By Elesha George
The Barbuda Council is calling on residents to boycott the government’s newly initiated land adjudication process on the sister island.
The Council has publicly rejected the process, urging Barbudans to refrain from participating in what it describes as an attempt to dismantle Barbuda’s traditional communal land system.
In a press statement, the Council made its stance clear: “We do not support the adjudication of Barbuda’s land and we encourage Barbudans not to comply or engage in any way in this process.”
The statement condemned the government’s actions, claiming the process is “biased and stacked against the best interest of Barbudans at home and in the diaspora”.
The government aims to complete a cadastral survey by inviting individuals with historical ties to the land to establish their claims. This process, overseen by Sir Clare K Roberts, is intended to facilitate the eventual sale of land currently owned by the Crown. According to the government, Barbudans will be able to purchase their plot for a peppercorn fee of EC$1.
The Council has also criticised the government for failing to consult with them on the matter. It has called the government’s pronouncement of the start of the process “devious and misleading”.
“There has been no discussion pertaining to documents related to the adjudication process, nor has the Council consented for any of these documents to be available at its offices. No document concerning the adjudication is available from the Council,” the body’s statement read.
The Barbuda Council has threatened to launch a legal challenge regarding the adjudication process.
In an earlier response, Cabinet spokesman, Information Minister Melford Nicholas, said the government has taken “all prescriptive measures” to combat any legal challenges that may arise.
“If there are any legal challenges that come from any interested party, then I believe that the courts will be obliged to make a determination as to which way we go. But at this stage, we have been careful to engage,” he said.
Nicholas also highlighted the ruling of the UK-based Privy Council – Antigua and Barbuda’s final appellate court – in favour of the government in the Paradise Found case. In its June 2022 ruling, the court said that the Barbudan appellants could not receive compensation since they did not have a relevant “interest in or right to or over property” since all lands in Antigua and Barbuda belong to the Crown.
Armed with this decision, in July last year, Antigua Barbuda Labour Party MPs voted in favour of advancing amendments to the Registered Land Act to grant Barbudans official ownership titles over their lands. The landmark Bill eliminated a three-century-long practice of communal land ownership – a practice that Council members are fighting to keep.
In the meantime, the Barbuda Council and Cabinet ministers are expected to meet periodically beginning next week, to discuss the sister island’s development.
