By Elesha George
During a rally at Madison Square in Codrington, Barbuda on February 16, the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) unveiled its slate of candidates for the upcoming Barbuda Council elections, set for March 26, 2025. With five of the nine elected seats on the line, the ABLP is banking on its team to challenge the longstanding Barbuda Peoples Movement (BPM)-led Council.
The party’s campaign was underscored by a call for change, as one candidate declared: “There are many things that we think that we can do better than the BPM-Council.” The ABLP slate includes newcomers Bernard Alexander Christian and Bonita John-Desouza, alongside returning figures Mackeisha Desouza, Orlando Morris, and Arthur Nibbs.
Each candidate took the stage to outline their vision for Barbuda’s future, emphasizing themes of development, effective leadership, and a departure from the current administration’s policies.
Notably, Nibbs — a former Antigua Labour Party minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs is revered for his past contributions to Barbuda—so much so that some believe the new airport bears a partial namesake of his impact. Nibbs returned to the political fray with a pointed critique of the current administration. In his address, he described Codrington as “weary” and “tired” directly attributing these conditions to what he sees as the BPM-led Council’s mismanagement.
Central to his argument was the claim that the Council has selectively interpreted the Barbuda Local Government Act of 1976, especially on matters of land jurisdiction, thereby creating public misconceptions. Nibbs also highlighted fiscal issues, noting that the Council’s coffers, though seemingly robust, are largely bolstered by Central Government concessions like the retention of the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) at the source.
Newcomer Bernard Alexander Christian, an entrepreneur with a background in law enforcement and forensic training, pledged a focus on job creation and youth development. Highlighting his own efforts in establishing a security company that exclusively employs Barbudans, he criticized the BPM-led Council’s sluggish recovery since Hurricane Irma in 2017.
“Barbuda should not still look like it was hit by Hurricane Irma yesterday. The means to rebuild are there, but the leadership is failing,” Christian asserted. He promised to work closely with investors to generate employment opportunities and improve sports and recreational facilities for the youth
Mackeisha Desouza, who has previously served on the Council for four years from 2017, lambasted the current leadership for its lack of initiative. Expressing frustration over stalled development projects and the deteriorating state of local infrastructure—particularly the Barbuda landfill, stated: “We are not about sitting in offices, opposing every single project that the Central Government brings to this island. We are about a better living for the people of Barbuda.”
Notably, Desouza, alongside Orlando Morris, faced defeat in the 2023 elections, yet both remain optimistic about their ability to turn the tide.
Morris further emphasized his plans to address the financial challenges that have long plagued the Council. Recalling a time when the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party Council, in collaboration with the ALP government, rescued the people of Barbuda from a salary backlog, Morris remarked, “It was the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party Council, in collaboration with the ALP government, that bailed the people of Barbuda out.
“We have facts on our side. We have productivity on our side,” he added, and issued a direct challenge to the BPM by proposing a public forum to debate key issues.
Adding a personal touch to the campaign, newcomer John-Desouza, a seasoned police officer with two decades of service, declared her commitment to the community. Having resigned from her position to pursue public office, she stated: “I am a people’s person and I have nothing but love for this nation of Antigua and Barbuda.” Her vision for Barbuda includes several key priorities: the establishment of a youth skills center to engage young people after school, enhancements to local healthcare facilities to reduce the need for residents to travel to Antigua for medical tests, and improvements in school amenities to create a more comfortable learning environment.
While the ABLP has firmly set its sights on a transformative agenda for Barbuda, the BPM is expected announce its candidates before the end of this week.
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