Harold Lovell has retired as leader of the United Progressive Party in Antigua and Barbuda, after three successive defeats at the polls.
There had been mounting pressure for Lovell to resign over the years from even members of his own party.
On the night of the January 18th general elections, Lovell lost his seat by six votes to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party contender Melford Nicholas.
A statement from the party released this morning said that although he is retiring as Political Leader, Lovell will remain active with the Party, mainly in the role of advisor to the Executive and the incoming Parliamentarians.
“It’s a new day, a new era and the team deserves a fresh start. The UPP is in a very strong position now, the best since 2009, and this is a good time for me to step down. I know that Brother Pringle is more than capable of leading the Party and he enjoys my committed support,” Lovell said
Lovell was elected Political Leader at the Party’s 2015 Convention and has been the force behind the rebuilding of the UPP since it lost office in 2014.
During his ten years in Government, Lovell served as the Minister of Tourism in his first term and as Minister of Finance & the Economy, in his second term.
According to the UPP statement, Lovell’s service to the UPP and the country will be celebrated later this year at the UPP Convention.
Jamal Pringle is now the Deputy Political Leader.
Mr. Harold Llovell you are one of the few politicians that I still respect and revere with the utmost appreciation. The way you conduct yourself under the most vicious, verbal attacks is unbelievably remarkable. You never once retorted in kind when the most vulgar falsehoods were tossed at you.
You have left the UPP in great shape in an enormous hopeful state. Your integrity remains firmly intact. In this political sphere of astonishing lies, deceit, rancour and hypocrisy, you have emerged unscathed.
Good luck Mr. Llovell, great health and longevity in all your future endeavours. Well done!
Antiguans don’t give a damn about Lovell.. What is your problem? Even in his own party they have been asking him to resign long before elections. He is a hard-headed mule like you. You always have respect for losers. Don’t you?
This guy is a lot smarter than Lennox Linton,he did not wait for his party members to vilify and backstab him.I believe Sham Douglas played a big part in backstabbing Linton.
After an election defeat, your departure is not typically described as retirement. It is a resignation. And I applaud him for doing that. Despite his party’s better showing at the polls, he should really have stayed for two terms and if unsuccessful, he should have bowed out after the second attempt.
One thing I cannot stand and is something that is very common in the Caribbean is people in positions of power overstaying their welcome. They just hang on to those positions because they can draw an income from it. It is as if there is no other useful avenues for their services.
Union leadership is notorious for extremely over-extended tenures. They hang on for ever.
“he should really have stayed for two terms and if unsuccessful, he should have bowed out after the second attempt.”
Did you read the FIRST SENTENCE in the article?
I read and fully understood the article. He lost 3 times. I said he should have bowed out after the 2nd loss.
Do you find something contradictory or inconsistent about what i said?
Like Lennox Linton. He should have resigned in 2019 but stayed on to serve what purpose exactly? To resign at a convenient timing for Skerrit to hold snap elections and kick the UWP out of Parliament.