Prime Minister Gaston Browne moments ago urged supporters of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party to get ready for general elections.
“Even though I said 90 days it could be before” Browne told listeners on Pointe FM.
He said he instructed candidates of the ABLP to use the next few weeks to go door to door in an effort to urge constituents to renew their voter ID cards.
“It is known that there will be a general election,” he said.
“I am saying now that there will be a general election within 90 days,” the ABLP leader added.
Yesterday, the ruling party announced Dr. Philmore Benjamin as its candidate for St. Mary’s North, completing its slate of candidates that also includes several young persons.
His announcement follows the March 16 by-election which gave his ABLP a commanding victory over the opposition United Progressive Party in St. Philip’s North.
Earlier on Pointe FM Browne, questioned the readiness of the main opposition UPP to lead a government given their highly publicized internal disagreements.
Antiguans and Barbuda last voted in a general election on January 18, 2023, an election that gave the Gaston Browne administration a nail-biting 3rd term in office.
The ABLP captured nine (9) of the seventeen (17) constituencies, with the United Progressive Party (UPP) capturing six seats and Barbuda People’s Movement winning one seat. The remaining seat was won by an Independent Candidate.
That composition changed when the independent candidate Asot Michael was murdered, the seat then went to ABLP candidate Rawdon Turner in a by-election. Later in the term, UPP MP Anthony Smith aligned himself with the ABLP and now serves as Agriculture Minister in the Browne administration.
Hon. Gaston Browne was sworn is as Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda for a third term on January 19 2023, by Governor General Sir Rodney Williams. This is the first time in the history of Antigua and Barbuda that a Prime Minister has been elected for three consecutive terms.
Former UPP leader Harold Lovell who lost his seat resigned as party leader days after the 2023 general election. He has since retuned to active politics and will represent the party in All Saints West but not as leader.
This time around Browne will face Jamale Pringle of the UPP.
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A stunning strategic move by the ABLP, catching the opposition while they’re at their weakest. The momentum for the Labour party is very strong right now
Murder UPP done wid now!!!
Gasse we need a raise 9dollars a hlhr not feeding my family
How comes Dr. Benjamin become the candidate for St. Mary’s North when there was no primary ? Dr. Terry London is the people’s choice as candidate
The ONE AND ONLY DULY ELECTED LEADER OF THE UPP IS THE HON. LARS JAMALE PRINGLE.
#MingleWithPringle
Hon.Gaston Browne ,the results for the election as follows
ABLP. 17 SEATS
UPP. 00 Seat
BPM. 00 Seat.
@V for Vendetta. Prepare for a crushing defeat with the clueless Pringle as the puppet leader of the UPP. Lovell would do better but still lose.
#SingleSeatForPringle
This is the way public servants live to be used.
5 percent increase and call elections.
They forget all the abuse and rejoice at 5 percent.
They sell their souls and forget that they can’t get a visa to go and buy daily needs at a cheaper price. Interim five percent becomes permanent five percent.
What period??
They cant tell.
So for twelve years we get five percent increase while inflation got us by the colar.
Elections are not cheap.
The state has to find the resources.
It is a absolute waste of tax payers dollars to be funding an election every two to three years.
What is the rush to joke Elections about?
Who is trying hard to maintain diplomatic immunity? What is his crime?
Why cant the leader allow Elections cycle to run their time?
Why doesn’t any party want fixed date elections? Thatswould show us who care for the country and who cares about their pocket.
The time is come for this to be addressed.
Fixed date elections need to be legislated.
Time will tell
Like a trapped and wounded animal, let’s see how the upper echelons in the UPP, and we the supporters react to this announcement of a General Election in 90 days.
Everyone of us must come together and circle the wagons for the good of the party, the voting and the country as a whole and end the division.
Gaston Browne has already handed out the sweetners, to his adoring believes; and we all know that in the run-up to a General Election the ABLP’S “money tree” mysteriously reappears.
We have a tough rough task to try and turn the tide, but not an impossible one if there’s unity within our campus.
Me belly bun me chee time 😋
brixFOOLian you sound like a hopeless dumb fool. Cue the titanic music as the UPP ship sinks.
Gaston Brown is a political master mind. I recalled the many post, where the UPP faithful requested of the PM to announce election, as a matter of fact some go as far as DARING the PM, so I hope everything is in order and you are now ready, set, to win, government, and Lovell finally PM.
Is there a scandal on the horizon the ALP jumping ahead of.?
Well congratulations ABLP, we already know how this election is going to turn out. ABLP supporters will go out in their numbers to vote and UPP supporters won’t even waste their time. That won’t be a real win. Only bullies and people who know they can’t win fairly would use such a weak strategy. The ruling party is essentially kicking a man when he’s down. The UPP won’t have the opportunity for a fair fight, and the ABLP will practically ease into that victory. It would really show strength and flex muscles if the ABLP gave the UPP time to build up themselves, and then call election. But what do I know? Anyway, this election nar go sweet. If you ask me, that’s a pretty punky move to be just taking the win when the opposition is obviously at a verrrry weak point, but nobody asked me. So I’ll just go and check on my belt to see how much more tightening it can take, because right after ABLP wins, the roads and infrastructure will fall right back to disrepair, the water and electricity situation will resume with outages all over the island, people won’t have easy access to their beloved representatives for assistance with what’s really affecting them and this country will get hit with tax increases, higher utility bills, higher grocery prices etc.
Gaston Browne is turning Election into a joke now. Role out the Election Largesse, trap the unsuspecting, get another Term under your belt, then Rip, Rip, and continue to Rip while the masses remain in misery. We deserve better than this. QUO VADIS ANTIGYA and BARBUDA
The Opposition should not be surprised at all but I do not think they are even close to ready, they are too busy hating up and cannibalizing each other. Hoping for a miracle though because I will never vote ABLP, high time we end corruption in Antigua and Barbuda. What say you Faithful National #1
That’s fine Gaston but give us enough time to find reasonable airfare to get home. Last min flights are expensive.
waw. i did not see this coming!
well look out for the amnesty. People from all nationalities will become antigians and vote
Frankly speaking labour done win
Wow wow wow interesting
@Brix.. unity and UPP? You are a beleiver in unicorns? Recall you just a few weeks ago pushing for a win for your UPP candidate but instead he got a arsing. Now watch you again not understanding that your party is lost. Pringle I now hear has resigned. Like in 2018, we have caught UPP in a coma
Nice retort @tenman, but always remember that when anyone hits rock bottom, the only way is UP …
… And those at the top have to fight like DAWGS🥸 to stay there 👍🏾
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
UPP is not weak, the island is weak and soon to be brought to its knees under this regime.
Inflation is already out the wazoo, crimes are rampant across the land, corruption is afoot around every corner, murderers walking free like nothing, the judicial system is a joke, and the tourist industry will soon dry up in the Antigua.
Those are all facts, and the UPP is what you idiots are worried about?
As a matter of fact, GB is calling election because he’s aware of those facts, and he knows it’s the best time for him to win under the current state of Antigua.
So the UPP isn’t weak, the island and the people are in peril right now, and GB know that it won’t recover anytime soon.
We already lost visa privileges to the US, EU and Canada. Canada is even warning it’s citizens about the dracronion laws of Antigua when they travel there.
Lol. GB is calling elections, because he knows that the Chantel and the Asot killer will walk free, and that the evidence that will come out of those two cases will expose or implicate him, so he’s desperate for some cover right now, and elections is the best move he has.
It also won’t be long before the US come knocking at his door, because the FBI is digging deep into the Maduro case file to solidify the case the US have against him.
So GB can only fool the dummies who are blinded be his trickeries.
Remember, thr Devil also offered Jesus Christ all the richest of the world..but I always contend, how can you offer something to someone that he/she already own or created?
Antigua belongs to the people, and here is GB offering or selling it back to the people like he’s some savoir.. 😂..the island is already yours people, don’t be fooled by the continuous big talk by GB..he’s just a cog in the wheel, not your master.
So don’t be fooled by all these promises from GB. Remember a promise is only a comfort to a fool.
Well I’m not a political strategist like Peter, but if you ask me, I would right out the year because their is so much at stake. We have the most important meeting ahead of us CHOGM. We need to focus 100% on this and many other meetings to be held here. The public in my opinion is weary of voting and will not turn up in full numbers. Maybe that is what the PM is counting on. Just like in Barbados the voting was low. If this is done it will make this government have the lowest ever time in government yet the most elections. The average would be three years per term. This is why lots of people would prefer set dates for election. No early elections. You have to sit out your term. We’ll see. I do expect the ABLP to win but I do not expect the voters to be energize by it. By Election was good enough for the two candidates. One was because of the death of one sitting MP and the other because of Old Age and Sickness.
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