Political Parties Preach Registration

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Politics

Thursday, 17 May 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - Antigua & Barbuda appears to be entering into a lengthy political season, 22 months before general elections are constitutionally due.

Both political parties the ruling United Progressive Party (UPP) and the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) have been urging their supporters to register ahead of the polls.

On Tuesday night, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer told his supporters that a complete re-registration is due by 2013, and he is asking his supporters to get ready for the re-registration whenever it takes place.

He however, noted that the re-registration will take place with new qualifications in place. Recent changes to the Representation of the People’s Act remove the eligibility for Commonwealth citizens from three to seven years.

He also disclosed that as required by the Constitution, a Boundaries Commission has been established and it has already started it work looking at the demarcations for the various constituencies.

But the ALP is not waiting for the re-registration to urge its members to register. Speaking during the party’s radio programme, Insight, Party Chairman Gaston Browne, told supporters not to wait for the re-registration and that they should register immediately if eligible.

“The current in-fighting in the UPP means that at any moment we may have a bye-election or even early general elections. Whatever it is, we should be prepared, so I am urging all our comrades to register immediately in order to qualify to vote,” he stated.

He said the government will try every trick; such as gerrymandering the constituency boundaries and disenfranchising our Caricom brothers in order to win re-election.

He disclosed the party is taking other steps to prepare itself for general elections. He said the process of candidate selection should be completed by the end of June and that a convention will take place in the second half of the year when all candidates will be ratified.

Browne also put to rest suggestions that he will compete for the party leadership at the convention, when he publicly pledged support for party Political leader, Lester Bird.

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