In a historic milestone for Antigua and Barbuda’s political landscape, Prime Minister Gaston Browne was officially sworn in for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term as head of government on Friday, mere hours after his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) secured a landslide win in the snap May 30 general election.
Browne and Attorney General Steadroy “Cuttie” Benjamin took their oaths of office before Governor General Sir Rodney Williams, alongside all other newly elected ABLP candidates. The election, called by Browne nearly two years ahead of the constitutionally mandated deadline, delivered a lopsided result that underscored the ABLP’s overwhelming popular support. Official figures released by the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) show the ruling party claimed 15 of the 17 available parliamentary seats. The remaining two seats were split between the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) and the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM), with just over 62.5 percent of registered voters turning out to cast their ballots.
Addressing attendees shortly after his inauguration, Browne framed the outcome as a clear, resounding mandate from the electorate. “That was a resounding victory. People spoke, and they spoke with clarity. They spoke resoundingly, and we’re very happy with the mandate that was given to us,” Browne said, noting that the strong victory comes with amplified responsibility he and his party are fully prepared to uphold.
The Prime Minister described his fourth consecutive term as a humbling honor that has only deepened his commitment to advancing the interests of Antigua and Barbuda’s people. He pledged accelerated national development across key sectors, promising to speed up ongoing infrastructure projects targeting two longstanding public concerns: road access and water access. “We’ll make sure that we continue to deliver for the people of Antigua and Barbuda. In fact, in terms of my own commitment, the fact that I was given a fourth term as prime minister, that in itself is a humbling experience, and that has served now to even strengthen my commitment to fight even harder for the people of Antigua and Barbuda and to deliver more for them,” Browne said. “So the people of Antigua and Barbuda will be seeing accelerated growth and development, accelerated infrastructural development, so the roadworks, the waterworks that we have started will be accelerated until we substantially resolve the water and road problems.”
He thanked voters for their patience during ongoing project implementation, noting that the election result confirmed residents trust the ABLP to solve critical national issues and recognize his personal dedication to driving sustained development that lifts living standards for all.
Looking ahead to cabinet formation, Browne announced that the full ministerial team will be named on Tuesday, with most senior roles retained by incumbent officials to ensure policy continuity amid major ongoing projects. “There will be familiar faces because a number of them are handling significant projects, and we want to ensure there’s continuity,” he explained. Highlighting key appointments, he confirmed that Daryll S. Matthew will remain in the education portfolio to continue ongoing sector expansion, while Chet Green will retain his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Browne noted that replacing Green ahead of the upcoming November Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference, which requires extensive advance planning, would be unwise. He also confirmed that his wife, Maria Browne, will continue to serve as Minister of Public Works, crediting her with proven ability to manage multiple cross-constituency projects effectively.
Newly elected ABLP representatives will first serve as junior ministers for a training period, Browne confirmed, a structure designed to avoid an overly large, bloated government while preparing emerging leaders for future senior roles. “Again, we don’t want to have a bloated government by having all senior ministers. We will have some junior ministers, again, as a form of training and development so that they, too, can blossom into senior ministers eventually and to better serve the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.
Prior to the inauguration, Browne — who has already received congratulatory messages from regional leaders across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other international partners — thanked God for the victory and expressed gratitude to voters for their overwhelming support. “To God be the glory. Great things he has done,” he said. “You have spoken with clarity, you have spoken resoundingly, and you would have certainly spoken with truth, and in essence would have put to shame all of the lies that have been peddled, all of the disinformation, all of the misinformation, all of the vitriolic rhetoric.”
The Prime Minister used his inaugural address to call for a new era of more civil, responsible politics across Antigua and Barbuda, warning that toxic misinformation erodes social fabric and damages the country’s international reputation. As a small island nation in an interconnected global world, falsehoods spread locally travel far beyond the country’s borders, shaping unfair negative perceptions among international observers who lack on-the-ground context, he explained. “I’m hoping that with such a resounding victory that there will be a new dispensation going forward. I’m hoping that our politics will become more civil. I’m hoping that politicians on both sides of the aisle will stand on the truth, because at the end of the day, the misinformation, disinformation, the falsities, they are literally eroding the fabric of our society, and they are destroying our country,” Browne said. “So, I’m hoping going forward that we will see greater loyalty to our state and its people, and that politicians should understand that misinformation, disinformation, and falsities, they only thrive for a short period of time. Ultimately, the truth will prevail.”
Browne argued that his opposition’s poor electoral performance stemmed directly from its embrace of harmful, misleading campaigning during the electoral cycle. He called on the UPP to learn from the defeat and pursue internal reform, noting that a strong, accountable opposition is healthy for Antigua and Barbuda’s democracy. “I would say that, having served in opposition, that I practise responsible politics, and I believe as a consequence that my own credibility within the domestic society would have grown. And I think that UPP should take note and to use this opportunity to reform, because at the end of the day, we want to have a strong opposition. We do not necessarily want to have a weak opposition. We want individuals who have the competence to continue to hold us accountable,” he said.
Repeating that his fourth consecutive term is a humbling honor, Browne reaffirmed his commitment to centering public welfare in all governance, stating that the landslide mandate presents a critical opportunity to unify the nation and advance inclusive development. “It’s about your empowerment, and I give you a commitment that I will work harder, that I will do all in my power to continue to work unrelentingly to advance the living standards of the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. “the results provide a great opportunity for us to unite our nation, and to work towards improving all aspects of our development going into the future.”
Browne closed by taking personal responsibility for ensuring all cabinet members honor the public trust, warning that betrayal of that trust will not be tolerated. He reminded incoming ministers that their roles exist exclusively to serve all Antigua and Barbuda residents, require responsible stewardship of public funds, and demand zero discrimination, division, or corruption. “I can assure you that if it is betrayed, certainly will not be tolerated… it is important for those who will be appointed within the cabinet to understand that they will be appointed exclusively to serve the people of Antigua and Barbuda. Not to discriminate against anyone, not to undermine anyone, not to divide a country, not to steal public resources, but to be good stewards of public resources and to make sure that every cent of public resources is utilised for the development of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”