ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — Officials in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda took their oaths of office this Tuesday following Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s historic election triumph that secured his Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party an unprecedented fourth straight term in power.
The ceremony marked a historic shift as government ministers pledged loyalty to their own nation for the first time, abandoning a four-decade practice of swearing allegiance to Britain’s royal family in the former British territory.
Last December, lawmakers passed constitutional changes that officially eliminated references to King Charles III and future British monarchs from the loyalty pledge. Cabinet members now promise faithfulness to Antigua and Barbuda itself, along with its founding document and legal system.
“Whereas your success at the polls has earned you the confidence and trust of the people; that confidence and trust collectively, is not a gift to be enjoyed, or trust to be betrayed. It is a burden to be carried, a duty to be performed, a trust to be honored every single day,” Browne told the assembled officials.
Browne’s ABLP dominated the election by capturing 15 out of 17 available legislative positions. The opposition United Progressive Party suffered devastating losses, dropping from five seats to just one, with only Jamale Pringle surviving the electoral defeat. Trevor Walker from the Barbuda People’s Movement also secured a seat, continuing his winning streak in every election since 2004 except for 2014.
The early election was called two years before required by law, with campaign discussions centered on increasing living expenses and public works projects throughout the islands.
