Bird's Electoral Defeat Sees End Of An Era For Antigua & Barbuda

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

26 March 2004

After more than fifty years of political domination by the Bird family, the Caribbean jurisdiction of Antigua & Barbuda now has a new Prime Minister following Tuesday’s general election.

The preliminary results of the poll indicated that the opposition United Progressive party had won something of a landslide victory, winning 14 of the 17 seats, whilst the Mr Bird’s Antigua Labour Party only managed to clinch victory in three seats.

The result brings to an end an era started by Lester Bird’s father, Vere Bird, who formed the nation’s first trade union in the 1930’s. He went on to win the country’s first fully representative election back in 1951, and successfully campaigned for independence from Britain (after initially opposing it), which was achieved in 1981.

The incoming Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer, was sworn in on Wednesday. Commenting on his victory and the tasks ahead, he told the Antigua Sun:

"We must be mindful of the fact that we have a country to build back, and the respect and dignity of Antigua and Barbuda must be restored in the quickest possible time."

Recommended