ABLP Senator Dwayne George

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By Zaya Williams

Senator Dwayne George has resigned from the Upper House to run in the St. Mary’s South by-election on the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) ticket.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has accepted his resignation and will announce the by-election date at a public rally in Urlings Village on Saturday, September 30, 2023, where George will speak to residents.

As per the Antigua and Barbuda Constitution, the Prime Minister has the authority to appoint Senators and withdraw appointments.

George submitted his resignation letter specifying that he would step down from the Senate effective September 29, 2023, to pursue election to the Parliament and compete for the St. Mary’s South Constituency seat.

The by-election is being held due to the previous representative, Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon, facing opposition claims of being a civil servant on the day of his nomination, December 28, 2022, and failing to resign beforehand.

Legal actions were initiated following the general elections on January 18, 2023. Simon later resigned, avoiding a prolonged legal battle that could have hindered his duties as MP for the constituency.

According to the law, a by-election must fill a parliamentary vacancy within 120 days. The latest possible date for the by-election is October 26, 2023.

The public is reminded that historically, elections are not held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays since these are worship days for significant portions of the population.

George will be competing against Simon of the UPP and Andrew Antonio of the DNA in the upcoming by-election.