1999 Antiguan general election

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1999 Antiguan general election
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg
  1994 9 March 1999 2004  

All 17 seats in the House of Representatives
9 seats needed for a majority
Turnout63.61% (Increase2.svg 1.29pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Former Prime Minister Honourable Lester B. Bird (cropped).jpg Baldwin Spencer (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Leader Lester Bird Baldwin Spencer Hilbourne Frank
Party ALP UPP BPM
Seats won1241
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg
Popular vote17,52114,713418
Percentage52.94%44.45%1.26%
SwingDecrease2.svg 1.50ppIncrease2.svg 0.74ppDecrease2.svg 0.09pp

1999 Antigua and Barbuda general election - Results by constituency.svg
Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Lester Bird
ALP

Subsequent Prime Minister

Lester Bird
ALP

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 9 March 1999. [1] The elections were won by the governing Antigua Labour Party. Lester Bird was re-elected Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Voter turnout was 63.6%. [1]

Contents

The elections were extremely close, with the UPP losing five seats by a narrow 554 votes in total, and had the elections been free and fair (the government controlled almost all newspapers as well as television and radio stations), the opposition could have won a majority. [2] Opposition leader Baldwin Spencer criticised the conduct and fairness of the elections and began a hunger strike in protest to the flaws in the system. The government responded by establishing the independent Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission in 2001.

Results

Antiguan Parliament 1999.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Antigua Labour Party 17,52152.9412+1
United Progressive Party 14,71344.454−1
Barbuda People's Movement 4181.2610
Antigua Freedom Party 570.170New
National Reform Movement 330.100New
Independents 3551.0700
Total33,097100.00170
Valid votes33,09799.33
Invalid/blank votes2230.67
Total votes33,320100.00
Registered voters/turnout52,38563.61
Source: Nohlen

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References

  1. 1 2 Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p66 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p63