By: Staff Writer
May 8, 2026
Gaston Browne, the incumbent in Antigua and Barbuda’s general election held on April 30, has been returned to power along with his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), in a landslide winning 15 of the 17 seats that were contested.
The Opposition United Progressive Party lost five of its seats it held leading up to election day and now currently only hold on to the All Saints East & St. Luke constituency held by its party leader, Jamale Pringle.
Triggered two years ahead of the constitutional deadline, the snap election followed a campaign dominated by the rising cost of living and infrastructure development.
“We will build one nation united and inclusive where all who are willing to come together under the banner of one Antigua and Barbuda will share in the reward of their efforts,” Browne told ABLP supporters.
Browne further said he was grateful for the confidence showed in his leadership and that of the ABLP to continue the socio-economic development of Antigua and Barbuda.
“We are here to serve all the people of Antigua and Barbuda. Education, jobs, business opportunities will be open to all who are prepared to seize them and I say to my distinguished countrymen and countrywomen … when we create these opportunities for you, please seize them.
“And I add here again that no one will be left behind who is willing to move forward. And notwithstanding your political persuasion, this is not a time for laggards. This is a time for all of us to perform, to increase our productivity and to make sure that Antigua and Barbuda becomes one of the most productive small island states globally.”
He told supporters that the work has already begun and that across the nation projects are underway, transforming communities, strengthening our economy and improving lives.
Adding: “And we will build on that foundation, advancing new initiatives that uplift our people, enhance our dignity and deepen our pride as citizens of Antigua and Barbuda,” he stated.
Regional pollster Peter Wickham said that the results underscore the division within the opposition party noting that the strong showing in 2023, when the UPP won seven seats had “completely evaporated.
“I am seeing overall a swing of more than five per cent, which will allow the ABLP to probably win all the seats on the mainland,” the Barbados-based Wickham, who conducted opinion polls ahead of the general election, told television viewers.
“The swing is consistent,” he said, adding “I am happy that the polling was telling us exactly what is happening.”
Professor Justin Robinson, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of its Five Islands Campus here, said that the election results answered a number of concerns that had been confronting the electorate.
“Can I see this person as leading my country and being the prime minister? And you’re also looking at candidates, you know, who might be the health minister … So, people are looking at that,” said Robinson, one of the members of the panel on the state-owned ABS Radio and Television.
“Now, so that seems to me said to be one of the UPP’s weaknesses And I think one of the challenges, one of the issues going forward, I think the challenge is that the electorate has actually chosen a leader for them if things go to form.”
He said that among the other contenders for leading the opposition party, Pringle has emerged as the “only man standing today.”
“And I want to say to you that we must remain a dignified people. We must not cower to anyone. We must not be timid. We must stand tall in every forum, every regional, every international forum as Antiguans and Barbudans.”
“And as we build on the foundation and we advance new initiatives that uplift our people, we will make sure that we continue to enhance the dignity of our country,” PM Browne said, adding that now is not a moment of triumph.