The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus is expected to use the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party’s headquarters for law classes for no more than 18 months, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Saturday.

UWI’s decision to hold classes at People’s Place has generated public and political concern because the building is owned by the governing party. Critics, including opposition figures, have questioned the propriety of a public university renting space from a political organisation and raised concerns about possible political influence and conflicts of interest.

Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM, Browne rejected allegations of corruption and said the arrangement was driven by the university’s immediate need for suitable classroom space.

He said more than 160 people applied for the new law programme, but enrolment was limited to about 70 because of space and staffing constraints. According to Browne, postponing the programme until additional facilities were completed at Five Islands was the principal alternative.

“Assuming they can build out the lecture facilities in the next 12 to 18 months, I don’t see it going beyond 18 months,” Browne said. “So it is, at best, a short-to-medium-term engagement.”

Browne described People’s Place as a 10,000-square-foot commercial building that is only partly used as the Labour Party’s headquarters. He said UWI would occupy approximately 8,000 square feet, including the main conference area and smaller rooms that can be used for group work.

The prime minister said the final rent had not been determined. He said discussions began at EC$6,000 per month, but UWI officials concluded that the amount would not cover the cost of operating and maintaining the facility.

Browne said the building has been valued at approximately EC$9 million, with an estimated commercial rental value of about EC$8 per square foot. Renting 8,000 square feet at that rate would cost EC$64,000 monthly, but he said the party had no intention of charging UWI the full commercial rate or even half that amount.

He characterised the arrangement as subsidised rather than purely commercial and said it would allow students to begin their studies while UWI expands its Five Islands facilities.

Browne said that expansion is being pursued through a $200 million loan from Saudi Arabia. Once the additional lecture facilities are completed, he said, the law programme is expected to move from People’s Place to the university campus.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM: UWI’s Use of ABLP Headquarters Will Last No More Than 18 Months.