{"id":13565,"date":"2018-03-18T11:22:20","date_gmt":"2018-03-18T15:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=13565"},"modified":"2018-03-18T11:22:20","modified_gmt":"2018-03-18T15:22:20","slug":"last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/","title":{"rendered":"Last lap campaigning ahead of March 21 poll"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-2465632156\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-3561749819\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p>Antigua and Barbuda political parties enter the final weekend of campaigning for the March 21 general elections staging rallies in a bid to woo undecided voters.<\/p><div id=\"antig-686133359\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>While there are seven political parties and five independents vying for control of the 17-seat Parliament, political observers say the contest is a straight fight between the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) and the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP).<\/p>\n<p>Prime Minister Gaston Browne who is leading the ABLP into a second general election, is promising to follow his prime ministerial colleague in Grenada, Dr. Keith Mitchell, where he led his New National party (NNP) to a complete rout of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by winning all 15 seats.<\/p><div id=\"antig-440135657\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-1614823356\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1320\/h:730\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5614.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1320\/h:730\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5614.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:166\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5614.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:566\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:425\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:696\/h:385\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_5614.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1320\" height=\"730\"   \/><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI am quite sure the results here in Antigua and Barbuda will be just as exciting, as we say 17 none,\u201d Browne said, \u201cadding \u201cI am looking forward to joining him very shortly to celebrate a 17 none here in Antigua and Barbuda\u201d.<\/p><div id=\"antig-826930624\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"culinary\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:843\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:132\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:450\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:337\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:675\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:842\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/culinary-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1124\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>But the UPP, which governed this country for 10 years before being ousted in 2014, is not perturbed and is instead urging supporters to put an end to the corruption, unfulfilled promises of the Browne administration.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cananewsonline.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ABLP1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-194172 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/cananewsonline.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ABLP1.jpg\" alt=\"ABLP\" width=\"350\" height=\"232\" \/><\/a>\u201cAntiguans and Barbudans your lives and your livelihood and this country\u2019s future are in your hands. On the left there is hopelessness. On the right there is hope, happiness, opportunity, prosperity and empowerment,\u201d said the UPP leader, Harold Lovell, a former finance minister, who is leading the party into a general election for the first time.<\/p><div id=\"antig-807905391\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"IMG_0783\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_0783.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>In the 2014 general election, the ABLP won 14 of the 17 seats with the remainder going to the UPP.<\/p>\n<p>Browne called the election more than a year ahead of the constitutional deadline, telling supporters his administration wanted to safeguard billions of dollars in new investments to come to the country in the next few years.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3791762604\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"IMG_1115\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/IMG_1115.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/IMG_1115.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/IMG_1115.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/IMG_1115.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/IMG_1115.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>But Lovell said this is not the case.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1098165526\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\u201cDespite his penchant for tossing around numbers, the truth that all of us \u2013 outside of the Browne circle \u2013 know and live, is that life is harder than ever after nearly four years of this wicked government,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>The leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Joanne Messiah, the former UPP legislator, who is leading her recently formed party into the general election, has also described the government\u2019s performance as one of epic failure, dismissing Browne\u2019s arguments as a \u201cruse\u2026a political gamble\u2026 by a desperate PM who is devoid of ideas regarding how to jump start a failing economy using creative ways without selling out our country and our people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe economy continues to underperform and this fact has a direct correlation on employment and investment (local and foreign). Added to this is the fact that government\u2019s principal revenue earner, the Citizenship by Investment Programme, has virtually dried up,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>There has been no national debate among the leaders heading into the general election, but on Friday, in a prelude perhaps to what the final days of campaign could look like, both Browne and Lovell, appeared on a radio programme here in an 18-minute long no- holds-barred exchange.<\/p>\n<p>The Observer newspaper reporting on the radio programme said they hurled \u201cinsults and levelled accusations of corruption at each other while they shouted over each other and the hosts\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Prime Minister Browne told the radio listeners he was prepared to resign ahead of the elections, if the opposition could prove claims of corruption against him.<\/p>\n<p>Both parties have released their manifestoes promising to improve education, health, agriculture, sports as well as lay the groundwork for further investments in the vital tourism industry.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/cananewsonline.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/UPPs.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-194173 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/cananewsonline.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/UPPs.jpg\" alt=\"UPPs\" width=\"350\" height=\"231\" \/><\/a>Prime Minister Browne has described the UPP manifesto as \u201cextensive plagiarism\u201d filled with \u201cworthless promises.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat they delivered is not hope,\u201d but disappointment,\u201d Browne said.<\/p>\n<p>But Lovell has reminded UPP supporters of the \u201cfalse\u201d promises made by Browne during the campaign of 2014, including that of delivering 500 homes in 500 days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are offering the solutions for this country\u2026.we are creative.\u00a0 What we have put forward is doable. What we have put forward is practical,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign has been dogged by allegations of voters being offered cash to withhold their support, an accusation that both the ABLP and the UPP hurled at each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis illegal practice of paying electors to give up their voter identification card, is intended to ensure that these persons would be unable to vote in the upcoming election,\u201d the UPP said in a statement, describing it as \u201cblatant bribery\u201d that is in contravention of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2001.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a corrupt practice under our elections law, but we are not in the least surprised,\u201d said UPP legal advisor,\u00a0 Leon Chaku Symister, adding \u201cit is our intention to take further steps to have law enforcement monitor these violators, with a view to bring them to justice\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>But the ABLP chairman Chet Greene has brushed aside the allegations, demanding that the opposition party bring evidence to support its claim.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, the ABLP chairman described the claim as \u201cfake\u201d adding that over the last three general elections \u201cthe UPP engaged in the skulduggery that they are now trying to attribute to the ABLP in this election\u201d even as he too failed to provide evidence in support of his claim.<\/p>\n<p>The lone candidate of the Barbuda People\u2019s Movement (BPM), Trevor Walker, failed in his bid to get the High Court to prevent the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) from having the people of Barbuda cast their ballots on the island of Antigua.<\/p>\n<p>Barbuda was severely affected when Hurricane Irma passed through the Lesser Antilles last September, forcing the government to order a total evacuation of the island. But since then such a measure has been relaxed and many of the 1,600 Barbudans have returned to their homes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_194174\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cananewsonline.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Browne-Lovells.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-194174 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/cananewsonline.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Browne-Lovells.jpg\" alt=\"Browne Lovells\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prime Minister and ABLP Leader Gaston Browne (Left) and UPP leader Harold Lovell (File Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The High Court ruled earlier this week that Walker had jumped the gun with Justice Clare Henry ruling that the matter can only proceed by way of an election petition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe judge has ruled against us. She says our application is premature. It has to come after the poll is conducted. That is not our view. Our application is not premature because we are not challenging the election result because no election has been conducted as yet,\u201d said attorney Charlesworth Tabor.<\/p>\n<p>But he is promising that a petition will be filed after the election for the constituency of Barbuda, but only on one condition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe plan is, if Mr. Trevor Walker loses on election day, then, of course, we will file an election petition to challenge the results because our position is, an election cannot be conducted outside of a constituency and that is a fundamental issue that the court will eventually have to pronounce on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But ABEC chairman Nathaniel \u201cPaddy\u201d James said the Commission \u201chas the best interest of Barbudans at heart\u201d and that discussions are continuing with officials from the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) regarding the transportation to Barbudans to Antigua.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Friday, ABEC said the two parties have advanced preparations for Barbudans, who will begin arriving in Antigua from Monday and that to date a number of Barbudans have indicated their willingness to travel to Antigua since hearing of the ruling.<\/p>\n<p>Barbudans have been assured that transportation mainly by ferry along with food and accommodation will be covered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are very glad for the outcome and this decision is in the interest of the people of Barbuda. We will be working with NODS to bring persons from Barbuda over here to exercise their franchise\u201d, James said.<\/p>\n<p>In the last general election, 47,721 persons were eligible to cast ballots, but the figure this year is put at more than 50,000. There are 168 polling stations scattered across the island.<\/p>\n<p>On Saturday ABEC told voters that \u201cour Head office will be open to those persons who still need to replace their ID cards \u2026today and tomorrow Sunday\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-2925147859\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Antigua and Barbuda political parties enter the final weekend of campaigning for the March 21 general elections staging rallies in a bid to woo undecided voters. While there are seven political parties and five independents vying for control of the 17-seat Parliament, political observers say the contest is a straight fight between the ruling Antigua [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Last lap campaigning ahead of March 21 poll - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Last lap campaigning ahead of March 21 poll\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Antigua and Barbuda political parties enter the final weekend of campaigning for the March 21 general elections staging rallies in a bid to woo undecided voters. While there are seven political parties and five independents vying for control of the 17-seat Parliament, political observers say the contest is a straight fight between the ruling Antigua [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-03-18T15:22:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ABLPLAST.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"Last lap campaigning ahead of March 21 poll\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-03-18T15:22:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-03-18T15:22:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/\"},\"wordCount\":1333,\"commentCount\":19,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1366\/h:768\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ABLPLAST.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Politics\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/last-lap-campaigning-ahead-of-march-21-poll\/\",\"name\":\"Last lap campaigning ahead of March 21 poll - 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