Fresh on the heels of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) wrapping up in Antigua and Barbuda, opposition lawmaker Senator Malaka Parker has formally tabled a call for a fully independent, third-party audit of all public spending and procurement activities tied to the high-profile international summit, pushing the sitting administration to deliver full transparency to local citizens on both total costs and the tangible, long-term community benefits the event was promised to deliver. In an official public statement released shortly after the global gathering concluded, Parker laid out a clear set of disclosure requirements for the government, mandating the release of a unified, fully consolidated financial breakdown for all CHOGM-related expenditures, a full public registry of every contract awarded in preparation for and during the summit, and complete documentation of all assets donated to the country for the event. The opposition senator specified that all findings from the required independent audit must be formally tabled before the national Parliament and shared openly with the general public, no redacted or restricted copies allowed. Parker posed a series of targeted, unaddressed questions to the administration, demanding clarity on the gap between the original allocated budget for CHOGM 2026 and the final total sum spent by the government, full identification of every individual and entity that was awarded a CHOGM-linked contract, full visibility into the exact procurement procedures that were followed for each award, and a detailed post-summit usage plan for all assets either purchased with public funds or donated to the country for the event. She also pressed for verified data on the actual economic returns generated by the summit, a breakdown of which groups and individuals received direct economic benefits from the gathering, and a formal assessment to confirm that Antigua and Barbuda delivered full value for public money invested in the high-stakes event. Despite her sharp push for accountability, Parker emphasized that she did not dismiss the positive outcomes tied to the global summit, explicitly welcoming the suite of new international collaborative commitments announced across priority sectors including environmental conservation, accessible eye healthcare, national climate resilience, renewable energy expansion, cross-Commonwealth trade facilitation, and youth entrepreneurship support. Even as she praised these announcements, however, Parker issued a clear caution that publicized statements of international partnership do not automatically translate to secured, disbursed resources for Antigua and Barbuda, and that the government must provide proof that these pledged commitments will actually materialize to benefit local communities. The opposition lawmaker also leveled targeted criticism at the sitting administration for what she described as the deliberate sidelining of opposition parliamentarians, noting that elected representatives from non-ruling parties were granted extremely limited opportunities to participate in the official CHOGM 2026 programme, a choice she argued undermined the event’s commitment to inclusive national representation. Parker went out of her way to recognize and celebrate the hundreds of local stakeholders whose labor made the summit a logistical success, specifically commending the 600+ registered CHOGM volunteers, frontline public servants, cultural performers who showcased Antigua and Barbuda’s rich heritage, security personnel who ensured public safety, hospitality staff who hosted international delegates, event organizers, and local service providers who contributed countless hours to the gathering. She also celebrated the small local entrepreneurs and small businesses that earned new revenue, new international connections, and new market opportunities through their participation in the summit, while extending sincere sympathy to local small business operators that experienced significant lost income due to the strict, widespread security road closures and movement restrictions implemented across parts of the country during the summit week. Parker further praised ordinary Antigua and Barbuda citizens who staged peaceful, orderly advocacy actions during the summit to raise public awareness for critical causes including reparatory justice, stronger environmental protection regulations, and guaranteed public access to all coastal beaches. She noted that this peaceful public engagement added valuable, community-centered depth to the high-profile gathering, and served as a powerful demonstration of how active civic participation can strengthen major national events. To close her statement, Senator Parker extended her formal congratulations to Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on the successful delivery of her first ever CHOGM summit, and expressed full support for her stated policy priorities focused on advancing democratic governance, inclusive economic growth, and cross-nation environmental resilience across the entire Commonwealth bloc.
Opposition senator calls for independent audit of Antigua and Barbuda’s CHOGM spending
