Prime Minister Gaston Browne says his decision to call an early general election is rooted in what he described as the need to preserve stability and secure a fresh mandate for his administration at a time of growing uncertainty.
Speaking Saturday on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show, Browne said Antigua and Barbuda is operating in an “unstable period” and argued that strong, settled leadership is needed to navigate the challenges he believes lie ahead.
“One of the reasons why I’m calling early elections is to make sure that we continue to secure the future of this country,” Browne said. “We have a situation in which we are operating within a very unstable period. And having a stable government is important.”
The prime minister said the move is intended to give his government a longer runway to govern without the pressure of an election looming in the near future. He said that by going to the polls now, his administration would be “better equipped to deal with the challenges ahead.”
“It’s important that we get a longer mandate now,” Browne said. “By getting this now, we will be better equipped to deal with the challenges ahead, and there will be challenges.”
Browne also made clear that political calculations were part of the decision, saying his opponents had been caught “totally unprepared” and divided. But he insisted the timing was ultimately tied to governance rather than short-term advantage.
The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party leader argued that if his government had wanted to act in the most politically favorable way, it could have delayed elections until after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM, or even into next year when, he said, several major projects would be further advanced.
“To be told, the most opportune time for us to have called elections would have been first quarter of next year, after Chogom, or even later this year, after Chogom,” Browne said. He added that by then roads would have been further improved and a new three-million-gallon water plant would likely have been in place.
Instead, Browne said, his administration opted to move sooner in order to “stabilize this country now.”
“Let’s stabilize this country now. Let’s make sure that the government has a strong mandate, so that we can deal with the challenges that will come before us. They’re sure to come,” he said.
Throughout the interview, Browne framed the election decision as part of a broader argument that his government has the experience to manage economic and social pressures while maintaining development momentum. Before turning directly to the election issue, he pointed to investments in water production, roads, education, wages and public services as evidence of what he called “strong leadership” and “competent leadership.”
He said leadership matters especially in a period marked by global instability, petroleum price pressures and domestic infrastructure demands, and warned against what he portrayed as a disruptive change in government. Browne said voters should place a premium on continuity and the preservation of what he described as the country’s progress.
The prime minister also tied his case for an early election to polling, saying surveys had shown that Antiguans and Barbudans believe his administration is best positioned to handle the months and years ahead.
“In our polls, for example, in the UPP polls, they would have shown very clearly that the best team to deal with the challenges that are likely to come our way within the upcoming months and years would be the Gaston Browne-led administration,” he said.
He went further, saying he did not want the government to be placed in a position where it would have to make “politically expedient decisions” because an election was due within a year.
Browne dismissed the suggestion that governing parties should wait until the opposition is ready before calling elections, saying preparedness is part of leadership. Later in the programme, he said leaders who want to serve should always be prepared when called upon.
At the same time, the prime minister made no attempt to hide the political weakness he sees in the opposition, saying the United Progressive Party is divided and behind the ruling party. Those remarks formed part of his wider case that now is the right time to seek a renewed mandate.
Browne said the issue should not be reduced to personalities or the pursuit of office.
“This is not a frivolous issue,” he said. “It’s about stability at this time, and leadership stability is very important. Very important if it’s one time that leadership counts, it is this time.”
The interview also included an on-air reminder that voters with expired identification cards should get them validated at the registration office at Villa Primary School. In that announcement, Browne said there were “less than 30 days to go before the next general elections,” underscoring how close the country is to the polls.
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When you win an election you are given a mandate to govern for five years not until the first sign of instability (whatever the hell that mean). Please speak the truth and stop taking you red Kool-Aid supporters for a ride….they will believe anything you say so speaking the truth shouldn’t be a problem. Maybe during the constitutional reforms discussion we can includes instability as a reason for calling elections along with all the other reasons. GIVE ME A BREAK…
Totally agree with the Prime Minister on this one. And, as a concerned Antiguan citizen it would be nice if Gaston Browne could also reassure the country at large about securing our stability with stranger security measures as well.
You can’t deal with one, without safeguarding the other Prime Minister … but you know that, right!!!
PS
I thought the alleged buying out of Anthony Smith and the death of Asot Michael would have given you the stability you needed…..THE AYES HAVE IT…EVERYTIME
AMEN
The irony of your statement is that your administration is the core cause of what Antigua is facing.
You heae lie?
Dear Community,
I want to speak from the heart as we face a crucial moment in our country. Many have been personally hurt by individuals in the UPP party, the opposition. But we must remember: this is not about personal grievances. This is about our country—about being honest, about doing what is right. If we believe in a higher power—if we believe in God—then we cannot stay silent. Too often, when someone is disliked, they are never allowed to do right. And that is a danger we cannot afford.
As I have shared, there is deep corruption—right down to the cricket fields. A woman told me they locked the gate, claiming it as their own field, even though it should be a public space. This is just one example of a much larger problem. Our healthcare is suffering—our MRI machine at the hospital barely works, sometimes on, sometimes off. And the roads—our roads are atrocious, worse than they were months ago. These are basic promises broken.
What avenues do our youth have? The YMCA, meant to be an open resource, is now controlled by a small clique of netball players. You can’t just walk in and join; you must be part of a team, part of their structure. And it all ties back to politics—your opportunities depend on who you know. Meanwhile, the ruling party, the Labour Party, called elections two years early, despite having two years left in their term. This sparks fear, because we remember what happened with the CIP program—it ruined our relationship with the U.S. Illegal activities infiltrated, and a boat was sold, with no money going back into youth programs. Now we see gun violence—kids being shot. A man was caught with a silencer, and his sentence was shockingly reduced.
We need to stand up. We must remember the days of the great dynasty—Papa Bird, Lester Bird—those leaders who shaped Antigua. Now, all of that is being destroyed by greed. Gaston Browne takes power, empowering himself, enriching himself, while we sit aside. This is not about me. This is about us. We must take the ball by the horns and make Antigua great again. Let’s bring back the days when honesty, hard work, and a vision for all led us forward.
The calling of an early election is a “redial” tool of political trust as the government will use it as an opportunity to grade their performance amidst all the scandals, corruption claims and polarizing rhetoric over the past couple of years. Frequent elections though can signal systemic instability locally, distracting from the longterm policy issues and causing voter apathy. My fear is that this might lead to disillusionment by the electorate and result in voter apathy where eligible voters choose not to participate in the elections because they believe that their involvement lacks meaningful impact. Elections alone cannot satisfy the demands of a democracy because they often fail to address the complexities of governance between voting cycles, often acting merely as a “spectacle” to manufacture consent while corruption or policy failure continues.
This just tells you that the people are not the government in Antigua, but this pompous fool GB is the total government.
He is not calling an early election for the people, because the people have not called for one or the expectation of the people are not before a full term has been served,but GB is calling an election for himself, to save his own arse.
This man is a fraud, and everything he does is only self serving and are shrouded in corruption and self enrichment.
Just look at the history of his leadership people, from the Antigua airways debacle to the covering up of millions of vehicles stolen from the public works department.
Now here he is talking about ” Global uncertainty”. This man is a part of the types of leadership that has brought the world to its knees. It’s not just the larger countries who have contributed to that effort..Corruption is directly from Satan, and many of these leaders are sons of Satan and leader of their Cultish movement.
This Scourge has to be removed from office..I warned and warned that this man will be the biggest scourge on the island of Antigua, and here it is playing out.
He has lost the youth with many of his policies, and now we have killers and assassins running rampant in the island.
People are even boldly bringing in silencers for their illegal guns, only to get a slap on the wrist.
And as terrible as many of you might think america is, do that crap in the US or Europe and get caught then you will see how far they lost you in one of their prisons.
The laws of Antigua are weak, and this so-called leader has not done a damn thing to curtail it in his 12 years at the top of the ticket..infact things have gotten way worse under his leadership.
So yes GB,we are having a global crisis because of corrupt leaders like you.
War is not the only mark of a crisis in a country.
Get rid of this scourge in your politics people..he is not taking the island anywhere.
The proof is in the way the place is these days.
An orange tree cannot bring forth Mango’s, and a corrupt person cannot bring forth righteousness. Corruption is one of the devil’s strongest weapons, and greed is the catalyst of that.
All these Crimes taking place; Shootings; stabbing; fightings. Weapons such as knives; cutlasses and guns are the order of the day. Everyday is something. But yet all he studying about is Elections?. The Country wants cleansing. SMDH. But he dont care all he wants is power. Sick and tired of this.
We know you are desperate to win this election for certain reasons. One of which is THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING AND IT’S NOT WITH LOVE and you are not Sean Connery
All is fair in Love War and Politics. But I can share the sentiments voiced by Eli. it seems a little bit unfair for the UPP who is really in disarray ever sinceve b the 2023 election. Actually before that but lets say they really missed it in 2023. But on the other hand thank God they didn’t. I cannot imagine what Antigua and Barbuda would have become with the inept candidates that they offered to us. Our people deserve a vibrant opposition, which would make it a very interesting Democracy. A democracy where no party could ever claim to have the majority at all times. We’ve been through 28 years of consistent Labour Party rule and then only barely 10 years of UPP rule. Again thank God for that, because they really wreck the country’s economy. The problem lies with us the people. We (the qualified ones) sit and watch and never offer up ourself for public office. But behind the scene we align with the party in power to get government contracts and fill our pockets. All because being in government is exposing yourself to public scrutiny. And the job really doesn’t pay that well. I always wonder why Gaston Browne bothered to get into politics. He was making more money as a private businessman. And then all the attacks on his character. He will never get the praise for having bought WIOC for the people without borrowing a dime from the treasury. That was a private deal that if it were me, would have been done privately and yes with all the accusation now, I would have owned some 10% or more of the stock. Rappaport would have sold their shares to a private citizen, which is me, and I would have sold some of the share to my partners and I would have extracted all the land for myself. Still cannot believe he did that all for the (Ungrateful) people of this land.