Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Saturday that he anticipates the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) will win all parliamentary seats in the next general election, including Barbuda, as he expressed confidence ahead of the March 16 by-election in St. Philip’s North.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne show on Pointe FM, Browne said the governing party is in a strong position politically and organizationally, arguing that the opposition is struggling with internal divisions and leadership challenges.
“The possibility exists that the Labour Party could win all the seats going into the next general elections,” Browne said, adding that he sees no reason the ABLP should not aim for a clean sweep. He also suggested that Barbuda could be in play, criticizing Barbuda MP Trevor Walker as “non-performing.”
The prime minister’s remarks came as he discussed the upcoming by-election in St. Philip’s North, triggered by the retirement of longtime parliamentarian Sir Robin Yearwood after 50 years in office.
Browne confirmed that he wrote to the Governor-General to issue the writ for the by-election, with nomination day set for Feb. 25 and polling day on March 16 . He urged voters to renew and revalidate their electoral identification cards and to participate in the process.
He said the ABLP’s candidate, Randy Baltimore, had been selected as part of a broader succession plan within the party and described him as a long-serving customs officer who had worked closely with Yearwood for decades.
Browne said the narrow 93-vote margin in the 2023 general election in St. Philip’s North reflected unusual circumstances at the time, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation linked to the war in Ukraine, the collapse of LIAT and significant campaign spending by political opponents.
“Clearly, the situation now — the government is settled, the country is stable,” Browne said, arguing that voters would be reluctant to “replace stability with instability.”
He characterized the opposition United Progressive Party as an “imploding institution” facing a leadership crisis and said it was “not in any position to win anything.”
Browne said the ABLP’s focus remains on succession planning and leadership transition, noting that several new candidates are expected to contest the next general election as part of the party’s renewal strategy.
The St. Philip’s North by-election will serve as the first electoral test since Yearwood’s retirement and is widely viewed as an early indicator of the political mood ahead of the next national polls.