Symister says date of general elections should be fixed, while Lovell notes that snap polls do not always favour governments

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REAL NEWS: Attorney-at-law Leon Chaku Symister is making a call for the introduction of fixed-term elections in Antigua and Barbuda.

Symister, a United Progressive Party (UPP) spokesperson on electoral matters, was speaking at Thursday night’s panel discussion on “Voters’ Rights: Lesson from the Barbados Elections.”

He was making specific reference to the snap polls called by Prime Minister Mia Mottley 18 months before they are constitutionally due.

Symister says this placed the opposition party at a disadvantage that could be deemed unfair, although not unconstitutional.

He also references the thousands of eligible voters who were prevented from casting their ballots because they are infected by the COVID-19 virus.

Symister is, therefore, sounding a call for Antigua and Barbuda elections to be held on a fixed date in order to keep the playing field level.

Meanwhile, Harold Lovell, the Party’s Political Leader and an attorney, himself, says he, too, favours fixed-date polls.  However, he points out that calling snap elections is not always beneficial to the sitting administration, and he cites the example of Trinidad and Tobago.

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12 COMMENTS

  1. This (chaku) famous for bursting into parliament (bed re the 2094 elections ) and demanding that government call the election now. This was months before it was constitutionally due. Mouth change now like his false teeth
    .

  2. This Symester bloke was last seen in a rample jacket with ashy ankles “representing” a card-carrying big time UPP supporter accused of allegedly “securing” money from the site of a certain supermarket when it burned down. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    Big up ya self Leon Freon. You are a non-entity to society and a jack within the UPP. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  3. I stand corrected….. was he part of the legal team in the infamous case of Wilmoth Daniel STRIPPER POLE BUS 🚌🤔

  4. I agree. Now if Stone would have made that same proposal on night soil radio. What would have been the reaction on this platform?

  5. If you Chaku think so much the election date should be fix how come you still asking for election two and half years before its due,please give me a break ,Bunch of Losers

  6. This is the reason why no one should take these politicians seriously. Prior to the 2004 general elections, the UPP clamoured for constitutional and other general changes to our political system. The UPP went on to win the 2004 elections with a super majority – and did not do an earthly thing. In fact, Chaku and Harold enjoyed the political banter when Baldwin was moving the envelope with the election date from pocket to pocket. SMDH

  7. Politicians!!! Cronies!!!! They are really a bunch of HYPOCRITES. They point out all what’s wrong when in opposition and when they get the opportunity to make changes, they make wrong right for them. Would like to know which country in the commonwealth has a set date for election?

  8. There is nothing wrong with having a fixed-date system. However, Chaku and Harold need to keep quiet on this issue. This is a case of right message, wrong messenger. They had 10 years to change the current system and they did absolutely nothing

  9. Chaku needs to remember that Baldwin Spencer called the 2014 election three months after they were constitutionally due. And he said nothing about that. Just because the law gave him a ninety-day grace period. And still they lost the election. It seems that when in government they want one thing and when in opposition they want the opposite. Well you cannot have it both ways.

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