Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has made a key announcement at the official campaign launch of the incumbent Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), confirming that the day after the upcoming April 30 general election will be designated a nationwide public holiday. The announcement came as the party kicked off its bid for a fourth consecutive term in office at a well-attended rally held at People’s Place, where Browne addressed thousands of enthusiastic supporting supporters. Alongside the holiday declaration, Browne formally confirmed the full election timeline: Nomination Day is scheduled for April 13, with general voting to follow 17 days later on April 30. Positioning the public holiday as a pre-emptive celebration, the ABLP leader made clear he is confident of a victory for his party at the polls.
In a wide-ranging campaign speech outlining the ABLP’s record in government since the party first took power in 2014, Browne framed the past decade as a period of profound national transformation, summing up the country’s trajectory as a shift “from struggle to strength.” He opened his assessment of the administration’s achievements by addressing the state of the economy when the ABLP took office, noting that the previous government left behind widespread mass job losses. Since taking power, Browne asserted, his administration has not only restored full employment to the islands but has also steered the country toward consistent, long-term economic expansion.
To address widespread concerns over the rising cost of living, Browne highlighted a series of targeted policy measures rolled out by his government to ease financial pressure on households. These include the full elimination of personal income tax for residents, cuts to the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax applied to essential everyday goods, and a major expansion of government-run food assistance programs that support vulnerable communities. He also pointed to the government’s decision to maintain subsidies for fuel and household utility costs, explaining that the state has absorbed the bulk of sudden spikes in global commodity prices to avoid passing these additional costs onto local consumers.
On infrastructure development, Browne pointed to a slate of ongoing and completed projects that have delivered tangible improvements to daily life across Antigua and Barbuda. These include widespread road improvement projects across multiple islands, a major expansion of national potable water production capacity, and large-scale affordable housing initiatives that have helped thousands of families achieve home ownership. These projects, he emphasized, are proof of the ABLP’s commitment to delivering concrete results rather than empty political promises. The prime minister also highlighted investments in two key public services: education and healthcare. Under the ABLP, he said, access to tertiary education has been expanded significantly for local students, and core medical services across the country’s public health system have been upgraded to better serve residents.
Toward the end of his speech, Browne issued a call to action for all eligible voters, urging them to make the necessary preparations ahead of polling day, including updating or renewing their voter identification cards well in advance of the April 30 vote. With the election timeline now formally set, campaigning across Antigua and Barbuda is expected to ramp up quickly in the coming weeks, as the ABLP defends its record and its hold on government against opposition challengers.