Antigua : In the first ever mock elections in the country, the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) has emerged the people’s choice – and the news is no surprise to the party.
While the process was not identical to the actual voting process here, ALP members believe the results confirm their view of what the outcome would be at the next general elections, which is constitutionally due in 2014.
Among the differences, people were only voting in the city and they were required to vote for a party and not a constituency representative.
One source revealed the ALP secured 775 votes, while the ruling United Progressive Party (UPP) got 480 votes. Two hundred and twenty nine people indicated they would vote for a new political party, while 62 said they would support an independent candidate.
Senior ALP member Lionel “Max” Hurst confirmed, “Someone made a report at the retreat and there was no excitement at the announcement of the results, because we didn’t really expect anything else, if the people are to be honest when they cast the ballot.”
Over the years, the country’s voter population has been around 50,000 and out of that 1,546 people turned out to participate in the simulated elections spearheaded by the Free and Fair Elections League (FFEL).
For the mock elections, polls opened from 8 am to 6 pm on September 6 and ended on September 30.
Voting took place every Thursday at Bargain Centre at Perry Bay, Christo’s Supermarket on Old Parham Road, First Choice Supermarket on Anchorage Road and Epicurean Supermarket on Friar’s Hill Road.
