1999 Antiguan general election

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 9 March 1999.[1] The elections were won by the governing Antigua Labour Party. Lester Bird was re-elected Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Voter turnout was 63.6%.[1]

1999 Antiguan general election

9 March 1999

All 17 seats in the House of Representatives
9 seats needed for a majority
Turnout63.61% (Increase 1.29pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Lester Bird Baldwin Spencer Hilbourne Frank
Party ALP UPP BPM
Seats won 12 4 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1 Steady
Popular vote 17,521 14,713 418
Percentage 52.94% 44.45% 1.26%
Swing Increase 9.23pp Increase 0.74pp Decrease 0.09pp

Prime Minister before election

Lester Bird
ALP

Subsequent Prime Minister

Lester Bird
ALP

The elections were extremely close, with the UPP losing five seats by a narrow 554 votes in total, and had the elections been free and fair (the government controlled almost all newspapers as well as television and radio stations), the opposition could have won a majority.[2] Opposition leader Baldwin Spencer criticised the conduct and fairness of the elections and began a hunger strike in protest to the flaws in the system. The government responded by establishing the independent Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission in 2001.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Antigua Labour Party17,52152.9412+1
United Progressive Party14,71344.454−1
Barbuda People's Movement4181.2610
Antigua Freedom Party570.170New
National Reform Movement330.100New
Independents3551.0700
Total33,097100.00170
Valid votes33,09799.33
Invalid/blank votes2230.67
Total votes33,320100.00
Registered voters/turnout52,38563.61
Source: Nohlen

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p66 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p63


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