By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Foreign Minister and Attorney-General of The Bahamas, Janet Bostwick will lead a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor the Antigua and Barbuda general election today.

The group arrived in the country on March 16 and has met with the Prime Minister, the electoral commission, representatives of political parties, civil society representatives, media organisations and domestic and international observer groups.

Mrs Bostwick said: “On behalf of the group, I wish the people of Antigua and Barbuda well as they go out to exercise their franchise. We will assess whether the elections have been conducted according to the national laws of Antigua and Barbuda, and to the relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international standards to which Antigua and Barbuda has committed itself.”

She continued: “For the remainder of the time before polling commences we will observe campaigning and continue to meet a range of relevant stakeholders to the election process.”

The group will observe at different polling stations and constituencies across Antigua, including the polling for Barbudans. They will observe the opening of the polling stations, the casting of votes, the count and the declaration of results, as well as liaising with observers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Organization of American States (OAS).

Last month, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that Antigua and Barbuda would hold a general election on March 21, more than a year before elections were constitutionally due.

These elections will contest the 17 seats in the lower chamber of Antigua and Barbuda’s bicameral parliament. At dissolution, a majority of 14 seats was held by Prime Minister Browne’s Antigua Labour Party with the remaining three seats held by the United Progressive Party.