Dear Editor,
According to Antigua News Room, a letter recently submitted by a member of the public pushes back sharply against comments made by Eli Fuller, who argued that calling a snap election is "unfair" given the current weakness of the United Progressive Party. The letter writer, identifying themselves as a concerned voter, contends that such reasoning fundamentally misunderstands how democratic politics works.
"That is simply not how politics works," the letter states. Elections are a constitutional process, not a courtesy extended to whichever party needs more time to organize. If a party is unprepared, the writer argues, that is a failure of internal organization — not an injustice imposed from outside.
The letter also challenges Fuller's framing by posing a direct question: when exactly would be a "fair" time to hold an election? The writer notes that governments across the world routinely choose electoral timing that works in their favor. Antigua and Barbuda, they suggest, is no exception to that universal political reality.
The writer further rejects the implication that voters are passive actors dependent on a strong opposition to guide their decisions. Citizens, the letter argues, assess governments on performance — roads, employment, the cost of living, and development — and exercise their judgment at the ballot box accordingly. That, the writer insists, is where real power lies.
On the question of opposition credibility, the letter is unambiguous. If the UPP is not being taken seriously — as Fuller himself acknowledges — then the responsibility for that rests with the party alone. "It is not the government's job to strengthen its opponent," the writer states. "It is the opposition's job to earn the public's confidence."
The letter also takes direct aim at the suggestion that holding an election now represents a "disservice" to the Antiguan people. The writer argues the opposite: elections are precisely how citizens exercise choice, and framing them as harmful implies voters should wait until politicians have sorted themselves out — a position the writer describes as deeply uncomfortable.
As for Fuller's comparison to "kicking someone when they're down," the letter is equally firm. Politics, it argues, is not a sympathy exercise. Any party seeking to govern a country must maintain readiness at all times, not only when conditions are convenient.
The letter closes with a pointed message directed at the opposition: "If the opposition is not ready, that is their problem — not a reason to delay the democratic process for the entire country."
Signed, A Concerned Voter
