Antiguan general election, 2018

Antiguan general election, 2018
21 March 2018
All 17 seats in House of Representatives
9 seats needed for a majority
Turnout 76.32% (Decrease13.8%)

  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Gaston Browne Harold E. Lovell Trevor Walker
Party Labour UPP BPM
Leader since 25 November 2012[1] 2014
Leader's seat St. John's City West St John’s City East
(defeated)[2]		 Barbuda
Last election 14 seats, 56.6% 3 seats, 41.8% 0 seats, 1.13%
Seats won 15 1 1
Seat change Increase1 Decrease2 Increase1
Popular vote 23,063 14,440 558
Percentage 59.24% 37.19% 1.44%
Swing Increase2.75% Decrease4.57% Increase0.31%
Prime Minister before election

Gaston Browne
Labour

 Subsequent Prime Minister

Gaston Browne
Labour

Antigua and Barbuda
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Antigua and Barbuda
Foreign relations

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 21 March 2018 to elect members to House of Representatives of the 16th Antigua and Barbuda Parliament.[3] Each of the 17 constituencies elected one Member of Parliament (MP).

The governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party led by Gaston Browne was returned to power, winning 15 of the 17 seats, increasing their majority by one seat.[4] The United Progressive Party, the official opposition, led by Harold Lovell, was reduced to a single seat and Lovell failed to be elected.[5]

Electoral system

The 17 elected members of the House of Representatives were elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting; 16 of the seats were allocated for the island of Antigua and one for the island of Barbuda.[6] Barbudan electors were required to travel to Antigua to vote as a result of the aftermath of hurricane Irma.[7]

Campaign

A total of 53 candidates contested the elections, representing seven parties. The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party nominated a full slate of 17 candidates. The United Progressive Party nominated candidates only on the island of Antugua due to an electoral pact with the Barbuda People's Movement which stood only on the island of Barbuda. Together they fielded a candidate in every seat. The Democratic National Alliance (13) were the only other party to contest more than half the seats. The Antigua Barbuda True Labour Party and Go Green for Life both had two candidates, while the Barbuda People's Movement (affiliated to the United Progressive Party) and Missing Link VOP had a single candidate. A single independent candidate, Attorney-at-law Ralph Francis, contested the seat of Barbuda.[8][9]

Prime Minister Gaston Browne dissolved parliament fifteen months early. The main issues were the re-building and response to the 2017 Hurricane season, the Barbudan communal land ownership law, tourism resorts notably the Sandals Resorts, and a bribery scandal involving Browne.[10][11][5]

Results

Party Votes % Seats +/–
Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party23,06359.2415+1
United Progressive Party14,44037.091–2
Democratic National Alliance7541.940New
Barbuda People's Movement5581.431+1
Antigua & Barbuda True Labour Party870.2200
Go Green for Life200.050New
Missing Link VOP60.0200
Independents40.010New
Invalid/blank votes288–––
Total39,220100170
Registered voters/turnout51,25876.51––
Source: ABEC

References

  1. ↑ "New opposition leader supports term limitations". Antigua Observer.
  2. ↑ "Antigua Election: UPP leader loses seat as party heads towards massive defeat". St Lucia News Online.
  3. ↑ 2018 Election Date Set For March 21 Daily Observer, 24 February 2018
  4. ↑ ABLP wins 2018 General Elections Antigua Observer, 22 March 2018
  5. 1 2 "Snap election in Antigua puts Barbuda's communal land ownership on the ballot". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Electoral system IPU
  7. ↑ "Barbudans forced to travel to Antigua to vote as islanders fear for future of their land". The Telegraph.
  8. ↑ Elections in Antigua Caribbean Elections
  9. ↑ 2018 candidates Caribbean Elections
  10. ↑ "Antigua's Browne goes to the polls with bribery cloud over his head". Jamaica Observer.
  11. ↑ "Browne should not bring Sandals into election dogfight – Cranstone". Loop News Barbados.
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