Antigua & Barbuda general elections date to be announced shortly – PM Spencer

Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer. PHOTO/File

Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has reiterated he would name the date for the general election as soon as he considers it “to be in the best interest of the nation to do so”.

In a radio and television broadcast Monday night, Spencer urged nationals to allow the Electoral Commission to discharge its duties and responsibilities “in an atmosphere of peace, calm and objectivity as we prepare for the general election which are to be held shortly”.

Spencer was commenting on the rulings of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court that had earlier during the day dismissed one of two appeals filed by Opposition Leader Gaston Browne while upholding another.

The Court dismissed Browne’s constitutional challenge of the decision of Parliament to amend the Representation of the People Act 2010, but upheld the appeal filed by the leader of the main opposition Antigua Labor Party (ALP) as to whether the Boundaries Commission was fair in its preparation of its report, which the ALP said was biased and unfavorable to the party’s political candidates.

In his broadcast, Spencer said he would have been failing in his duty if he did not admit that “I am aware that the population at large is disappointed that the ruling was not handed down prior to the automatic dissolution of the parliament as had been expected. “But in the final analysis, we have no choice but to accept that the delay may have been as a result of exigencies over which the Court had little or no control. Unfortunately, in the view of many of my follow citizens the timing left in its wake, more questions than it provided answers.” -(CMC)