The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission says 37 candidates have been nominated to contest the snap general election scheduled for April 30 in Antigua and Barbuda.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne called the election nearly two years ahead of the constitutional deadline. His ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, which won nine of the 17 seats in the January 18, 2023, general election, has nominated candidates in all 17 constituencies.
ABEC said the main opposition United Progressive Party will contest the 16 seats on Antigua, while its affiliate, the Barbuda People’s Movement, will contest the Barbuda constituency.
There are also three independent candidates in the race, including Alan Greg Weston, a property manager who will contest the St. Paul constituency currently held by Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene. The United Progressive Party candidate for that seat is Franz DeFreitas.
The other independent candidates are Debbie Pero Weston and Nigel Bascus.
Meanwhile, ABEC is urging citizens to take better care of their voter identification cards amid a growing number of replacement requests.
ABEC Public Relations Officer Elisa Graham said many individuals are seeking replacements for cards that were issued only recently. She emphasized the importance of keeping voter identification cards secure and recommended that electors store them alongside other important documents, such as passports, or in easily accessible personal items like wallets or purses.
The commission noted that it has been meeting demand for replacement cards, adding that the waiver of the replacement fee for lost cards has contributed to the increase in requests, as individuals take the opportunity to renew their documents ahead of the April 30 polls.
