A letter circulating during the current election campaign appears to show that opposition Members of Parliament sought to remove United Progressive Party (UPP) political leader Jamale Pringle as Leader of the Opposition and replace him with Richard Lewis, according to Antigua News Room.
The document, addressed to Governor General Sir Rodney Williams, states that the "undersigned Opposition Members of Parliament" supported Lewis — the MP for St John's Rural West — to assume the role. It requests his "immediate appointment" as Opposition Leader.
The letter asserts that Lewis "commands majority support in the Lower House of Parliament within the grouping of UPP-aligned parliamentarians." It further states that the signatories represented "the majority within the largest Opposition bloc in the Lower House," identified as six MPs aligned with the UPP.
Citing Section 79(5) of the Constitution, the letter notes that the Governor General may remove a Leader of the Opposition if it appears they no longer command majority support among members who oppose the government. "We therefore request… that you implement this change of Leader of the Opposition with immediate effect," the document states.
The correspondence appears to be linked to former St Mary's South MP Kelvin "Shugy" Simon, whose name and constituency details are shown on the letter, as reported by Antigua News Room.
Under Antigua and Barbuda's Constitution, the Governor General appoints the Leader of the Opposition based on who is most likely to command the support of the majority of non-government MPs. Pringle has held the position since 2018.
The letter's emergence during an active election campaign points to internal divisions within the UPP over leadership — an issue that has surfaced periodically in recent years amid ongoing debates about the party's direction and electoral strength. Its timing is likely to intensify scrutiny of opposition unity as voters head to the polls.
