Three persons have been duly nominated to contest the St. Mary’s South by-
election slated for October 24 following Nomination day on Monday.
The candidates are Dwayne George of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party,
Kelvin Simon of the United Progressive Party, and Andrew Antonio of the
Democratic National Alliance.
As much as it is a three-way race, in the minds of most, the by-election is largely
going to be a contest between the candidates for the two main political parties – the
Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and the United Progressive Party. Both parties
have launched intensive campaigns and are going all out to secure victory in the
October 24 By-Election in the St. Mary’s South constituency.
The By-Election was triggered by the UPP’s Kelvin Simon, who was elected in the
January 18, 2023, general elections, but whose legitimacy was being challenged in
the High Court over questions regarding his nomination.
Campaigning has been intensifying over the past several months and it was
notched up to another level when the ABLP replaced Senator Samantha Marshall
with Dwayne George as its candidate in July.
George, a lecturer at the Antigua State College, has brought new energy to the
campaign, with the ABLP pulling out all the stops to support his candidacy.
The UPP has not been idle, as it too has been waging an intense campaign to regain
the seat it felt it won fairly on January 18.
On Nomination Day both parties staged separate motorcades through the
constituency as demonstrations of their respective strengths.
The Revised Register for Elections is expected to be published today (Tuesday)
with all the processes leading up to this stage now fully completed.
Supervisor of Election, Ian Hughes promises that the final list will be ready and
published before the end of the week. There are just over 2,700 persons who will
be eligible to vote, an increase of almost three hundred.
The outcome of the election will not affect the current arrangement in parliament
where the ABLP already forms the government. It would, however, give the party
a little ‘breathing room’ as it currently enjoys a one-seat majority.
