St Johns, Antigua, January 5th, 2023 – Former Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party Member of Parliament Asot Michael has made a bold prediction that Gaston Browne will not be Prime Minister after the General Election on January 18th, 2023 even if his team wins.
Speaking on the ABS Television program Antigua & Barbuda Today, the four-term MP now running as an independent candidate, said the ABLP candidates who may win are anxious to see the back of their Political Leader:
“You really think his colleagues who are my former colleagues are happy with Gaston Browne? You really think that if this election is close and it is going to be very close that they going to put Gaston Browne back there as Prime Minister? Absolutely not! They want to see the back of Gaston Browne more than Asot Michael wants to see it. Trust me on that”.
Asked if he was trying to influence any of his former colleagues to dump Mr. Browne as their leader, Mr. Michael replied:
“I don’t need to convince them. They have convinced themselves already. They don’t want him”.
Confident that he will be involved in the governance of the country going forward, the St Peter MP categorically denied making any deals with any of the political parties:I do not know about making deals. I am telling you that Asot Michael is going to be in parliament representing the people of St Peters and Asot Michael will be part of the governance of this country… And Gaston Browne cannot and will not dictate whether I am part of any government”
.Let me say this to you… I am still a member of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party. I was born into the labour party. I will remain into the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party… I am not funding the UPP, I will never fund the UPP and I will never make any deal with the UPP
Mr. Michael condemned the “vicious, nasty, mudslinging campaign” being waged against him by the ABLP leader as if “he is paranoid that I want his job”.