A Response to Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle’s Independence Day Message
Dear Editor,
As a proud daughter of Antigua and Barbuda, I read Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle’s Independence Day message with considerable disappointment. At a time when our beloved twin-island nation is celebrating 45 years of independence while hosting the prestigious Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), I expected a message that placed greater emphasis on national pride, unity, and the extraordinary opportunity before us.
Instead, Mr. Pringle suggests that our Independence celebrations have been tainted by partisanship and overshadowed by CHOGM. I respectfully disagree.
Our Independence is not being overshadowed. It is being showcased to the world.
What better way to commemorate 45 years of nationhood than to welcome Commonwealth leaders and international dignitaries to our shores? What better opportunity to demonstrate how far we have come as an independent nation and to share our history, culture, achievements, and aspirations with the international community?
The decision to host CHOGM during our 45th Independence celebrations should not be viewed as a distraction from our national identity. Rather, it presents an extraordinary opportunity to elevate that identity before an international audience.
Mr. Pringle contends that our national celebrations have had to “small-up” themselves to accommodate CHOGM. I would argue quite the opposite. This international gathering can magnify our celebrations, expand our global visibility, and remind the world that a small nation can make a significant contribution to international affairs.
We are not diminishing our independence by welcoming the world. We are demonstrating what 45 years of independence have made possible.
The Opposition Leader also says the Independence theme has created political division. Yet, according to the published report, he did not identify the specific wording of the theme that he considered partisan. If there is a legitimate concern, it deserves clear articulation and constructive discussion. However, broad accusations of political division, without explaining their basis, risk creating the very division he condemns.
I fully recognize that Mr. Pringle has a constitutional responsibility to serve as Opposition Leader. His role is to scrutinize government decisions, advocate for accountability, and offer alternative policies. These responsibilities are essential to a functioning democracy.
However, being an Opposition Leader does not mean that every national initiative must be met with opposition. There must be occasions when political differences are set aside in recognition of the greater national interest.
This is one of those occasions.
Hosting CHOGM is not an achievement belonging exclusively to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), nor should it become an opportunity for the United Progressive Party (UPP) to advance a partisan narrative. It is an achievement for Antigua and Barbuda.
What makes this occasion even more remarkable is that Antigua and Barbuda is the fourth Caribbean nation to host CHOGM and the smallest nation ever to undertake this prestigious responsibility. This is no ordinary achievement. For a small twin-island nation to be entrusted with hosting such a significant international gathering speaks volumes about our standing within the Commonwealth and our capacity to engage on the world stage. This is a national accomplishment that deserves national recognition, national pride, and national celebration, not political division. Regardless of which political party holds office, every Antiguan and Barbudan should be able to celebrate this historic milestone. Our nation’s success is not the success of one political party; it is the success of our people.
I commend Prime Minister Gaston Browne and all those whose efforts helped secure and organize this important gathering. Recognizing their contribution does not require political allegiance. It simply requires the willingness to acknowledge an accomplishment that benefits our nation.
Mr. Pringle also argues that Independence should be a time for “truth-telling and stock-taking,” not “flowery words and feel-good speeches.”
On this point, I agree that national reflection is important. We must continually examine our economic circumstances, our international relationships, and the opportunities and challenges facing our people. But reflection and celebration are not opposing responsibilities.
We can acknowledge our challenges without diminishing our achievements. We can examine our shortcomings without undermining our progress. And we can hold our government accountable while still celebrating an occasion that places our nation on the international stage.
Indeed, the resilience Mr. Pringle references in his message is precisely why this moment deserves recognition. Our ancestors endured slavery and colonialism. Our people have overcome economic hardships, natural disasters, and global crises. Forty-five years after achieving independence, we have another opportunity to demonstrate our national strength and our capacity to stand confidently among the nations of the world.
As Antiguans and Barbudans, we should welcome this moment with pride rather than allow partisan politics to diminish its significance.
The international spotlight is upon us. Let us use it to showcase the warmth of our people, the richness of our culture, the beauty of our islands, and our nation’s progress. Let us show that our democracy is strong enough to accommodate political differences without letting those differences define every national occasion.
I therefore respectfully say to Mr. Pringle: There will be ample opportunities to challenge government policies, debate economic priorities, and hold the administration accountable. But our 45th Independence anniversary, coinciding with CHOGM, calls for something greater than political opposition. It calls for national leadership, patriotism, and unity.
There is a time for political opposition, but there must also be a time when love of country takes precedence over political affiliation.
At this historic moment, there should be no ABLP versus UPP. There should only be Antigua and Barbuda.
As a proud Antiguan living abroad, I celebrate this moment with tremendous pride. I want the international community to see the Antigua and Barbuda that I know and love: a beautiful, resilient, welcoming, and ambitious nation whose contributions extend far beyond its geographical size.
Let us embrace this opportunity, celebrate our achievements, and demonstrate that national unity is not merely something we speak about in Independence messages, but something we are prepared to practice.
Our country is bigger than any political party. Our national pride must be stronger than our political differences. And our independence deserves celebration, not politicization.
Happy 45th Independence Anniversary, Antigua and Barbuda!
May God continue to bless our beloved twin-island nation.
One Nation. One People. One Antigua and Barbuda.
A Proud Daughter of the Soil, Dr. Lois Jeremy-Greene
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Response: Our Independence Is Not Being OvershadowedIt Is Being Showcased to the World.