Asot Michael Won Argument for Antigua and Barbuda State of Emergency

(Photo : Asot Michael Won Argument for Antigua and Barbuda State of Emergency)

MP for the Parish of St. Peter's, Asot Michael, rose to the defense of an extended state of emergency for Antigua and Barbuda, giving a harsh lesson in constitutional law to opponents of the measure. Jamale Pringle, leader of the Opposition in the United Progressive Party, along with Trevor Walker of the Barbuda People's Movement have expressed misgivings over Antigua and Barbuda's state of emergency, arguing that by giving the government the ability to limit movement, the measure limits the personal freedoms of Antiguan and Barbudan citizens. MP Michael rebuked this argument, reframing the act of extending the state of emergency not as a means of infringing on citizens' rights, but as a means of protecting the citizens from a global pandemic that is still at large, referring explicitly to constitutional law and how without a state of emergency, the government has no way to legally set and enforce a curfew.

How Asot Michael's Argument Prevailed

In any political argument, framing is key. For Leader of the Opposition Pringle, the most potent weapon at his disposal is framing the debate as being about the limitation of personal freedoms. Trevor Walker of the Barbuda People's Movement spoke in explicit terms during the budgetary debate of Barbuda's lack of aid when independence was first declared. An island full of people left to their own devices very suddenly, with no resources to help them survive but their own wits. This overwhelming fear of lack of agency is a useful resource rhetorically. In any democratic nation, there are expectations of individual freedoms and self-determination that feel all the more precious in newly democratized nations like the twin-island state. Unfortunately for the opposition, that argument holds very little ground when brought to bear against the Antigua and Barbuda constitution and the very real necessity of a curfew.

Values Leading to Insight

These are difficult times for the twin-island state, but the MP of St. Peters is no stranger to difficult times. Asot Michael is a third-generation Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) member, his family's history tied inextricably with the highs and lows of the newly independent nation. Asot A. Michael, his grandfather paid the ultimate price for his support of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour party when anti-government protestors burned down his business in St. John's, Antigua. He died of a heart attack brought on by the riots the next day. His father, Patrick Michael, in Asot's words, "was an essential pillar supporting the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party during its darkest hours [and] sacrificed his business to ensure its survival." Asot Michael's belief in his constituents and in the island as a whole is in equal measure a belief in the legacy of his family, his party, and the foundational strength of his Christian principles.

In his work in the House of Representatives in Antigua and Barbuda, he prioritizes the needs of an ethnic majority that so often suffers under the lax taxation policies that Antigua and Barbuda, like so many nations in the Caribbean, have employed for decades to encourage private development and tourism. In his New Year's speech, he commended the efforts of locales practicing cleanliness and safe social distancing and showed an understanding of the difficulties the average citizen faces under the new restrictions and challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Antigua and Barbuda, MP Asot Michael, Layed Out the Facts

In the Antigua and Barbuda house of representatives, even after four arduous days of debate, the safety of the nation's citizens is the first and foremost priority of every member of parliament. MP's Pringle and Walker may argue that a state of emergency infringes on personal freedoms, but the effects of an unrestricted public are incontrovertible. When Antigua and Barbuda lifted their COVID restrictions in early 2021 it saw its largest uptick in cases in February. Pringle and Walker may not be in favor of the state of emergency, but they are in favor of curfew. Asot Michael argues emphatically that the two are inextricable and arguing for anything else is spreading misinformation.

"You're giving the impressions to the citizens and residents of the country that the Government is coming to this Parliament for over a year, extending the State of Emergency because the Government wants to curtail the freedoms and rights of the citizens, and that is not so. It is essential because the Government [...] has no power under the Public Health Act or any other legislation, except under Section 20 of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda to set curfew hours."

Antigua and Barbuda do not exist in a vacuum. Michael closed his remarks urging the opposition to keep an eye on the news as other countries had not only already extended their curfews, but in some cases entered a second or third lockdown. Not only is there already a precedent for such measures being taken, compared with other nations, Antigua and Barbuda opting to maintain their state of emergency rather than enter a full lockdown comes across as relatively relaxed. Factoring in the fact that even the opposition supports curfew renders the argument against continuing a state of emergency moot. MP Michael is quick to mention the disastrous spring break fiasco earlier that month in Miami Beach, Florida: "The Miami Beach police had to fire tear gas at all the people who were congregating on the South Beach!" The implications are clear. Without the legal ability to enforce a curfew, gatherings could spiral out of control, and just like in February, the twin-island state could experience another surge in cases.

The End Result

At the end of the debate, parliament gave the approval to extend the State of Emergency for another three months. Many, including Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin, praised Asot Michael's defense of the state of emergency, saying, "He has captured the law quite correctly, in a nutshell." Michael's clear, concise explanation of the state of emergency not only won the debate but set a moral precedent as he warned the speaker of Barbuda directly of the dangers of misinformation. "We can not be playing politics with people's lives and their livelihood," the MP of St. Peter opined, "especially during this period when our government is trying their best." He concluded, putting Opposition leader Pringle on the defense, "The leader of the opposition has not given one tangible reason why he's against the state of emergency. He's just against it. Why? How is it inflicting harm?" Any good teacher can not only explain a complicated subject but ask questions that challenge their students. MP Asot Michael not only made short work of any arguments against maintaining a state of emergency for Antigua and Barbuda but made it a learning experience for his fellow representatives as well.