The Honorable Jamale Pringle, Leader of the Opposition, Political Leader of the United Progressive Party, MP for All Saints East & St. Luke
My Fellow Antiguans and Barbudans:
Residents at home and Members of the Diaspora:
A blessed and hopeful New Year to you all.
As the sun rises on 2026, we welcome it with the gratitude and resilience that define us as a people. We gather with family, we offer prayers of thanksgiving for life itself, and we look to the horizon with that eternal question: What will this new year bring?
For many of you, the past year was one of heavy endurance and not enjoyment. It was a year in which you worked harder, but your dollar bought less. A year when you turned on your tap, hoping for water, only to hear the hiss of air. A year when you watched the news and saw an Administration more concerned with its own self-enrichment than your survival.
But I am not here today just to list our grievances. I am here to tell you that 2026 does not have to be a repeat of the past. I am here to tell you that help is on the way, and that a United Progressive Party Administration is ready to restore the dignity, the honesty, and the prosperity that you deserve.
For almost 12 years, we have suffered under a government that has lost its moral compass. The Gaston Browne Administration has given us a masterclass in thievery, negligence and mismanagement – and has replaced transparency with corruption and scandal.
Last year, we watched in horror as the “Vehicle-Gate” scandal unfolded, was refolded, and then was shelved in a box labeled “Case Closed.” Millions of dollars, our tax dollars, spent on unauthorized luxury vehicles, with no proper explanation, no investigation, no apology.
Last year, we also went through another episode of the Alfa Nero story, as taxpayers were saddled with US attorneys’ fees for private citizens, while justice remains out of reach for the families of missing or murdered young men and women here at home.
Last year, we experienced, in full, the Administration’s “Tax and Thief” agenda, where millions upon millions were overspent – but not on roads, not on government buildings, nor the Heritage Quay boardwalk; not at the hospital nor the community clinics; not on crime-fighting equipment nor police training; not on farm equipment for food security; not in increases for pensioners; and certainly not in LIAT severance payments.
They taxed us at the pump; they taxed us at Transport Board; they taxed us at the Port; and they taxed us at the supermarkets. But when the money came in – reportedly in record revenue-collection – it seems to have disappeared into a black hole of fraud and corruption.
In the meantime, democracy is under severe strain in Antigua and Barbuda. Freedom of speech and freedom of association are in grave danger.
The prime minister has replaced statesmanship with bullying, threats, and retaliation, mistaking these cowardly qualities for “strength.” He belittles those who question him. He attacks the press; the Opposition; the Barbuda Council; the trade unions; members of the business community – the very citizens he swore to serve.
I, myself, became his latest victim, out at Old Road, when – under cover of the DCA – he destroyed a tent belonging to my family’s business at Morris Bay. Why? Because I called out his deceptive budget; held his wife accountable for her failures as the minister of works; and called for an independent inquiry into the Ministry of Public Works.
But it didn’t end there. The prime minister then attempted to weaponize the Police Force against me on Boxing Day. Those who are sworn to serve and protect us, The People, are now being used against us.
This is not the behaviour of a statesman. This is the hallmark of a leader who knows he has failed and is afraid of the truth.
My fellow Antiguans and Barbudans; Residents; and Members of the Diaspora:
Last year, I spoke with hope and anticipation, noting that our Nation stood at a crossroads. But our hopes and dreams for a brighter future were dimmed by corruption and mismanagement throughout 2025.
Today, as we step into 2026, I acknowledge that many burdens remain and new ones have been added – with these being geo-political in nature: war in our region; the possible fracture of CARICOM; and a strained relationship with Cuba.
But I also bring a message of renewed hope – a hope rooted in our deep faith in God; the unwavering determination of the United Progressive Party; and the resilience of our people.
Today, 2026 stands before us like an open book. We can choose to write another chapter of thievery, scandal, thirst, and struggle. Or, we can write a new story:
- A story of maximum farm production for greater food security;
- of clean piped water flowing in every community;
- of young people working in careers with a future;
- of progressive education and responsive healthcare;
- of infrastructure that matches our tax contributions; and
- of a government that is honest with you and kind to you.
I urge you to look at your children and grandchildren and ask: Do they deserve better? I believe they do. I believe you do.
And so the United Progressive Party team is prepared to work for these achievements. To work for your empowerment and not our self-enrichment.
Already, we are in caucus, weighing the viability of our Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP).
Because of the Browne Administration’s poor management, so many critical functions now depend on the CIP, including Government’s monthly payments to the Social Security Scheme. Therefore, we intend to consult with experts, analysts, and other stakeholders to determine whether the current negatives dogging the CIP outweigh the benefits to our people.
Alongside this critical issue is that of access to United States visas. As of today, January 1, nationals who had had hopes of acquiring certain classes of visa in this new year will be unable to do so, as the laxness and arrogance of the Browne Administration have resulted in closed doors for many of our people.
Despite the prime minister’s assurances that diplomatic negotiations would reopen those doors to business people, students, patients seeking medical attention, and others wishing to visit family or enjoy a vacation, the situation has not changed. Unless you are already in possession of a valid visa, you will not be granted one in the foreseeable future.
Again, Antiguans and Barbudans are paying the price for believing the word of Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
However, I assure you, Fellow Nationals, that a new United Progressive Party Administration will employ all strategic avenues, and our reputation for good relations with the United States Government, to resolve this matter in the shortest time possible.
We will work in your interest to avoid any further restrictions or sanctions that could disrupt our economy and the stability of our country.
