ALP To Mobilize Against Gerrymandering

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Politics

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - The opposition Antigua Labour Party is getting ready to mobilize a series of protest actions against plans by the governing United Progressive Party Administration to make drastic changes to the electoral boundaries on Antigua.

Caribarena.com has learned that drastic changes have been proposed for 14 of the 16 constituencies on Antigua. The two that will remain relatively intact are the St John’s City West and St John’s City East constituencies. Minor changes have been proposed for St John’s Rural North, but all other constituencies will see radical changes if the proposals before the Boundaries Committee are accepted.

Against this background, ALP Political Leader, Lester Bird, said he is convening a meeting of all the party’s candidates and other officials on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Reports from sources close to the commission said the attempt is to have an equalization of the number of voters in the constituencies. But the ALP is not
buying that claim as the proposals so far challenge that assertion.

“It is not just a question of equalization,” Bird stated, “it is a little more complex than that. An attempt is being made to ensure that they (UPP) have an unfair demographic advantage in the (general) elections.”

Bird noted that the Commonwealth Observer Group that has observed several elections in Antigua and Barbuda had recommended that the country should
seek to have an equality of electors in each constituency. But he added that what is being attempted is not what the Commonwealth Group had in mind.

“This is gerrymandering of the highest order when you consider that the proposal includes removing Potters from St. George’s when it is known the ALP candidate Dean Jonas is from that community. The same thing is being attempted in my constituency, they are taking away those areas where I
was strongest in an attempt to ensure that (Dr) Errol Cort can beat me,” he explained.

He provided other details of the proposals that include creating a single St Mary constituency and a single St Phillip. “The UPP won two elections based on the current electoral boundaries, why try to make these changes unless the party fears that it is has no other chance to win the next general elections,” Bird
declared.

Bird was speaking on the ALP radio programme, Insight, where host Steadroy Cutie Benjamin, an attorney, said he had been researching cases of electoral
boundary changes across the Caribbean where challenges by the opposition have been successful.

“I have researched three or four of these cases and the courts have often asked a number of questions. These include; to what extent has there been
participation by the opposition, what has been the level of consultation with the communities affected, and have the people been shown the proposed changes before they are implemented?” he noted.

Benjamin said the courts have always wanted to ensure that before these changes are recommended and implemented, that full and open discussions are held with different stakeholders, including the opposition party. He said none of this took place in Antigua.

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