Governor General Sir Rodney Williams signed a proclamation late Wednesday, dissolving Antigua’s parliament, officially setting the stage for general elections in the federation of Antigua and Barbuda.
And now all that is left is for Prime Minister Gaston Browne to set an actual date for locals to vote in a general election, almost two full years before these are constitutionally due.
Browne had said in the past week that he had held off naming a date within the 21-day period to allow the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) to complete its preparations for the elections and to fully organize and install candidates for the 17 seats in parliament.
“I believe in mercy,” Browne told lawmakers in parliament while boasting that he had postponed naming a date to allow the UPP to organize itself. “The members on the other side will not get more than an additional week,” he said, hinting that a date could be named in late April or early May.
Browne’s Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party (ABLP) has been making it clear that the federation is headed to the polls almost two years before these are constitutionally due, to take advantage of well-publicized internal problems in the UPP. There are about 68,000 eligible voters in the twin-island federation, out of a population of just over 100,000.
But while the ABLP appears confident of an election win, analysts say it should be mindful of recent electoral mishaps since the last polls in 2023.
For example, the party had been badly beaten in recent elections in Barbuda but rebounded by stealing two UPP lawmakers to add to its majority in parliament. Voters are also unhappy with recent visa restrictions imposed by the US.
The federation is headed to the polls, as preparations are underway for general elections in nearby Dominica and possibly Grenada, where both main parties have been parading constituency candidates before the public. Prime Minister Philip Davis in The Bahamas has also signaled plans to call an election date soon.
