2018 Antiguan general election

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).

2018 Antiguan general election
21 March 2018
All 17 seats in the House of Representatives
9 seats needed for a majority
Turnout76.51% (Decrease13.76pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Gaston Browne Harold Lovell Trevor Walker
Party ABLP UPP BPM
Last election 56.45%, 14 seats 41.95%, 3 seats 1.13%, 0 seats
Seats won 15 1 1
Seat change Increase1 Decrease2 Increase1
Popular vote 23,063 14,440 558
Percentage 59.24% 37.09% 1.43%
Swing Increase2.79pp Decrease4.86pp Increase0.30pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election

Gaston Browne
ABLP

 Subsequent Prime Minister

Gaston Browne
ABLP

Politics of Antigua and Barbuda
Executive
Legislative
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Minister: E.P. Chet Greene

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
PartyVotes%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
Total38,932100.00170
Valid votes38,93299.27
Invalid/blank votes2880.73
Total votes39,220100.00
Registered voters/turnout51,25876.51
Source: ABEC

By constituency
Constituency ABLP UPP DNA GGL BPM Ind Total
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
All Saints East and St. Luke 1,369 47.65 1,379 47.99 106 3.68 7 0.24 2,873
All Saints West 1,726 54.31 1,380 43.42 51 1.60 3,178
Barbuda 429 42.01 13 1.27 558 54.65 4 0.39 1,021
St. George 2,083 56.68 1,452 39.51 121 3.29 3,675
St. John's City East 769 54.42 616 43.59 18 1.27 1,413
St. John's City South 895 69.60 355 27.60 23 1.78 1,286
St. John's City West 1,457 70.90 565 27.49 15 0.73 2,055
St. John's Rural East 2,175 65.90 975 29.55 134 4.06 3,300
St. John's Rural North 1,708 59.90 1,057 37.07 58 2.03 2,851
St. John's Rural South 1,502 62.53 755 31.43 38 1.58 2,402
St. John's Rural West 1,712 50.86 1,528 45.39 113 3.35 3,366
St. Mary's North 1,882 60.40 1,220 39.15 3,116
St. Mary's South 942 50.08 911 48.43 18 0.96 1,881
St. Paul 1,315 59.42 836 37.78 53 2.39 2,213
St. Peter 1,736 73.12 577 24.30 2,374
St. Philip North 884 70.49 355 28.30 1,254
St. Philip South 479 49.79 459 47.71 6 0.62 962
Total 23,063 59.24 14,440 37.09 754 1.94 20 0.05 558 1.43 4 0.01 38,932
Source: ABEC

References
  1. "2018 Election Date Set For March 21" Daily Observer, 24 February 2018
  2. ABLP wins 2018 General Elections Antigua Observer, 22 March 2018
  3. "Snap election in Antigua puts Barbuda's communal land ownership on the ballot". The Guardian.
  4. Electoral system IPU
  5. "Barbudans forced to travel to Antigua to vote as islanders fear for future of their land". The Telegraph.
  6. Elections in Antigua Archived 2 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine Caribbean Elections
  7. 2018 candidates Archived 23 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine Caribbean Elections
  8. "Antigua's Browne goes to the polls with bribery cloud over his head". Jamaica Observer.
  9. "Browne should not bring Sandals into election dogfight – Cranstone". Loop News Barbados. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
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