CARIBARENA Antigua

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, in his first address to the nation since his traditional New Year’s Day message, was contrite as he acknowledged that the ruling party has drifted from its positive habits of the past.

Facing the possibilities of a general or by-election sooner than expected, PM Spencer told the nation on Sunday that he is ready to talk again. He noted the urgency was prompted by the events of the past few weeks.

“I have always seen it as my duty from time to time to update you on matters of national importance," he said. "The events of the past few weeks and days have made it more urgent that as a nation, we engage each other more frequently in honest, open conversation about the things that affect us from day to day."

PM Spencer did not say whether this effort to reinvigorate the communication process is in preparation for a return to the polls. But he did make it clear that the calling of any election would hinge on cleaning up processes at the Electoral Commission, which is charged with managing the conduct of general elections.

In her judgement, that made the results of three constituencies invalid, Justice Louise Blenman was condemnatory of the commission, especially as it related to the use of a photo list of electors.

“It is also inexcusable, if not a sign of incompetence, for the electoral officers to seek to print the registers to be used in the election the day before the scheduled elections," the judge noted.

"Such a decision leaves them with no room to correct any mishap or error in a timely manner."

Prime Minister used his address to inform the nation that there will not be any elections until certain things happen, including a complete voter re-registration. He was however quick to note that it would be an arduous task.

Comments (36)

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YES TO THE X
written by PROUD ANTIGUAN, April 16, 2010

I TOTALLY AGREE ON A NEW VOTERS LIST , CITIZENS ONLY

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2008 By-Election
written by George Lester Baldwin Bird, April 14, 2010

The PM should just resign, or call by-elections. I will tell you why. In the April 25th 2008 daily observer on page 25 under the headline ELECTORAL COMMISSION ASKS FOR PATIENCE, the head of the electoral system Lorna Simon clearly stated that they "had a problem with their system for the by-election of March 2008 and they would have to seek help from technicians out of Jamaica to fix the glitch. If they already saw they had problems before why will you wait for the last minute to do anything with that system? Secondly, Paddy James and Winston Gomes both membors of the electoral commission said they were not ready for the elections. And third, Baldwin Spencer is the Minister incharge of elections. Don't you think the Minister incharge should of made sure we were ready for the most important day of the Nation? It is time we hold our Ministers responsible and stop trying to blame others who relly on you for leadership and support. Baldwin Spencer must say sorry it was my fault and then say lets go back to the polls and stop this Nation from SITTING IN LIMBO.

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All of a sudden
written by George Lester Baldwin Bird, April 14, 2010

Before the 2009 march elections not one member of the UPP had a problem with the voters list. Not only were they in power for the last 5 years before election but they called the election date for general elections and therfore must have been satisfied with the voters list. Now that they did not get the results they desired at the polls with the original voters list of 2009 they want to purge the list. Bishop Dorsett was on the electoral commission and he did not mention one thing about any re-registration before the elections. As soon as the elections are finished and he saw the nubers voted for the ALP he is of the view all of a sudden that we need a re-registration. Not a word before the elections from none of them about re-registration or not even one challenge from none of the constituencies but all of a sudden Antigua & barbuda needs a full re-registration.

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...
written by ???, April 14, 2010

PM reregister for the next election. but for the By election it must be done in the next 60 days

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...
written by Sh**ly G, April 13, 2010

Why all this talk about list, list list, the list that caused the events of the last elections had nothing to do with the elections,so why was it allowed to delay the opening of the polls? The Judge has to rule on what evidence is before her,that is in no way saying that the controversial pictorial list, did not have its origin in organized evil, the voters list that was to be legally used was all ready weeks before elections, why the last minute rush to print a list that was not necessary? think outside the box,the electoral commission is only a small part of the whole dam stinking mess that was orchestrated by a desperate bunch,who had to maintain power at any cost,the good thing is that God nar sleep,it back fire pan ar u,tek that.

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re-gee
written by STARTLED, April 13, 2010

Are you out of your bleeting mind? you sound like a real fool.

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...
written by STARTLED, April 13, 2010

Baldwin,you can re-register from now until thy kingdom come,rest a*sured you will be raw meat at the polls,you will be given a well deserved beating for all the lies that you continue to spew out of your mouth,don't you have any conscience or shame?Where do you intend to get the money for re-registration? have you ever heard the saying,Oh what a tangled web we weave,when first we practice to deceive, you are paying the price for your own deception,live with it.

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JusticeRed - implications
written by tenman, April 13, 2010

JusticeRed the UPP has stated it was fairly elected in 2009. How can it argue it was fairly elected on an election list that some of its own persons now suggest is dirty? I wish in the future that when anyone takes a stance, they think first of the implication of that stance. The word fairly and dirty do not go together. A good example is someone suggesting that in order to determine the legitimacy of a poll that started late all we need to do is ensure that it meets the national average. If that becomes law can't you see persons in charge of an election poll then saying it is ok for us to start late as long as we ensure the national average is met? If the party in power know there is a particular polling station that trends opposition, is it ok for the government to open that station late once the result in the general area meets the national average? JusticeRed I agree with you that chances are Baldwin would have won, based on the lead he had, however I cannot say that with 100% confidence. If you were his opponent would you be satisfied with such a projection?

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fnspr - DPP powers and such
written by tenman, April 13, 2010

I do not believe that the DPP should be elected. My fear is because of the political attitude in this country, the office would be swayed by public opinion and prosecute persons where there is no case. However perhaps the way around this is to add stiff penalties to the state when the court is able to deem that a prosecution was motivated by politics and not evidence. One of the reasons why I did not respond initially to your suggestion is that I am still researching to find out the powers of the DPP. Please read today's article that reports on a response from the opposition leader where the issue of the power of the DPP is raised.

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fnpsr - corruption 1
written by tenman, April 13, 2010

I have agreed with your stance that it is important to deal with the corruption issue. I have posted quite a few times that we need to stop the bleeding. I continued that proper procedures need to be put in place and law enforcement given the proper tools to stop the corruption. Our Integrity in public office Act as it stands is not even being enforced. Let me now add that It also needs more teeth. It makes no sense to have persons submit information without random audits. The Integrity commissioner also needs to have the proper staff ( Investigators and accountants) at its disposal. I recall hearing that an MP was able to block the government from accessing information in his foreign bank account. As a public official the integrity in public office Act should have access to such information when a random audit is being done.

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...
written by observer overseas, April 13, 2010

I don't recall anyone challenging the "cleanliness" of the voter's list in the recenly concluded case. The problem mainly stemmed from the late openig of the poll and the use of photo ID. In short it was incompetence on the part of the ABEC. If the UPP and PM thought there was something wrong with the list which influenced the outcome of the elections, why didn't they go to court?

The PM needs to fix what we know to be wrong rather than invent something that needs fixing.

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...
written by Pellucid, April 13, 2010

Re-register Aniguans?

So when judgment day there's a complete list?

I think the Lord already knows who is guilty. No more complete list is necessary.

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tenman - a spade is a spade - part 5
written by fnpsr, April 13, 2010

Tenman, to have a meaningful discussion as to ways to help Antigua, it is paramount that one has an open mind and be receptive to change. We know one thing that the old ways don’t work, haven’t worked and will not work in the future. It cannot be business as usual!!

Tenman, I respectfully invite your take!!!

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tenman - a spade is a spade - part 4
written by fnpsr, April 13, 2010

It is my belief that corruption is the biggest impediment to a new and revitalized Antigua.. It has to be stamped out and neither party is willing to take a stand on it. In almost all of the articles I have read on Caribarena, there is some form of corruption, and it is usually by your leaders. I don’t recall where you wrote anything about it. Again, you were silent. As you said, “what was wrong is now right” and when the current parties change chairs, according to you, what is right now will become wrong. It is a vicious cycle. Is this the Antigua you want to leave for the future generations? I didn’t think
so!!!

I believe that you and I agree that Government expenditures, especially the wage bill, travel, use of government owned vehicles, to name a few, need to be reigned in. When I said that in order to make the necessary adjustments, everything has to be on the table. I only recall that you were fixated on the wage bill. While the wage bill is one of the highest expenditures, it cannot be taken in isolation.

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tenman - a spade is a spade - part 3
written by fnpsr, April 13, 2010

It would be good if you could hold the government responsible, but because the leaders can operate with impunity, they will not be responsible to anyone. There are no consequences for their behavior. When I called for the DPP to be an elected official and invited your comments, you were silent on this matter. No need for me to restate the purpose of the elected DPP, but an elected DPP, devoid of political affiliation, would go a long way in holding the government responsible.

When I blamed the commissioner for failing to comply with the FOIA, and called upon Magic to test the procedures as outlined in the Act, you made excuses for the commissioner. You cannot want to hold some government officials responsible while making excuses for others.

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tenman - a spade is a spade - part 2
written by fnpsr, April 13, 2010

It is still my belief that neither of these parties is fit to govern Antigua. Each party is accusing the other of corruption almost on a daily basis. Some of your Leaders are facing court action and could possibly end up in jail. Furthermore, there is the Stanford debacle. Rumor has it that the Feds are looking at the Antigua 9 and when that shoe drops; you may not have anyone to lead you.

I am acutely aware that a meaningful, robust, party that is wiling to work for the people of Antigua is a long shot, and that is why you have to prepare now for the next election. Remember that Rome was not built in a day. I am also acutely aware that you have to work with what you you’ve got – good or bad. The problem here is by the time of the next election, you may not be able to recognize Antigua.

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tenman - a spade is a spade - part 1
written by fnpsr, April 13, 2010

Tenman, you might recall in an earlier post I had indicated that I did not believe that the Judge would overturn the election because the polls opened late. But after reading the decision, I came to the conclusion that the basis for the ruling was sound and backed up by relevant case law. As a result of this, I felt that the UPP, while it is their prerogative to appeal, would see the hand writing on the wall. It was in this vein that I called for by-elections, and I still hold that view.

While I respect your opinion, I would not want you to apologize for your stance. I believe where we differ is that I don’t have a dog in this fight so I can call a spade a spade. When the opposition leader asked, who is the PM? I wrote that Baldwin is the PM, until a court ruled otherwise, the appeal notwithstanding. When the ALP called for demonstrations and picketing, and the like, I said that these demonstrations and picketing are uncalled for because an appeal has been filed. I don’t recall where you came out and said anything. When I called for the electoral commission to resign because of incompetence, you defended them by saying that they are lazy.

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...
written by JusticeRed 506, April 13, 2010

Teacher, have you read the speech? If you did please enlighten me about the crazyness in it.

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...
written by JusticeRed 506, April 13, 2010

Tenman, you are always taking things out of context. The UPP argued that the late start did not give one candidate any advantage over the other. That is different from the concerns that they are raising about the list. As a matter of fact, they did raise those concerns before the elections but decided to have the elections then. Based on numbers, I think that the list has 1500 to 2000 more persons than is eligible to vote. Lets have a regigistration or at-least some way of verifying all the names on the list so that we can be sure that the list is clean before the next election in 2014.

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...
written by JusticeRed 506, April 13, 2010

Ah wha Ya, The country is not stone broke. Stone broke is when you cannot pay your workers until 6 weeks after their pay check is due. Remember who that happened under? We still are paying workers, the social programms are still running, there is still more infrastructure works going on now than under ALP.

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...
written by JusticeRed 506, April 13, 2010

Maco, Have you been to the Gray's Farm clinic? Please let the people know that the clinic was expanded and mordernized, Patients are much more comfortable and the services are better and more numerous. A doctor is there everyday instead of once per week when ALP was in power. There is a pharmacy that was never there before and there is provisions for an ambulance. So please lets have some objectivity here.

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buying time
written by maco, April 12, 2010

i think that the the PM is just buying time. did u see the news story on ABS-TV about the dental clinic for Grays Farm. He is starting a dental clinic but all there is so far is a water pump donated by stuart at St johns Development and that made the news. I wonder if Grays Farm people will fall for that. that is a pure election gimmick

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aw
written by anonymous, April 12, 2010

poorly written article..."possibility of re-registration" were the words of the prime minister. Your interpretation of no election "until" complete re-registration is inaccurate. why the heck the introductory paragraphs have nothing to do with the rest of the story or the headline

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fnspr
written by tenman, April 12, 2010

Would suggest that the second topic should be How to cut government expenditure, your topic of corruption I would agree probably needs to be put first. Your suggestion about a new better political party I would think most Antiguans would desire but we have to face the reality of what exists now. We have major problems facing us now and the question of leadership has to be decided now, not years down the road when some new body may start. I am one who really prayed for the UPP. Really believed they would bring the changes this island needed. What I saw instead was things that I was told were wrong before I am now told are now right. The way forward has to involve persons holding government responsible for its actions, not making excuses for them. I make no apologies for that stance making me look in your eyes as partisan. What I do not understand is you posted on April 06, 2010 to the article en titled Historical or Hysterical Judgment "It is time to call by-elections. To do otherwise, is only delaying the inevitable!!!. ", yet when i or others suggest the same you then say we are partisan.

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tenman
written by fnpsr, April 12, 2010

Tenman, I believe you have mentioned before that the commission was lazy. My point is, no matter how you cut, dice or slice it, the judge found the commission to be incompetent I agree with that. While all parties are part of the electoral system, it was not argued in court the fact that the commission was not given the resources to function properly. Obviously that argument might have opened the door about the entire election and might have caused the Judge to rule that the entire election was invalid.

Of course, The bloggers on this meadium are all partisans. Thy support one side or another and no matter how logical or illogical an argument is, they hold steadfast to their belief. You and I have had some interesting debates in the past and we agree or disagree on substance, but in my view you defend one party over the other. I think you know my view by now that none of the mainstream parties is fit to govern Antigua. All of the discussion are about the parties and none about Antigua. I call upon you to come up with 20 topics for open or private discussions as to how to move Antigua forward. I will volunteer the first top - CORRUPTION.

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...
written by Gee, April 12, 2010

The prime minister of Antigua will commit political suicide if he drag
out the courts decision. I support the Prime Minister one hundred
percent, but I honestly think that this is the wrong decision. I am
statisfy we the UPP's performance and if they go back to the poll
UPP will win hands down. Do the right thing Mr. PM, call the
election and the people will put you back there.

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fnpsr
written by tenman, April 12, 2010

I note your use of the word partisan however you yourself have not taken the time to read the response from the commissioners. The judge in her ruling faulted electoral officials. All political parties are a part of our electoral system. Their job is to help to ensure the integrity of that list. I have problems accepting your conclusions when you yourself have not taken time to at least listen to the other side. I could understand if after listening you found it all absurd but to not listen at all and still cast judgment is wrong. In past posts when you have articulated agencies not functioning, I keep suggesting that you first find out if they have given the needed tools eg. Integrity commission. This country is know for creating /maintaining agencies and not giving them adequate tools to function eg. The police force.

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it is incompetence not laziness
written by fnpsr, April 12, 2010

Tenman, It is not laziness!! It is incompetence!!! Not matter how you spin it , it is still incompetence on the part of the commission. Here is what the Judge said, " “It is also inexcusable, if not a sign of incompetence, for the electoral officers to seek to print the registers to be used in the election the day before the scheduled elections." This is the crux of the matter. Baldwin Spencer has a right to take the judges comments seriously. It would be political suicide if he called an election now and there were still problems with the register. The question now becomes, is he serious? If he is serious he will provide the resources necessary for whatever is required for the commission to its work.

While every partisan wants him to call election now, the matter is before the court. The court will decide the course of action that will dictate whether or not elections will be called.

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COMMISSION NEEDS TO FIRED (part 2 of 2)
written by POLITICAL ADVOCATE, April 12, 2010

Thirdly the new commission or structure for administrating the system for the electoral process needs to seriously looked at tons of tax payer money is wasted in rent and paying to have scrutineers who waste time away for years until another election. It was from the so called commissioner's and supervisor of elections lips that I inquired about such wastage of tax payer dollars and their response was "ohh well we know but still people need work fu do"..... Noting wrong if people want work fu do but na hire and pay tax dollars and get no value outta it.... FREE & FAIR ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION NEEDED!!!! APPLICATIONS FORMS ANYWHERE ???? WORKERS NEEDED!!!!!

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...
written by Teacher, April 12, 2010

This man gone MAD or MAD for power either way he is crazy

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COMMISSION NEEDS TO BE FIRED (part 1 of 2)
written by POLITICAL ADVOCATE, April 12, 2010

I am in full support of a total re-registration of voters. But before this is to be done some clean up needs to be done... Firstly the entire electoral commission and boundaries commission and anyone in that entire process of our last elections needs to be fired.... if they want to escape that shame then resign like the Bishop Dorsett character... although I not a fan of him, he clearly showed a level of professionalism in his actions. Secondly legislation needs to be changed to reflect that only citizens should have the right to vote in our nation.. it belongs to us and should have never been any other way....

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De h**l
written by what, April 12, 2010

Only now He find time to talk to us. He smell De Rat.

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...
written by Cool Ruler, April 12, 2010

As I said before this temnan always seem to have all the answers and love to cast aspersions. Why don’t you offer yourself to the electorate as it seems that Einstein has nothing on you. Everyone can play arm chair quarter back using the benefit of hine sight which you seem to excel at.

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instructive
written by tenman, April 12, 2010

Its interesting that in court the UPP argues that the election was fair for all political parties, yet outside the court the PM implies the list may be dirty. I just wish the UPP would pick a story and stick to it. They had every opportunity to object to names but they want tax payers to pay for their laziness. No system will work when key persons are lazy. I get the impression that when many persons think of a system they see one that thinks for them.

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Biding time
written by Ah wha ya, April 12, 2010

The Electoral Commission chairman says that the list is clean and up to date yet BS trying to play for time is advocating total voter re-registration. This at a time when thecountry is stone broke and cannot afford the tab.
BS, who are you trying to fool with your regurgitating of the lock-up line and the politiking which highlighted your 'speech' last night? The current crisis has one and only one solution, General Elections which will give a new, fresh and clear mandate to one of the two main political parties to rescue this fair land from the despair in which we have been plunged.
Nothing short, nothing else is acceptable.

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Power to the People
written by Steward Priest, April 12, 2010

suddenly Prime Minister we realize that voter re- registration is needed. Respectfully, if we are in charge of this country, be in charge-not come with quik-fix solutions which are too late-BUT better late than never. I am glad that I am not in your shoes. UPP & ALP are guilty of selectively empowering certain people and not all the people-that is so sad and the entire nation is paying for that today. Solutions are on the horizon.

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