By Hon. E. P. Chet Greene
As Antigua and Barbuda prepares to go to the polls later this week, the campaigning, speeches and promises give way to what truly matters: the quiet of the voting booth, where each citizen must render a final verdict on who will lead this twin-island nation for the next five years. According to Antigua.news, this opinion piece was authored by Cabinet Minister Hon. E. P. Chet Greene.
In that booth, Greene argues, only one question matters: Who is fit to lead?
Drawing a sharp contrast between the two men seeking the public's mandate, Greene contends the answer is unambiguous. He frames the election as a referendum on leadership — a choice between, in his words, "a proven Captain at the helm during a tempest and a rookie first mate who cannot control his own crew."
On Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Greene is unequivocal. He describes the Prime Minister as strong, focused, steady and supremely knowledgeable — a leader who has represented Antigua and Barbuda on the world stage in climate finance negotiations and guided the country through the economic fallout of COVID-19, the volcanic ash crisis and global inflation. "He knows the levers of power; he understands the corridors of finance; he does not blink in a crisis," Greene writes.
His assessment of opposition leader Jamale Pringle is starkly different. Greene characterises the United Progressive Party under Pringle as "the weakest political opposition in this country's history," describing it not as a government-in-waiting but as what he calls "a caucus in chaos." He points to internal party infighting and an absence of coherent policy — on housing, on the economy — as evidence that the UPP is ill-prepared to govern.
"The job of Prime Minister is not a training ground; it is a war room," Greene writes, arguing that Pringle failed to hold the government accountable when the nation needed a credible opposition voice, including during budget deliberations.
On policy, Greene draws an equally firm line. He champions the ABLP's Renaissance Agenda as a strategic roadmap — not merely a list of promises — encompassing the completion of major hotel projects, digital transformation of the public service and an expanded Citizenship by Investment Programme. He says the agenda also addresses the rising cost of living through targeted subsidies and wage negotiations.
By contrast, Greene dismisses the opposition's manifesto as lacking financial modelling or timelines. "Their 'manifesto' is a collection of AI bullet point renderings," he writes, arguing that the UPP critiques ABLP projects without offering a viable alternative path forward.
Closing with a direct appeal to voters, Greene cautions against treating a general election as a protest vote. "It is a binding contract for the future of our children," he writes. He argues Antigua and Barbuda cannot afford on-the-job training for a Prime Minister and calls on citizens to return the ABLP to office to complete the infrastructure programme, stabilise the economy and deliver what he terms the Renaissance.
"Vote for strength. Vote for stability. Vote for the ABLP to ensure the continued growth and prosperity of our beloved 268," he concludes. "Vote for a Renaissance, not a Recession."
