{"id":262930,"date":"2026-01-02T07:45:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=262930"},"modified":"2026-01-02T12:30:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T16:30:54","slug":"opposition-leader-accuses-pm-of-intimidation-and-abuse-of-state-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opposition-leader-accuses-pm-of-intimidation-and-abuse-of-state-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Opposition leader accuses PM of intimidation and abuse of state power"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle <\/a>has accused Prime Minister Gaston Browne of using state agencies to intimidate political opponents, warning that democracy in Antigua and Barbuda<\/a> is under threat.<\/strong><\/p>

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In a New Year\u2019s statement, Mr Pringle said the Prime Minister had abandoned dialogue <\/a>in favour of what he described as hostility and intimidation, claiming the country was drifting towards authoritarian rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His remarks follow events in Morris Bay<\/a>, where a tent owned by Mr Pringle\u2019s family was demolished by the Development Control Authority <\/a>for alleged illegal construction. <\/p>

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Less than a day later, a nearby infrastructure project being carried out by the Antigua Public Utilities Authority was destroyed by fire. Police are investigating the blaze and have questioned the opposition leader.<\/p>

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Mr Pringle said the sequence of events was politically motivated and part of a wider campaign of \u201cbullying and retaliation\u201d against critics of the government. He warned that freedom of expression and political dissent were being eroded, deepening national divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has rejected such claims, maintaining that regulatory enforcement and police investigations are lawful, independent and free from political interference.<\/p>

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\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle has accused Prime Minister Gaston Browne of using state agencies to intimidate political opponents, warning that democracy in Antigua and Barbuda is under threat. In a New Year\u2019s statement, Mr Pringle said the Prime Minister had abandoned dialogue in favour of what he described as hostility and intimidation, claiming the country […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":257111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-262930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"yoast_head":"\nOpposition Leader Accuses PM of Intimidation Tactics - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Opposition leader accuses PM of using state power to intimidate. 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