General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 12 March 2009.

Electoral System

The 17 elected members of the House of Representatives  were elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post. There was no fixed election date in effect in Antigua and Barbuda at this time; hence, the choice of election date is the prerogative of the Prime Minister.

Background

On 9 February 2009, Prime Minister Winston Baldwin Spencer asked Governor General Louise Lake-Tack to dissolve the House of Representatives. On 19 February, the Prime Minister announced that elections would be held on 12 March in the twin islands of 85,000 inhabitants.

In the previous elections held in March 2004, the United Progressive Party (UPP) of Mr. Spencer won 12 of the 17 seats at stake and the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM, an ally of the UPP, took one. Those elections marked the end of the rule of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP). ALP leader, Mr. Lester Bird, and his father, Vere Cornwall Bird, had been at the helm of the government almost without interruption for over forty years.

Political Parties & Candidates

A total of 42 candidates contested the 2009 elections. At stake were 16 seats in Antigua and one seat in Barbuda. Both the UPP and the ALP endorsed candidates in all 16 constituencies in Antigua. The BPM put forward a candidate in the sole seat in Barbuda, which the ALP also contested. The Organisation for National Development (OND) contested the general elections for the first time, fielding four candidates. Four independent candidates also ran. | Learn more about 2009 candidates

Campaign

The elections once again saw a duel between Prime Minister Spencer's UPP and the ALP, led by former Prime Minister Lester Bird. The 71-year-old ALP leader vowed to hand over the party leadership if the ALP lost the elections.

In its manifesto the UPP promised to create public companies to promote "economic democracy". The ALP, for its part, pledged to abolish personal income tax (reintroduced by the UPP government). It promised to introduce a major economic stimulus package, as well as secure EC$500 million (US$187.2 million) in annual foreign investment.

The 2009 elections were held against the backdrop of fraud scandals involving two banks owned by a US-born banker, Mr. Allen Stanford. Mr. Stanford, who is also the country's largest private employer, was accused by financial regulators in the United States of misrepresenting the safety and liquidity of uninsured certificates of deposits. The ALP accused the Government of failing to supervise and regulate the banks owned by Mr. Stanford. Finance Minister Errol Cort expressed confidence in the islands' regulatory system.

The Organization of American States (OAS) electoral observer mission noted voting delays in six constituencies. The Electoral Commission attributed the delays to a breakdown of the machinery used to print election-related material, including the voters' list. The OAS concluded, however, that the delays had not affected the overall election results. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) added that voting took place "without intimidation or harassment" in "an orderly, free and peaceful manner". A member of the Electoral Commission, Bishop Ewing Dorsette, announced his resignation following what he termed "the debacle of the general election".

Results

The final results gave nine seats to the UPP. Finance Minister Cort (UPP) lost his seat to ALP leader Bird, who subsequently announced that he would become the opposition leader in the new House of Representatives. The ALP increased its strength from four to seven seats. One woman was elected.

On 13 March, Mr. Spencer (UPP) was sworn in for a new term as Prime Minister. His cabinet was sworn in on 16 March, and comprised seven members, down from 11, in an effort to cut costs in the light of the economic turmoil.

On 21 March, the ALP filed petitions at the High Court to overturn the results in four constituencies where it believed that the vote had been rigged. It pointed to an unusually high turnout figure (over 98 per cent) in Prime Minister Spencer's constituency despite a late start to voting.

On 27 April, the newly elected House of Representatives held its first session and re-elected Ms. Gisele Isaac-Arrindell as its Speaker. The Senate, whose members are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition, was also renewed. Five women were appointed to the Senate, led by Senate President, Ms. Hazlyn Mason Francis.

Voter Turnout

On 12 March 2009, 80.27 per cent of the 52,000 eligible voters turned out at the polls.

Post-election

On 31 March 2010, the High Court ruled that the election of three of the four parliamentarians - including Prime Minister Spencer - was invalid. The UPP promptly sought and received a stay of the judgment to the High Court. The three members continue to serve in the House of Representatives until the UPP's case is heard and determined in the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal.