Antigua & Barbuda

April 2008 | Risk Summary

Chester Hughes helped the ruling United Progressive Party (UPP) retain its majority of 12 out of 17 seats in parliament by winning a by-election in the All Saints East and St Luke constituency on March 27 by a comfortable majority, filling the vacancy left by the death of former agriculture minister Charlesworth Samuel. He won with 1,230 out of 1,314 votes cast, a majority in part explained by a decision by the main opposition, the Antigua Labour Party (ALP), to boycott the poll. The ALP holds the main minority block of four seats in parliament. Hughes, who at 33 is the youngest person to be elected to the legislature, was challenged by candidates from the Organisation for National Development (OND) and the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM).

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