ST JOHN’S, ANTIGUA (January 6, 2023) —The United Progressive Party (UPP) has revealed its intent to pave a way for immigrants from Caribbean countries to live and work in the twin isle state without needing work permits.
“If you were living in Antigua on the 31st of December, 2022, within the first month of a UPP administration, come in to cancel your work permit,” UPP Political Leader Harold Lovell told supporters at a rally in Fort Road late Thursday. “No more work permit if you’ve been living in this country… we are saying you are our brothers and sisters.”
Dubbed the One Caribbean Act, the proposed legislation seeks to give residents from the wider Caribbean the same benefit given to those from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member states. Like it did with the Millennium Naturalization Act of 2004, the UPP hopes to find favour with the large Caribbean population from places like Jamaica, Guyana, and Dominica. The campaign promise was one of two major announcements made at the UPP event.
The second concerned the minimum wage, which the party plans to raise to $10 per hour within 60 days of being elected. The minimum wage has been a source of contention in recent months and in November, the Gaston Browne-led administration announced its decision to raise it from $8.20 to $9.00 per hour—the first increase in seven years.
“Nobody in Antigua should have to live on less than $10 an hour,” Lovell said and further vowed that his administration would review the minimum wage every other year.
This was the second time this week the Fort Road Playing Field was host to a major political rally – a testament to the significance of St John’s City East as a battleground constituency. Lovell has his sights set on taking back the seat which is currently in the hands of Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) MP Melford Nicholas.
Lovell, a two-time City East MP from 2004 to 2014, shared plans to build a multipurpose recreational facility.
“This is the football field and we’re going to have a centre, a community centre, and that centre will have at the top a viewing gallery, so when we’re playing games here we can go on top and you can watch the game,” he said. The facility will also have space for facilitating training sessions, a small clinic and will also double as a hurricane shelter.
The crowd of blue and yellow-clad supporters listened to the policies and concerns of party leaders and senior members including, former MP Dr Jacqui Quinn, St George candidate Algernon “Serpent” Watts, Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle and Fabian Jones from the UPP-aligned Barbuda People’s Movement.
“This momentum that we have here is unstoppable. Nothing they can do can stop us now,” Lovell declared before the cheering crowd. “The way this blue wave is going, we are going for all the constituencies. There is no safe constituency for the Antigua Labour Party.”
From tourism to housing, cost of living and good governance, speakers condemned the ABLP’s performance, pointing to several “ground fakings” for projects that never got off the ground. There was also a warning against voters being enticed by gifts from the other side.
“The time is drawing nigh for you to use your power – people power. Do not allow your power to be devalued with a few trinkets, a few dollars, food voucher, a ham and a turkey, a fete…” Pearl Quinn said. It is not their money. It is your money they are giving you.
“Your voter’s ID is your soul of democracy. Use it to send a strong message to this administration that we have had enough of this failed experiment,” she said.
As the UPP sought to make their case before the Fort Road crowds, the ABLP rallied support in Gray’s Farm. The incumbent party used the opportunity to throw its weight behind Gail Christian and her third bid for the St John’s Rural West seat.
