Antigua and Barbuda held general elections on Thursday, April 30, to elect 17 members of the House of Representatives, determining the composition of the new government. The principal parties competing in these elections are the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party (ABLP), the United Progressive Party (UPP), and the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM). The polling...

Antigua and Barbuda held general elections on Thursday, April 30, to elect 17 members of the House of Representatives, determining the composition of the new government.

The principal parties competing in these elections are the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party (ABLP), the United Progressive Party (UPP), and the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM).

The polling stations opened at 6:00 am local time, with electoral officials, party representatives, and Commonwealth observers present to oversee the process. Voting concluded at 6:00 pm.

Current Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who leads the ABLP, is seeking his fourth consecutive term. He is a candidate for the St. John’s City West constituency. His party currently holds nine of the 17 seats.

Meanwhile, Jamale Pringle, who leads the UPP and is a candidate in All Saints East and St. Luke, enters these elections holding six seats but weakened by an internal party crisis that began in 2024.

In third place is the BPM, led by Trevor Walker, who is a candidate in Barbuda and hopes to maintain his party’s sole representation in parliament.

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Although Browne’s term was set to end in 2028, Antigua and Barbuda’s parliamentary system allows the prime minister to call elections early. After requesting the dissolution of parliament at the beginning of April, the PM announced general elections for April 30.

He argued that a strong government with a renewed mandate is essential for making the right decisions in a complex global scenario, characterized by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its global economic impact, such as potential increases in fuel prices that negatively affect the Caribbean.

The representatives of the 17 constituencies of the parliament are elected through the first-past-the-post system. In the last general elections, held on January 18, 2023, voter turnout was around 70%.

(Últimas Noticias) by María Eugenia Rodríguez

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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