A bitter public conflict between Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) has deepened, as Browne launched a fresh attack on UPP Senator Malaka Parker hours after the party rallied to her defense. The escalating war of words has shifted the original focus of an ongoing drug investigation to Parker’s personal connections, turning a routine law enforcement probe into a major partisan standoff.
The dispute first erupted after Browne made earlier public remarks that appeared to tie Parker to a recent narcotics-related arrest. On Wednesday, the UPP released an official statement rejecting the prime minister’s claims, throwing its full backing behind Parker alongside the party’s Women’s Forum. The opposition forcefully condemned what it called Browne’s “prejudicial words and actions,” noting that no law enforcement agency has ever named Parker as a suspect in the ongoing investigation.
The UPP argued that Browne’s unsubstantiated hints amounted to a calculated attempt to sway public opinion and systematically destroy Parker’s professional and personal reputation. Beyond the immediate attack on Parker, the opposition also accused the prime minister of glaring double standards in how he handles allegations involving political figures from across the aisle versus those connected to his own administration. “Law-enforcement authorities had not announced any involvement by Senator Parker,” the UPP’s statement read. “Therefore, the prime minister’s actions can be construed only as a deliberate effort to influence the Police and to taint Senator Parker’s character.”
To back up its claim of hypocrisy, the UPP pointed to Browne’s far more muted responses to past controversies involving individuals linked to his own ruling party, drawing a sharp contrast with his aggressive approach to Parker.
In his latest counterattack, Browne pivoted the conversation away from the ongoing drug investigation and toward Parker’s personal relationship with her partner and campaign manager, Gould. Browne publicly identified Gould as a previously convicted sex offender and narcotics trafficker, directly questioning Parker’s judgment and personal decision-making in the process.
Gould was recently taken into custody after law enforcement officials reportedly seized nearly 60 pounds of suspected cannabis from luggage he was bringing into the country on a flight originating from the United States. As of the latest update, the police investigation into the new allegations remains active, and no final conviction has been handed down in connection with this recent case.
As tensions continue to rise, Parker has not issued any public statement responding to Browne’s latest criticisms as of the time this report went to press.