Molwyn Challenges Lovells Claims

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Thursday, 24 May 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St John's - Finance Minister Harold Lovell has consistently lied to the electorate, according to MP Molwyn Joseph, who said he would provide evidence to "expose" this on Monday.

Speaking on the ZDK Radio talk show ‘Fire and Steel’ on Wednesday night, Joseph responded to Lovell’s comments at a UPP political rally on Tuesday in All Saints where he said the ALP administration had only realized one foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country several years before being voted out of office.

“I will announce that there will be a special programme on Monday night... We are going to have to wait until Monday night to expose Lovell’s consistent habit of lying,” Joseph said.

Wednesday night’s panel also included Spokesman of the Antigua Labour Party Lionel "Max" Hurst Samantha Marshall and Maureen Payne Hyman.

Minister Lovell had claimed the Sandals Grand hotel expansion initiative in Dickenson Bay to be an accomplishment of the UPP government for which he is also chairman. But Joseph contends that the negotiations and groundbreaking for that project was realized under the ALP administration.

“When you compare the eight years of this government to the ten years of under Lester Bird … there is no comparison,” Lovell said. “Between 2004 and 2009 we saw the building of the Sandals hotel, it didn’t happen under ALP. We made it happen. Under UPP, the Hermitage Hotel was built… Under UPP, it was the Veranda Hotel that was built, creating hundreds and hundreds of jobs in Antigua.”

The contentions are being regarded as a “challenge” put forward by the UPP chairman to the ALP, and the latter is preparing to respond.

“He was so confident about that lie last night… That's how he lies,” the panel said.

Joseph said, “Those three projects that Lovell is claiming that the UPP is responsible for are projects that were conceived and started under the Antigua Labour Party. We have to show the picture of their performance right before them and we should not back away from the challenge. They want a challenge. They want a fight… we should give it to them.”

The panel contended that the truth is that the current government not only failed to attract any new investors to Antigua, but is also responsible for the decline of the country’s most valuable industry – tourism, according to Samantha Marshall.

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