The Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) arm on the sister island are yet to make a determination as to the potential candidates who will represent the interest of both parties in the upcoming council elections in March.
The council’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Orlando Morris said the ABLP will be holding a primary this Sunday to select the most suitable candidates, while Chairman of the Barbuda Council and BPM member Wade Burton stated that the party has issued letters inviting its members to indicate their interest.
Both parties will each be seeking to fill two seats which are now vacant. The Barbuda Council is an 11-member body consisting of nine directly elected and two ex-officio, a Parliamentary Representative and a senator, who serve four-year terms.
Elections are held every two years in March to replace people who would have completed theirfull term. The BPM took control of the council in 2017 after winning the majority of the seats.
Meanwhile, the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) issued a press statement on Tuesday indicating that despite several attempts, the commission has been unable to secure a suitable building in Barbuda to facilitate registration for people who are qualified to participate in the council elections.
However, residents on the sister island are being advised that the Barbuda Registration Unit on Factory Road, which was opened in 2017 following the passage of Hurricane Irma, is opened and registration is ongoing. Barbudans who are eligible to vote in theMarch election mustregister before January 31.