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Kaieteur News
Friday March 23 ,2018
PM urges unity as ABLP demolishes UPP in general election ST. JOHN’S, Antigua CMC – Prime minister Gaston Browne yesterday called for unity as his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) was returned to office with an overwhelming victory following Wednesday’s general election. Preliminary results released by the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) showed the ABLP winning 15 of the 17 seats in parliament, while the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) was victorious in the All Saints East and St Luke’s constituency, where the results were being contested by the ABLP candidate and former government legislator Colin James, who lost by ten votes. “This victory is your victory and as they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God,” Browne said in his victory speech issued during the early hours of yesterday. “It is true that politics by nature is divisive, but at the same time, whereas we have our differences, I say to you that those differences should not result in any form of permanent division. So we must be able to forgive those who would’ve offended us. There were many offences during this campaign, but at the same time, I say to you that uniting
ABLP leader and Prime Minister Gaston Browne surrounded by supporters after winning 2018 general election this country is quintessential to its socioeconomic development,” Browne said, even as he acknowledged an earlier prediction that the UPP “would have struggled to win a single seat”. The UPP, which was seeking to regain the government it lost by a 14-3 margin in 2014, suffered heavily with both its leader, Harold Lovell, and his deputy, Wilmoth Daniel, a veteran politician, failing to win their seats. Daniel 70, was trounced by Browne in the St John’s
City West constituency, polling a mere 565 votes to the ABLP leader’s 1,457. Lovell was seeking to regain the St John’s City East seat, which he lost in 2014 to the incumbent Melford Nicholas of the ABLP. Nicholas polled 769 votes compared to 616 for Lovell and 16 votes for Bruce Goodwin of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA). In Wednesday’s general election, the lone seat on Barbuda was won by Trevor Walker of the Barbuda
People’s Movement (BPM), who defeated the ABLP’s Arthur Nibbs by more than 100 votes. “This is a historic time for the people of Barbuda,” Walker said, noting that this was the first time that a Barbuda candidate has won the seat by more than 100 votes. “I am very happy tonight. I have made history in so many ways. I have won all the boxes and that has never happened and the people have said to the administration that
they are fed up,” he added. Browne conceded that the ABLP had always known that “Barbuda was a toss-up” adding that he hoped the new representative would work with his administration and would not “stymie the progress” of the island. Among the victorious ABLP candidates is former tourism minister Asot Michael, who was sacked from the cabinet after he was arrested by Metropolitan Police in Britain last October. Browne’s wife, Maria, a newcomer to politics, won the St John Rural East seat that was previously held by former prime minister Sir Lester Bird, who is a member of her family. She polled 2, 175 votes to defeat the UPP’s Trevor Young with 975 and Vere Cornelius of the newly formed Democratic National Alliance (DNA) with 134 votes.The DNA failed to win a single seat of the 13 it contested with its leader, Joanne Messiah, who had won the All Saints East and St Luke’s constituency polling just 106 votes. The ABLP candidate, Jamale Pringle won the seat, polling 1,379 to James’ 1,369. Browne told jubilant supporters that his new administration “would work on the progress we made in the last
three and a half years”, noting that projects estimated at US$1.5 billion were earmarked for 2018 and a similar figure for 2019. He told fellow Antiguans and Barbudans that it was time to come together, noting “we must not divide the country over politics”. “We are not here to gloat about the victory . . . because we have to bring all the people together,” he said, telling the population that with the many projects to come on stream they should be prepared to make full use of the employment opportunities. “We must all give thanks and praise to the most high, without him we would not have been celebrating 14 to 15 seats,” Browne said, declaring Thursday a public holiday to celebrate the ABLP’s victory. He said this new term in office was one of empowerment and promised public servants that their pay negotiations would be completed ‘as soon as possible” and that a system would be established to meet the arrears owed. “Recognizing that you have given me a sacred trust, I will continue to do all in my power to honour it and in so doing I will honour you the people,” Browne said in his victory speech.