Another Caribbean government secures a decisive electoral mandate, reinforcing a regional trend of ruling parties consolidating power amid opposition weakness.
Capitalizing on some level of internal wrangling within the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), Prime Minister Gaston Browne called snap general elections two years before the constitutionally due date and walked away with a landslide victory in the general elections held in Antigua and Barbuda on Thursday.
Browne’s Labor Party (ABLP) went into the April 30 contest with 10 of the 17 seats, and by the time the electoral commission had tallied up most of the votes, it became quite clear that the UPP had been decimated once again, with Labor increasing its tally to 15. The remaining seat in mainland Antigua went to UPP leader Jamale Pringle, while Trevor Walker of the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) retained his seat.
The victory means that the prime minister and the ABLP are about to commence a fourth consecutive term, having won previous elections in 2014, 2018, 2023, and now in 2026.
The federation’s elections were the second one in the 15-nation CARICOM bloc so far this year, following another snap election that resulted in the governing Barbados Labor Party (BLP) winning all 30 parliamentary seats for the third consecutive time. These polls were held in early February.
Next up is The Bahamas, where the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) of Prime Minister Phillip Davis is fighting to win a second consecutive term in the May 12 contest, which is fixed.
The Antigua victory seems to follow a pattern across the grouping, where voters appear tired of weak, poorly funded opposition parties.
Last December in St. Lucia, for example, the Labor Party (SLP) won all but one of the 17 seats, while in neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a similar tale resulted from elections at the end of November last year, when the New Democratic Party (NDP) also carried away all but one of the 17 seats. In Trinidad, the United National Congress (UNC) won 26 of the 41 seats in the late April 2025 elections, while in Suriname, a multiparty coalition governs with 34 of the 51 seats, also from elections held last year.
“We are humbled and honored by your support and confidence. Now is the time to move forward together, build on our gains, and continue our work on this long journey toward the betterment of our society and the upliftment of our people. From each and every one of us, thank you,” PM Browne told jubilant supporters. “We are here to serve all the people of Antigua and Barbuda. Education, jobs, business opportunities will be open to all who are prepared to seize them, and I say to my distinguished countrymen and countrywomen, when we create these opportunities for you, please seize them.”
Browne said his administration is determined to serve all citizens, ensuring no one willing to progress is left behind. Regardless of political beliefs, now is the time for everyone to perform, boost productivity, and help Antigua and Barbuda become a top productive small island state globally.
