Antigua and Barbuda

House of Representatives

Political system: Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament: Bicameral
IPU membership: No

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 21 Mar 2018
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 26 Feb 2018
Timing of election: Early elections
Number of seats at stake: 17
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election: 7
Total number of candidates: 53
The number of women candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes

Voter turnout

Registered voters: 51,258
Voters: 39,120
Voter turnout: 76.3%

Results

About the election: Prime Minister Gaston Browne's Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) won a second consecutive election, taking 15 of the 17 seats at stake in the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister's wife, Ms. Maria Bird-Browne - granddaughter of the nation's founding father, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird - was elected to parliament for the first time. At 26, she is the youngest MP in the country's history. On 26 March, Mr. Browne was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister. The newly appointed 17-member Senate comprises nine women (52.94%) up from 5 (33.33%) in 2014.

The 2018 elections were held 15 months before they were constitutionally due in June 2019. The Prime Minister stated he needed "to provide investors with predictability, to prove stability, to provide continuity". The major parties focused on the economy and the tourism industry. The ABLP ran on the government's record while the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), now led by former finance minister Harold Lovell, accused the government of mismanagement.
Number of parties winning seats: 3
Percentage of parties winning seats: 42.9%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 88.2%
Alternation of power after elections: No
Number of parties in government: 1
Names of parties in government: Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP)

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP)	15
United Progressive Party (UPP)	1
Barbuda People's Movement (BPM)	1

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 16
Number of women elected: 2
Percentage of women elected: 11.1%
Women Directly Elected: 2
Other notes on the elections: The House of Representatives, elected in March 2018, comprises 18 members in all: 17 directly-elected members, including the Attorney General, and one appointed member, the Speaker.
Sources: Parliament (04.04.2018)

Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission, 2018 Election Results

Antigua Observer Newspaper

Caribbean Elections, Antigua and Barbuda General Election Results (21.03.2018)

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 16
Total number of women after the election: 2
Percentage of women after the election: 11.1%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 26 Mar 2018

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Sir Gerald Watt QC (Male)
Date of birth: 1938
Date of election: 26 Mar 2018