ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) says 37 candidates have been nominated to contest the snap April 30 general election.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne called the polls nearly two years ahead of the constitutional deadline, and his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party (ABLP), which won nine of the 17 seats in the January 18, 2023, poll, has nominated candidates for all 17 constituencies.
ABEC said that the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) will contest the 16 seats on Antigua with its affiliate, the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM), contesting the seat on Barbuda.
There are three independent candidates, including Alan Greg Weston, a property manager who will contest the St. Paul constituency, currently held by Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene. The other candidate vying for that seat is the UPP’s Franz DeFreitas.
The other independent candidates are Debbie Pero Weston and Nigel Bascus.
ABEC is appealing to citizens to take better care of their voter identification cards, as officials report a growing number of replacements being requested, even among recently issued cards.
ABEC’s public relations officer, Elisa Graham, told the media that many individuals are returning to replace cards they collected only recently, stressing the importance of keeping the document secure and advising electors to store it alongside other critical identification documents, such as passports, or in easily accessible personal items, such as wallets or purses.
ABEC said it has been meeting the demand for replacement voter cards, and with the replacement fee waived for lost cards, individuals are taking the opportunity to renew their documents.
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