2018 Antiguan general election explained

Election Name:2018 Antiguan general election
Country:Antigua and Barbuda
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2014 Antiguan general election
Previous Year:2014
Election Date:21 March 2018
Next Election:2023 Antiguan general election
Next Year:2023
Seats For Election:All 17 seats in the House of Representatives
Majority Seats:9
Turnout:76.51% (13.76pp)
Outgoing Members:14th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda#Members
Elected Members:15th legislature of Antigua and Barbuda#Members
Image1:Prime Minister Mia Mottley with St. Lucia's Prime Minister Allen Chastanet (left) and Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne (right). (42506644584) (cropped).jpg
Leader1:Gaston Browne
Party1:Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party
Last Election1:56.45%, 14 seats
Seats1:15
Seat Change1:1
Popular Vote1:23,063
Percentage1:59.24%
Swing1:2.79pp
Leader2:Harold Lovell
Party2:United Progressive Party (Antigua and Barbuda)
Last Election2:41.95%, 3 seats
Seats2:1
Seat Change2:2
Popular Vote2:14,440
Percentage2:37.09%
Swing2:4.86pp
Image3:Trevor Walker in 2010.jpg
Leader3:Trevor Walker
Party3:BPM
Last Election3:1.13%, 0 seats
Seats3:1
Seat Change3:1
Popular Vote3:558
Percentage3:1.43%
Swing3:0.30pp
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Subsequent Prime Minister
Before Election:Gaston Browne
Before Party:Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party
After Election:Gaston Browne
After Party:Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 21 March 2018 to elect members to House of Representatives of the 15th Antigua and Barbuda Parliament.[1] 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.[2] The United Progressive Party, the official opposition, led by Harold Lovell, was reduced to a single seat and Lovell failed to be elected.[3]

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.[4] Barbudan electors were required to travel to Antigua to vote as a result of the aftermath of hurricane Irma.[5]

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.[6] [7]

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.[8] [9] [3]

Results

By constituency

ConstituencyABLPUPPDNAGGLBPMIndTotal
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
All Saints East and St. Luke1,36947.651,37947.991063.6870.242,873
All Saints West1,72654.311,38043.42511.603,178
Barbuda42942.01131.2755854.6540.391,021
St. George2,08356.681,45239.511213.293,675
St. John's City East76954.4261643.59181.271,413
St. John's City South89569.6035527.60231.781,286
St. John's City West1,45770.9056527.49150.732,055
St. John's Rural East2,17565.9097529.551344.063,300
St. John's Rural North1,70859.901,05737.07582.032,851
St. John's Rural South1,50262.5375531.43381.582,402
St. John's Rural West1,71250.861,52845.391133.353,366
St. Mary's North1,88260.401,22039.153,116
St. Mary's South94250.0891148.43180.961,881
St. Paul1,31559.4283637.78532.392,213
St. Peter1,73673.1257724.302,374
St. Philip North88470.4935528.301,254
St. Philip South47949.7945947.7160.62962
Total23,06359.2414,44037.097541.94200.055581.4340.0138,932
align=left colspan=14Source: ABEC

Notes and References

  1. https://antiguaobserver.com/2018-election-date-set-for-march-21/ "2018 Election Date Set For March 21"
  2. https://antiguaobserver.com/ablp-wins-2018-general-elections/ ABLP wins 2018 General Elections
  3. Web site: Snap election in Antigua puts Barbuda's communal land ownership on the ballot. The Guardian.
  4. http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2009_B.htm Electoral system
  5. Web site: Barbudans forced to travel to Antigua to vote as islanders fear for future of their land. The Telegraph.
  6. http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ag/elections/ag_results_2018.asp Elections in Antigua
  7. http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ag/candidates/ag_candidates_2018.asp 2018 candidates
  8. Web site: Antigua's Browne goes to the polls with bribery cloud over his head. Jamaica Observer.
  9. Web site: Browne should not bring Sandals into election dogfight – Cranstone. Loop News Barbados. 24 March 2018. 3 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190403134343/http://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/browne-should-not-bring-sandals-election-dogfight-cranstone-2. dead.