The new Supervisor of Elections (SoE) Ian Hughes has been formally sworn into
office, the third person to hold the post since Independence in 1981.
The Oath of Office as SoE was administered at Government House by Governor
General, Sir Rodney Williams, who noted that Hughes comes to the position with
much institutional knowledge and as an officer at the Antigua and Barbuda
Election Commission (ABEC) Office for several years, he naturally had an
understanding of the people with whom he would now be supervising.
“Sometimes, because you came up in the ranks there will be times when you have
to be firm; however, I trust that your Christian upbringing and your experience will
assist you in navigating any issue that may arise from time to time,” he cautioned.
The Governor General noted that in any democracy an organization such as ABEC
plays a critical role in giving citizens the confidence that they will be able to freely
vote and that their votes will be counted. “Not only are people in the country
looking at ABEC with expectations, but also outsiders who are looking in. That is
why entities such as CARICOM and the Commonwealth Secretariat send
observers to monitor the conduct of our elections. We must therefore operate a
system about which our people can be justly proud,” he advised.
Sir Rodney urged Hughes to ‘do good to God and the people of Antigua and
Barbuda’ and to carry out his duties without fear or favour.
The new SoE was named to replace Dame Lorna Simon who retired from the post
earlier this year.
One of his first official responsibilities will be to oversee the conduct of the by-
election in St. Mary’s South. Hughes said preparations are quite advanced and all
he is waiting on is for the announcement of the date and the issuance of the Writ of
Election.
