PM’s wife tipped to run in Sir Lester seat

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Maria Bird Browne (file photo) plans to contest Rural East seat

It is unprecedented and in some places frowned upon as a conflict of interest, but Prime Minister Gaston Browne has intentions to run side by side with his wife on the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party’s next election ticket.

It appears the prime minister is paving the road for his wife, Maria Bird Browne to be confirmed by the St John’s Rural East constituency branch office, currently represented by her uncle Sir Lester Bird.

Even before the June 2014 election, several people were positioning themselves to run on Rural East seat, expecting that Sir Lester, who has had a spate of health issues, would not be fit to run. However, Sir Lester successfully contended that seat.

For the next election, due latest in 2019, Sir Lester will not contest the seat and many political hopefuls have stars in their eyes.

The Prime Minister’s secretary and protégé Senator Shenella Govia has long been rumoured to have interest in the seat.  Bird-Browne’s first cousin, Sean Bird, has also expressed interest in running in Rural East on an ABLP ticket in the past; and senator Michael Freeland has been touted as a contender.

It was revealed yesterday however, that the Prime Minister has halted Freeland’s political aspirations – at least as far as the ABLP is concerned – as he is embroiled in a ‘scandal’ regarding his private auctioneering business. The prime minister did not give details on the scandal and he did not relieve Freeland of his senatorial appointment.

Ahead of the last general election, Freeland was defeated when he challenged Dean Jonas in a primary election to represent the St George constituency. Freeland was then hoping to run in the seat which his father Sir Adolphus Freeland, had represented for many years.

Maria Bird Browne, 26, is a graduate of the Christ the King High School and has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has been known to operate in the real estate industry.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. It is not “unprecedented” for couples to pursue political party interests together. There was Nicolae Ceascescu of Romania and his wife, Slobodan Milosovic and his wife in Serbia, and closer home Eric Hairy and his wife of Grenada. The common denominator of all these three personalities is that they were dictators seeking to manipulate their parties to grab all power for themselves and their families. So here the history repeats itself certainly as a farce with our own would be dictator positioning himself to seize total power for himself using his girl wife to help the process. If Antigua’s electorate falls for this madness they will deserve the crazy house they bring on themselves!

      • Maria is a child who cannot even run a charity with us hearing about improper finances. Ivena sang about it, and won a personal muzzle from GASSton. The man is a budding DICTATOR. Hillary is a qualified professional who has over a decade of experience in politics. I know you just want to see the pretty face on TV… but that’s the end of it there. She can’t offer the country anything more than more hard times.

  2. Jamaica’s PM Holness has his wife in Parliament. Anyway Brownes wife is 26? Man married someones child.

    • She is 26 not 16,at least he respected her enough to marry her.. Cant say the same for lots of female from your nation,who has chosen bleaching,stripping and Prostitution as their life profession.. You,ll are disgusting and narrow minded.

  3. She got called out for the profitable charity business, and now he wants her to run the country? Is this North Korea? And what’s with the “Lady Maria”? She has no such title. Please force your wife somewhere else, and not down our throats. We know where that has been.

  4. This just means that “Gassed up Clown” will have two seats. Haven’t this psychopath fill his pockets enough already? So what is his wife’s Educational background? Do you think she competent? Do you people realize you elected a self proclaim business man with not one successful business? If all his businesses failed what you think will happen to Antigua? Do you realize his economic plan for Antigua start and ends with the sale of passports? I can already see her missing days of Parliament when he decides to beat her up again! Come on Antigua enough of this clown show.

  5. A couple of things here.First off,when it comes to conflict of interest in local politics nothing will
    ever surpass that of V.C.Bird’s being Prime Minister and head of a labour union at the same time,
    o.k? NOTHING!!

    Secondly,Eldridge is spot on by saying “if Antigua’s electorate falls for this madness” it will “deserve the crazy house” it bring on itself.

  6. A house divided against it self cannot stand hatred and envy is of the devil she will run and win be encouraged darling dont let the haters get in your mind

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