Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party explained

Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party
Abbreviation:ABLP
Leader:Gaston Browne
Foundation:18 May 1946
Founder:V.C. Bird
Ideology:Republicanism
Economic liberalism
Fiscal conservatism
Paternalistic conservatism
Position:Centre-right[1]
Seats1 Title:Seats in the House of Representatives
Seats2 Title:Seats in the Senate
Seats3 Title:Seats in the Barbuda Council
Country:Antigua and Barbuda

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bird, who was chairman of the party since 1971, and was Prime Minister and political leader in 1994.

History

The party was founded in 1946, during the first national elections, as the Antigua Labour Party (ALP). Its founders included Vere Bird, father of Lester. The ABLP later came to be seen as a political arm of the Bird family. With the exception of five years in the 1970s, the ABLP ruled Antigua and Barbuda for over four decades leading up to 2004. It was in the opposition from 2004 to 2014, and then returned to power in the 2014 general election.

2004 defeat

Two major events precipitated the ABLP's first defeat in 28 years in the 2004 elections. First, an Electoral Commission was introduced after the 1999 election. According to international observers, the 1999 election was rife with irregularities. The report from an observer group from across the Commonwealth concluded that "voting rolls appeared to be inflated" and recommended "the establishment of an independent electoral commission to improve the voter registration process."[2] Second, in 2002 there was a scandal over medical benefits, in which the government failed to contribute EC$120 million to cover recipients' medical expenses.[3]

The opposition United Progressive Party campaigned on an anti-corruption platform they called "Government in the Sunshine." The ABLP lost its majority in the general election held on 24 March 2004. It received 41.8% of the popular vote, but won only four out of 17 seats. ABLP Prime Minister and political leader Bird was also defeated in his constituency.

Leadership crisis and transition

In early 2009, the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party faced an internal leadership crisis. There was speculation that even if the ABLP won the 2009 election, Bird's leadership would be challenged.[4] He announced that, if the ABLP failed to win the forthcoming 2009 general election, he would step down.[5] Nevertheless, despite not winning, he remained the ABLP's leader[6] until 2012, when he was defeated by Gaston Browne in a leadership challenge.

2014 elections and return to government

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party won 14 of the 17 seats in the Legislature in the 2014 general elections, forming a majority government with Browne as Prime Minister. They won 15 seats in the 2018 general elections and thereby retained power.

Ideology

Despite having been founded as a partisan expression of the labor movement in Antigua and Barbuda and having labor and social democratic origins,[7] the party is generally considered as an economically liberal and fiscally conservative party,[8] [9] defender of a market-oriented economy and tax reductions, in particular rejecting the imposition of income tax.[10] However, the party's policy of maintaining the public sector as the largest employer in Antigua and Barbuda during its successive governments (representing up to 40% of the workforce) has also led to the party being considered a guarantor of a "paternalistic conservatism" or "right-wing socialism."[11] After the death of Elizabeth II of Antigua and Barbuda, the party went on to officially support the conversion of Antigua and Barbuda into a republic.[12]

Electoral results

House of Representatives

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1951Vere Bird4,18287.4New1st
19565,50986.7 0 1st
19602,12885.0 2 1st
19657,27578.9 0 1st
19716,40937.9 6 2nd
197612,05649.0 7 1st
198012,79458.0 2 1st
198412,97267.9 3 1st
198914,20763.9 1 1st
1994Lester Bird14,76354.4 4 1st
199917,52152.6 1 1st
200416,53441.9 8 2nd
200919,65746.9 3 2nd
2014Gaston Browne24,21256.5 7 1st
201823,06359.24 1 1st
202320,05247.1 6 1st

Barbuda Council

ElectionLeadersVotesSeatsPositionGovernment
No.%±No.±
1976Vere Bird
1979[13] [14]
1981
1983
1985[15]
1987
1989
1991/1992
1993/1994
1996Lester Bird1st
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005[16]
2007[17] [18] 2nd
2009[19] [20]
20111,68048.81[21] 2nd
2013Gaston Browne2,29553.51[22] 1st
2015[23] 21st
20172,791[24] 48.34[25] 21st
201942nd
20211,319[26] [27] [28] 36.1922nd

Notes and References

  1. Web site: АНТИГУА И БАРБУДА Энциклопедия Кругосвет . 2024-03-22 . www.krugosvet.ru . ru.
  2. https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/1999/370.htm "US State Department Human Rights Report"
  3. http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/caribbean/fraud.htm "Fraud"
  4. http://dagarat.blogspot.com/2009/01/whos-leader.html "Who's the Leader"
  5. http://www.antiguasun.com/paper/?as=view&sun=281935077507132005&an=184634087212302008&ac=Local "Bird to call it quits if ABLP fails at polls"
  6. News: Bird said he is ready for court challenge to electoral law. 31 December 2011. Antigua Observer. 19 December 2011.
  7. https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/28042/1/Gascoigne_206049269_Thesis%20%281%29.pdf
  8. https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/media/csis/pubs/ppa%26b99elections%5B1%5D.pdf
  9. https://antiguaobserver.com/labour-party-makes-new-promises/
  10. Web site: Wayback Machine . 2024-03-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150617235858/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/eDocs/manifestos/ag/ablp_manifesto_2014.pdf . 17 June 2015 .
  11. Web site: АНТИГУА И БАРБУДА Энциклопедия Кругосвет . 2024-03-22 . www.krugosvet.ru . ru.
  12. Web site: 2024-03-23 . Antigua and Barbuda may become republic within 3 years after British queen's demise . 2024-03-22 . news.am . en.
  13. Web site: THE BARBUDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT CHAPTER 44 . 2022-01-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220119230904/http://laws.gov.ag/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cap-44.pdf . 19 January 2022 . dead.
  14. Web site: Pat. 2012-08-19. ALP candidates announced for March 2013 Council election. 2022-01-24. Barbudaful. en-GB. The Barbuda Council has been controlled by the BPM since the first election was held around 35 years ago. The ALP gained control for a brief period in 1996..
  15. Book: Banks . Arthur S. . Day . Alan J. . Muller . Thomas C. . Political Handbook of the World 1998 . Springer . en . 1 February 2016. 9781349149513 .
  16. Web site: pj67admin. 2005-03-23. Barbuda Council Election Day. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  17. Web site: pj67admin. 2007-03-01. Barbuda Council elections. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  18. Web site: pj67admin. 2007-03-23. Barbudan Council Election Results. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  19. Web site: pj67admin. 2013-01-08. Result of the BPM Primaries. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  20. Web site: Caribbean Elections Members of the Senate of Antigua and Barbuda 2009 – 2014. 2022-01-01. www.caribbeanelections.com. 1 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220101233151/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/parliament/ag_parliament/ag_senate_2009.asp. dead.
  21. Web site: pj67admin. 2011-04-04. Barbuda Council Election Results. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  22. Web site: pj67admin. 2013-02-18. The Results. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  23. Web site: 2015-03-25. BPM are back – two more seats in Council. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  24. Web site: barbudaful. 2017-03-30. BPM bring back Council. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  25. Web site: 2017-03-29. It's done … time to move on. 2022-01-01. Antigua Observer Newspaper. en-GB.
  26. Web site: 30 March 2021. Clean Sweep for BPM.
  27. Web site: barbudaful. 2021-03-18. Council elections March 29th 2021. 2022-01-01. Barbudaful. en-GB.
  28. Web site: Barbuda Council Elections 2021 Results. live. 2022-01-04. www.abec.gov.ag. https://web.archive.org/web/20220104034456/http://www.abec.gov.ag/election-cycle/election_results/Barbuda_Council_Elections/2021_council_elections.php . 4 January 2022 .