ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA — Preliminary results from Antigua and Barbuda's snap general election show Prime Minister Gaston Browne's Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party on course to win 15 of the 17 seats in parliament. The outcome puts Browne in line for a fourth term as prime minister.

Browne called the snap election days after his party won a by-election in St Philip's North, a constituency in a parish east of the island. Since the last election in 2023, three by-elections have been held, including one triggered by the killing of independent MP Asot Michael.

"You have spoken, you have spoken clearly. You have indicated that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour party (ABLP) is the best institution to run this country," Browne said following the results.

During the campaign, Browne urged voters to back his record. He told voters: "On election day, do not take a risk on a leader and a team that's just not ready. Let's keep Antigua and Barbuda in strong and safe hands."

United Progressive Party leader Jamale Pringle was the only member of his party to win a seat, defeating Lamin Newton, one of five United Progressive Party members who had defected to the Labour Party before the election. Trevor Walker, leader of the Barbuda People's Movement, won the constituency of Barbuda.

The campaign took place against a backdrop of concerns about the cost of living and global instabilities, including US visa restrictions. The US government suspended visa processing for Antigua and Barbuda nationals in January, after raising concerns over a citizenship by investment programme and arguing that criminals could exploit it to enter the United States. The Middle East conflict has had economic consequences such as rising fuel prices. Browne's administration said it was working with Washington and had brought in reforms to make the citizenship by investment programme more robust and transparent.

Caribbean political analyst Peter Wickham described Browne's fourth-term re-election as "impressive" and said the victory was due to disarray among the opposition. Wickham said Browne was able to identify an opportunity and exploit it.