so, without casting accusation, I must say the optics surely look like it’s preferential.”
However, he is determined that that the incident will not stop his work in the constituency before the April 30th election.
“It will not affect it at all, at all, at all. The voters, they have been around for a very long time, they are aware of what true representation looks like, feels like, and so they are going to vote in accordance with that reality,” Williams said. “It doesn’t disturb me at all, it doesn’t worry me, I’m quite calm about it. There’s an overwhelming peace that I feel in this process.”
He urged all residents in City South to make sure they have their voter ID cards ready so they can vote in the April 30th General Election. The police recently warned that anyone caught destroying campaign materials will face charges. Williams said he has shared the video with the police and expects them to pick up the individual soon
