Voters in the hurricane-wracked twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda headed to the polls Wednesday to elect a new government after Prime Minister Gaston Browne called snap elections.

Browne's Antigua Barbuda Labour Party, which has led the eastern Caribbean country since 2014, is widely expected to secure a second consecutive term.

The prime minister announced general elections on February 24, 15 months before a constitutionally mandated deadline, giving opposition parties less than four weeks to prepare.

And there will be no polling stations on Barbuda, which was battered by Hurricane Irma in September.

As a result, the estimated 400 Barbudans who have since returned home will have to travel to Antigua to cast their ballot. The government has promised to pay for related transport, accommodation and meal expenses.

Just over 51,000 Antiguans and Barbudans are eligible to vote. Voter turnout was around 90 percent in 2014.

Browne says the government wants to protect half a billion US dollars worth of developments currently under construction in the tourism-dependent country, and provide investors with stability.

One of the most prominent –- and controversial -- projects is a $250 million mega resort being built by Hollywood star Robert De Niro on Barbuda which was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September.

Lowering the cost of living in the country of 100,000 people is high on the agenda.

Browne, a former businessman and banker, has pledged to reduce electricity bills, along with the cost of land, and provide more affordable housing, under the slogan "Rebuilding Together." His wife Maria is also running for a seat on an ABLP ticket.

On Sunday, thousands of Browne's supporters donned the party's red colors and walked alongside a motorcade in an event that culminated in a public rally.

The "Delivering Hope" campaign of the main opposition group, the United Progressive Party (UPP), cites revitalization of the tourism and agricultural sectors as key priorities.

Fifty-three candidates will vie for seats in the 17 single-member constituencies -- of which the ABLP currently holds 14 -- in a first-past-the-post system.

The ruling party is alone in presenting a full slate of 17 candidates. The UPP, led by former finance minister Harold Lovell, has put forward 16.

A new party, the Democratic National Alliance, headed by current lawmaker and former UPP representative Joanne Massiah has registered 13 candidates.

There is a handful of smaller parties, a single independent runner and one representing the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM) contesting the small island's sole seat.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 am (1000 GMT) and are due to close at 6:00 pm. Alcohol sales are restricted during those hours and all public schools are closed, as many are serving as polling stations.

Teams representing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are observing the elections.

On its path through the Caribbean in September, Irma caused "absolute devastation" on Barbuda where up to 30 percent of properties were demolished, and 95 percent damaged, Browne had said at the time.

After a 10-year hiatus, voters returned Browne's Labour Party to power during the last ballot four years ago, when he pledged to economically transform the country.

The country became fully independent from Britain in 1981.</s>FORMER Foreign Minister and Attorney-General of The Bahamas, Janet Bostwick will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor the Antigua and Barbuda general election today.

The group arrived in the country on March 16 and has met with the Prime Minister, the electoral commission, representatives of political parties, civil society representatives, media organisations and domestic and international observer groups.

Mrs Bostwick said: “On behalf of the group, I wish the people of Antigua and Barbuda well as they go out to exercise their franchise. We will assess whether the elections have been conducted according to the national laws of Antigua and Barbuda, and to the relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international standards to which Antigua and Barbuda has committed itself.”

She continued: “For the remainder of the time before polling commences we will observe campaigning and continue to meet a range of relevant stakeholders to the election process.”

The group will observe at different polling stations and constituencies across Antigua, including the polling for Barbudans. They will observe the opening of the polling stations, the casting of votes, the count and the declaration of results, as well as liaising with observers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Organization of American States (OAS).

Last month, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that Antigua and Barbuda would hold a general election on March 21, more than a year before elections were constitutionally due.

These elections will contest the 17 seats in the lower chamber of Antigua and Barbuda’s bicameral parliament. At dissolution, a majority of 14 seats was held by Prime Minister Browne’s Antigua Labour Party with the remaining three seats held by the United Progressive Party.</s>Barbudans have for the first time in their history been forced to travel by fishing boat, ferry and charter plane to neighbouring Antigua to vote in their elections – a move many on the hurricane-ravaged island see as a ploy to discourage them from voting.

Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, called a snap election last month – 18 months ahead of time.

All of Barbuda’s 1,600 residents were evacuated to Antigua when Hurricane Irma smashed into the Caribbean nation six months ago. Many have remained on Antigua, and so the electoral commission decided that voting could only be held on the larger island.</s>Prime Minister Gaston Browne led his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to victory in Wednesday’s general elections after the party had won nine of the 10 seats declared here early Thursday, according to the preliminary figures released by the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC).

Browne, who called the poll more than a year ahead of the constitutional deadline, easily won his St. John’s City West seat, as the ABLP was on track to complete a rout of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP).

He said he was pleased that the voters in his constituency had “invested in him” adding “I can assure them of bigger and better things to come”.

Browne spoke of a number of multi-million dollar projects earmarked for the area, which he said would become the “envy of other constituencies over the next five years’.

AB electionsThe UPP, which was seeking to regain the government it lost in 2014, suffered heavily with both its leader, Harold Lovell and the deputy, Wilmoth Daniel, a veteran politician failing to win their seats.

Lovell was seeking to regain the St. John’s City East seat, which he lost in 2014 to the incumbent Melford Nicholas of the ABLP.

Nicholas polled 769 votes as against 616 for Lovell and 16 votes for Bruce Goodwin of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA).

“This is a historic time for the people of Barbuda,” Walker said, noting that this is the first time that a candidate has won the seat by more than 100 seats.

In Barbuda, the ABLP lost the sole seat there Trevor Walker of the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) easily defeated the incumbent Arthur Nibbs of the ABLP by 568 to 429 votes.

“This is a historic time for the people of Barbuda,” Walker said, noting that this is the first time that a candidate has won the seat by more than 100 seats.

“I am very happy tonight. I have made history in so many ways. I have won all the boxes and that has never happened and the people have said to the administration that they are fed up,” he added.

Among the victorious ABLP candidates are attorney general Steadroy Benjamin and Asot Michael, the former tourism minister who was sacked from the cabinet after he was arrested by Metropolitan Police in Britain last October.

Browne’s wife, Maria, a newcomer to politics, is on the verge of winning the St. John Rural seat that had been held previously by former prime minister and family member, Sir Lester Bird. She has so far polled 1,135 votes as against 567 for Trevor Young of the UPP and Vere Cornelius 109, with four more boxes to be counted.

In the 2014 general election, the ABLP had won 14 of the 17 seats at stake. The remaining three seats had gone to the UPP.</s>St. John's (Antigua and Barbuda) (AFP) - Voters in the hurricane-wracked twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda headed to the polls Wednesday to elect a new government after Prime Minister Gaston Browne called snap elections.

Browne's Antigua Barbuda Labour Party, which has led the eastern Caribbean country since 2014, is widely expected to secure a second consecutive term.

The prime minister announced general elections on February 24, 15 months before a constitutionally mandated deadline, giving opposition parties less than four weeks to prepare.

And there will be no polling stations on Barbuda, which was battered by Hurricane Irma in September.

As a result, the estimated 400 Barbudans who have since returned home will have to travel to Antigua to cast their ballot. The government has promised to pay for related transport, accommodation and meal expenses.

Just over 51,000 Antiguans and Barbudans are eligible to vote. Voter turnout was around 90 percent in 2014.

Browne says the government wants to protect half a billion US dollars worth of developments currently under construction in the tourism-dependent country, and provide investors with stability.

One of the most prominent ?- and controversial -- projects is a $250 million mega resort being built by Hollywood star Robert De Niro on Barbuda which was devastated by Hurricane Irma in September.

Lowering the cost of living in the country of 100,000 people is high on the agenda.

Browne, a former businessman and banker, has pledged to reduce electricity bills, along with the cost of land, and provide more affordable housing, under the slogan "Rebuilding Together." His wife Maria is also running for a seat on an ABLP ticket.

On Sunday, thousands of Browne's supporters donned the party's red colors and walked alongside a motorcade in an event that culminated in a public rally.

The "Delivering Hope" campaign of the main opposition group, the United Progressive Party (UPP), cites revitalization of the tourism and agricultural sectors as key priorities.

Fifty-three candidates will vie for seats in the 17 single-member constituencies -- of which the ABLP currently holds 14 -- in a first-past-the-post system.

The ruling party is alone in presenting a full slate of 17 candidates. The UPP, led by former finance minister Harold Lovell, has put forward 16.

A new party, the Democratic National Alliance, headed by current lawmaker and former UPP representative Joanne Massiah has registered 13 candidates.

There is a handful of smaller parties, a single independent runner and one representing the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM) contesting the small island's sole seat.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 am (1000 GMT) and are due to close at 6:00 pm. Alcohol sales are restricted during those hours and all public schools are closed, as many are serving as polling stations.

Teams representing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are observing the elections.

On its path through the Caribbean in September, Irma caused "absolute devastation" on Barbuda where up to 30 percent of properties were demolished, and 95 percent damaged, Browne had said at the time.

After a 10-year hiatus, voters returned Browne's Labour Party to power during the last ballot four years ago, when he pledged to economically transform the country.

The country became fully independent from Britain in 1981.</s>The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has mounted an Observation Mission for Antigua and Barbuda’s General Elections on 21 March 2018.

The eight-member Mission, headed by Mr Keith Lowenfield, Chief Election Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission, and including experienced representatives from The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, and support staff from the CARICOM Secretariat, began arriving in Antigua and Barbuda on 15 March.

Since its arrival, the Mission met with the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the Commissioner of Police, and the Leaders of the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), and has paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

Meetings have also been held with other key stakeholders including the Acting Executive Director of Gender Affairs to gather information and discuss issues which have emerged in the electoral process.

Over the remaining days, the Mission plans to meet other political parties and stakeholders and attend rallies to get a sense of the general atmosphere and the overall level of preparedness.

On election day, the Mission will monitor activities in most constituencies, including the opening of the polls through to the tabulation and announcement of the results. It will then issue a Preliminary Statement outlining its initial assessment of the electoral process and thereafter prepare a Final Report for submission to the CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
Voters in Antigua and Barbuda go to the polls, with Barbudan residents having to travel to Antigua in order to participate.