The shock revelation that as many as four United Progressive Party (UPP) candidates may literally jump the “ship” led by the un-seated “Captain” of the opposition party, Harold Lovell, has plunged the organisation into turmoil and its members are demanding answers.
Over the weekend, Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) leader, Gaston Browne said “overtures” had been made by at least two of the UPP’s named candidates to senior members of the ABLP to determine whether they would be welcomed into the ruling ABLP as they have hit a political dead end with the UPP.
During the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM on Saturday, two of the three – Sherfield Bowen and Sean Bird – were named.
Sherfield Bowen came to fame as a winning candidate in the St. Philip’s South constituency on the ABLP ticket in 1999.
In 2003, while still a legislator, the US trained attorney was charged with the murder of 22-year-old Tessa Barthley whom he shot on 16th December, 2003.
Two years later in 2005, he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to serve five years at His Majesty’s Prison, however the conviction was overturned on appeal on the basis that the trial judge misdirected the jury on intention, accident, self defence, good character, provocation and manslaughter.
Bowen was freed in June 2007 and has since returned to practice as an attorney.
Sean Bird, on the other hand, is the son of local media icon Ivor Bird, owner of Grenville Radio Ltd., the parent company of ZDK Radio and the grandson of the national hero, the Rt. Hon. Sir Vere C. Bird Sr.
After a falling out with the ABLP several years ago, Bird split ranks with the ABLP and joined the UPP where he eventually was announced the party’s candidate in St. John’s Rural East.
This seat was held for decades by his uncle, former prime minister Sir Lester Bird, and is now held by his cousin Maria Bird-Browne.
While the identity of the other UPP absconder was not revealed, the ABLP leader suggested that that person too had a history with his party.
“I have had information that at least two candidates in recent times, from the UPP, have said to colleagues of mine that they just do not see a pathway to win, and what they’re doing now, they’re suggesting that they are Labourites, but they made bad decisions and they’re trying to create some kind of…corridor or pathway.
“So, they don’t see a pathway to victory and they’re making overtures, and that’s a fact,” Browne said.
Concerning the fourth unnamed UPP candidate, Browne said he had a conversation recently in which that person expressed serious dissatisfaction with the way campaign money acquired through fundraisers was being distributed among the party’s candidates.
Prime Minister Browne also hinted that the person who expressed that concern frequented his offices on Queen Elizabeth Highway.
The St. John’s Rural West MP’s comments have taken hold within the UPP and is ruffling feathers with its members now demanding that “brothers” Sean Bird and Sherfield Bowen state publicly whether the allegations are factual.
One such UPP supporter, writing under the pseudonym “268KingLiar Detector” expressed his dissatisfaction with his party’s management of this latest crisis and called for “Captain Lovell” to take decisive action concerning the accusations.
“This is a simple matter that both brothers Sherfield Bowen and Sean Bird need to come to the electorate and state publicly if the Prime Minister lied or not.
“As the Captain of the UPP, this action should have been down by both candidates within 24hrs. The electorate expect better from the UPP,” 268KingLiar Detector said.
As of the publication of this paper, the UPP has not issued a statement on the matter.
