Prime Minister Spencer says Date is in back pocket

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has blamed the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) of holding back elections through legal wrangling in the courts.

The nation’s leader made reference to the cases before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court regarding the constituency boundaries and the registration of electors.

Asked whether or not the polls would be held before the end of April, Spencer, who is seeking a third consecutive term in office, said he wants to have the elections as soon as it is possible and practical.

He says the government was now fighting two very critical and important issues in the courts engineered by the opposition and that while the matter relating to the boundaries had been heard during the court sitting in St. Kitts last week, there had been no ruling.

Spencer explained that the other matter will be heard when the court meets in St. Lucia on February 19.

Last week, Prime Minister Spencer told voters that they should regard March 15 as an important date, even as he stopped short of indicating whether or not this would be the date for the poll.

He has since said however that the reference to March 15 was intended to get people sensitized to the fact that an election was imminent.

He says that while on the 15th of March something will certainly happen in Antigua and Barbuda, he adds that the announcement with respect to the actual Election Day is still in his back pocket.