United Progressive Party (UPP) leader Jamale Pringle has accused the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) of copying elements of the opposition’s manifesto, telling supporters that his party remains the driving force behind policy ideas in the election campaign.

Speaking at a rally in St. Philip’s South on Monday night, Pringle said the ABLP was forced to adjust its platform after the UPP unveiled its own proposals.

“They had to go back… and they mimicked everything the UPP did,” Pringle said, referring to the release of the party’s campaign website and manifesto.

He argued that a comparison of the two documents would demonstrate that the UPP is leading on policy direction.

“If you put the two manifestos side by side, it shows that the UPP is a visionary organisation… we lead, we don’t follow,” he said.

Pringle said the UPP’s proposals were developed through consultations with a wide cross-section of society, including workers, pensioners, business people and community leaders, and were designed to address key concerns such as the cost of living, water supply, roads, crime and healthcare.

The opposition leader’s remarks form part of a broader campaign push as political parties make their final appeals to voters ahead of the general election.