E. P. Chet Greene, Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, has issued a sharp rebuke of the United Progressive Party's recently published online policy platform, declaring it falls far short of a legitimate manifesto. According to Antigua News Room, Greene released a formal statement on April 25, 2025, accusing the UPP of attempting to pass off a collection of website fragments as a credible electoral contract with the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
In his statement, Greene argued that a genuine manifesto must exist as a proper, coherent document — one that citizens can hold, read from beginning to end, examine, compare, and retain as a permanent record. He contended that directing the public to scattered online content, with no single authoritative statement of policy, does not constitute accessibility or accountability.
"This is nothing but contempt for the people of Antigua and Barbuda," Greene wrote.
Beyond the format, the ABLP Chairman identified what he described as a more fundamental deficiency. He stated that the UPP's postings contain no consolidated fiscal framework, no integrated explanation of how its many promises will be financed, and no serious costing of the commitments being made. Greene noted that the pledges outlined would require the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars, yet the UPP has offered no explanation of their funding source.
Greene also drew on historical precedent, pointing to the UPP's time in government between 2004 and 2014. He stated that during that period, the party presided over what he characterised as an economic collapse, including engagement with the International Monetary Fund. That era, he argued, brought severe hardship to Antiguans and Barbudans — including the reintroduction of personal income tax, the imposition of the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax, and the dismissal of public servants.
He warned that the same party is now once again making wide-ranging and costly promises without demonstrating how they would be paid for.
By contrast, Greene maintained that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party has presented a full, accessible, and verifiable manifesto grounded in a record of delivery, with a clear and responsible plan for the country's future.
"A manifesto is a contract with the people — clear, structured, accountable, and measurable," Greene wrote. "The UPP has offered no such contract. What it has offered instead is uncertainty, improvisation, and a troubling lack of seriousness at a time when the country requires discipline and clarity."
Greene closed his statement with a direct challenge to the opposition, saying the UPP must "wheel and come again."
