Two high ranking members of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) have told Antigua News Room that elections will be called by early March 2018.
The two senior opposition politicians did not want to be named because they did not have the authority to speak publicly on the party’s strategic thinking.
The individuals both indicated that there will be no budget following the Speech from the Throne. The UPP also anticipates that a salary increase for public servants will be announced in 2018 just as major infrastructural projects get underway.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has been hinting at a snap election saying it will come “as a thief in the night.”
The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) announced that three more Units have been decentralised and are now operational from their respective locations in the constituencies.
Political observers view this as another indication that elections are imminent.
This week, the All Saints East and St Luke Unit was relocated to the Nelson’s House which is on the compound with the All Saints Police Station.
The St John’s Rural North Unit is now functioning from the York’s Community Centre while the St Phillip’s North Unit is located in Willikies on the main road in a green wooden building, identifiable with the ABEC logo.
The Electoral Commission said work is ongoing to complete the decentralisation process early in the New Year.
Following the 2014 general election, ABEC began registering voters at the old Peace Corps building but the opposition challenged that saying it goes against the country’s electoral laws.
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Vote or not to vote? Mm mm…..
Vote.
But I understand the feeling. If the roads and even the water situation are not majorly improved, I “feel” as if there is no point in voting, if you can’t even vote for/expect the basics.
Not voting means one enjoys and are willing to maintain the status quo.
The strategy is to win by default because of low voter turn out. Why weren’t these voting units opened up before? The main issue they say, was unreliable Internet connections. Has Internet service suddenly improved? The process of getting on the electors list can be quite long and even if persons register now, there’s a good chance they have already missed the cut off date. If the elections are called in March, people who register in January, probably won’t make the list. This is something that must be changed. The process should not take more than 30 days.
The PM will make sure that everyone that voted make it on that list even if he had to go back to Parliament and amended the electoral process.
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