As the new Government of the Anguilla United Front (AUF) sets up its administrative machinery following last week’s General Election, accommodation as Parliamentary Secretary has been made for Albert Hughes, a defected member of the Anguilla Strategic Alternative (ANSA).

Governor Huckle swearing in Honourable Albert Hughes

Mr. Hughes, the Elected Representative for District 7 (West End), has joined the Government. He won the seat which was also contested by Walcott Richardson of the Anguilla United Movement and Wilmoth Hodge of the Anguilla Progressive Party. Hughes claimed however that it was the votes he received from the AUF supporters that led to his election and not those from the ANSA voters.

Following the island-wide election results, Mr. Hughes said he telephoned Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming to congratulate him on the AUF’s victory and to say thanks for the support he had received from that party to win his seat.

“I let him know that if it wasn’t for their support, I would have been the most humiliated man in West End,” Mr. Hughes said at a meeting with the Chief Minister, some of his Ministerial colleagues and supporters on Friday, February 25. “I am grateful for this and I said to him that I would be open and I believe that he knew exactly what I meant.”

Mr. Hughes continued: “I have always patronized my political ideology on the American system that when an election is over, it is time for us to settle down to one common ground and that is, in our case here, Anguilla.

“We may be from different political affiliations, but we are all one. My objective in politics is not Albert Hughes. It is Anguilla. I put country above self. In 1984 when I was called upon to come to Anguilla to represent the people of my constituency, I did not murmur. It was a very hard decision to make, but nevertheless I said it was not what country can do for you, but what you can do for your country…

“I am not here only to represent Anguillians. We also must think of those who came to Anguilla to make a contribution to our island and thank them for that assistance. We must respect our investors for the continued employment for our people and this is where our island is benefiting, especially in the area of tourism. It is a fragile industry and we must treat it as we nurse a baby. I pray that we all will continue to work together.”

He was of the view that it would be a good idea to involve all the seven Elected Members in the running of the island in an effort to restore unity in Anguilla.

“That’s why we are starting with you,” Chief Minister Fleming interrupted. Mr. Fleming told the meeting that he had agreed to appoint Mr. Hughes Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities and Housing.

He assured Mr. Hughes that any matter coming out of his ministry and involving him would require his presence in the Executive Council. “In short, you are a Minister, only that we have to abide with the constitutional arrangements we have now - but which will change,” Mr. Fleming said.

He told a number of Mr. Hughes’ supporters at the meeting: “Your man is in good company and will be respected by all us and we will expect his support to move our programme forward. I want to thank you all for allowing this process to reach where it is today and to assure you that you have made a great decision.”

Mr. Hughes was welcomed to the Government by Ministers Kenneth Harrigan, Evans M. Rogers and former Minister of Social Development, Eric Reid. They all pledged their cooperation with him and welcomed him in the Government. The other Minister, Victor Banks, was in St. Kitts on official business.

Mr. Hughes was appointed Parliamentary Secretary and sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers by Governor Alan Huckle in the early afternoon. Mr. Huckle congratulated him on his appointment. Replying, Mr. Hughes repeated much of what he had said earlier, emphasing that his decision was made in the interest of Anguilla.

Mr. Albert Hughes meeting with Government officials and others

The Chief Minister described the event as “a momentous occasion.” He added that “Anguilla was definitely at a healing point” and that Mr. Hughes’ bold move confirmed the fact that it was no longer that one must look at himself, but at his people.”

In deciding to join the Government, Mr. Hughes submitted the following letter to the Leader of the Anguilla Strategic Alternative, Mr. Edison Baird.

Mr. Albert Hughes meeting with Government officials and others

“After many discussions before and on February 24th, 2005 surrounding the election results, I am obliged as a member and as a candidate of the Anguilla Strategic Alternative (ANSA) to let you know that my supporters who have brought about my victory have decided that I work along with the Anguilla United Front government in the interest of this country as well as our constituency. On the basis of this and as per your request I hereby tender my resignation as a member of ANSA.

“I remain committed to put country above self and to work for the benefit of Anguilla. I pray that we will all be united as we pool our resources to move Anguilla forward.”

Hon. Edison Baird

Commenting this week on the matter, Mr. Baird said. “I disagree with his analysis. I believe that if he had contested the election as an independent candidate, he would have lost. I also believe that if he had contested the election as a member of the United Front, he also would have lost. So it is clear that being a member of ANSA contributed to his victory.

“I also believe that the manner in which he went about it, was terribly wrong because he took the decision to join the Government and then informed me about his decision indirectly. He called my home and told my wife that he is joining the Government… He should have called a meeting of the party and then the matter should have been discussed before the party.

“I had a meeting with him subsequently to his decision and I told him upfront that as leader of the party, I should have been involved in the discussions, not just Curtis Richardson and Ralph Hodge [the other two ANSA members]. He even didn’t discuss the matter with the Chairman of the party [Arrindell Lewis].

Mr. Baird went on: “Mr. Hughes’ letter of resignation resulted from two factors: After he had taken the decision to join the Government and he had informed my wife, I called him and set up a meeting with him, Ralph, Curtis, myself and Arrindell Lewis as Chairman. I told him that he should not cross the floor; that he would lose the respect of the Anguillian people especially those who voted for him. I told him if he goes ahead with his decision, he should follow standard procedure and submit his resignation from the party which he subsequently did.

Albert Hughes, his supporters and new colleagues

“I was quite emphatic that it was a wrong decision and I asked him to reconsider his decision in light of the damage to the party and to the potential damage to his reputation. He nevertheless decided to go ahead. I think it was an awful decision and I also feel that he will regret it down the road. I was quite adamant that he should submit his resignation if he went ahead with his decision to join the Government and he made it clear that he was going ahead to do so; and in fairness to him, he submitted his resignation.”

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