Garnering 60 percent of the vote (or 40 out of 67) in Monday evening’s primary, Dr McChesney Emanuel became the United Progressive Party’s presumptive candidate for the St John’s Rural North constituency.
Emanuel currently serves as Managing Director of Chez Technologies Inc in New York City, a firm that specialises in doing business diagnostics and reform, human resource management, business analytics, and change management.
Emanuel defeated challenger, Bryan DeSilva.
With the nomination, Emanuel replaces previous UPP caretaker for the area, Joan Underwood. Underwood had previously vacated the post in August due to her commitment with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). That commitment is scheduled to end in December of this year, but with speculation of early elections looming for early 2018, it may have conflicted with her would-be campaign responsibilities leading up to a possible election.
An elated Emanuel said, “I am quite happy that the people of Rural North have expressed confidence in me to be their candidate.”
“I am running to help rescue Antigua Barbuda from a pending catastrophic social and economic disaster.”
Emanuel, an American citizen, has pledged that he would renounce his US citizenship in order to contest in the upcoming general election, as required by the constitution.
“Renouncing my US citizenship is a price I am prepared to pay to help save Antigua and Barbuda from the abyss,” explains the businessman. “I have been planning to transition back to Antigua anyway. If I do not win I will resettle in Antigua and continue fighting for change.”
Dr Emanuel will take on Antigua Barbuda Labour Party incumbent and MP for the area, Charles “Max” Fernandez, along with Democratic National Alliance newcomer, Louis Rivera.
Of Fernandez, Emanuel says, “Max is a decent guy, (but) he and 90 percent of his colleagues are stuck in 70s mindset.”
He also added, “They do not have what’s required to run a government in the 21st century. Ninety percent of them know but do not understand!”
The night’s proceedings were held at the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI) and fill the only void in the possible candidates list.
UPP Public Relations Officer Damani Tabor confirmed that all of the party’s candidates will be presented on November 5 at a “special event.”
