Parker Calls for Independent CHOGM Audit and Public Register of Pledges

Opposition Senator Malaka Parker has called for an independent audit of CHOGM 2026 expenditure and procurement, saying Antigua and Barbuda must match the pride of hosting the international gathering with transparency and measurable benefits for its people.

In a statement following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Parker urged the Government to publish a consolidated financial report, disclose CHOGM-related contracts and donated assets, and present the findings of an independent audit to Parliament and the public.

“What was budgeted and ultimately spent? Who received contracts, and through what procurement processes?” she asked. “Most importantly, did Antigua and Barbuda receive value for money?”

Parker also called for a public register of international pledges, partnerships and funding opportunities. She said it should distinguish between commitments announced and resources actually secured, while explaining how citizens and businesses can access the benefits.

“Announcements are not achievements, and pledges are not necessarily resources secured for Antigua and Barbuda,” she said.

The senator welcomed commitments announced in areas including environmental conservation, eye healthcare, climate resilience, renewable energy, trade and youth entrepreneurship. However, she argued that the summit’s success would ultimately depend on whether those opportunities improve everyday lives.

She expressed hope that the meeting would help expand micro, small and medium-sized businesses, improve healthcare, strengthen trade and create opportunities for women and young people.

Farmers, fisherfolk, artisans, innovators and other entrepreneurs must be included, she said, with access to support provided transparently, equitably and without political favouritism.

Parker paired her demands for accountability with praise for the more than 600 volunteers who supported the gathering, describing their contribution as a reflection of the country’s warmth, hospitality, resilience and capacity for hard work.

She also thanked public servants, cultural performers, security personnel, hospitality workers, organisers and service providers.

While welcoming the income earned by entrepreneurs and small businesses through CHOGM activities, Parker expressed sympathy for businesses she said lost revenue and opportunities because of heightened security measures.

The gathering, which coincided with Antigua and Barbuda’s 45th anniversary of Independence, demonstrated what citizens could accomplish through a shared national effort, she said.

“Let us not extinguish that spirit of unity simply because the summit has ended,” Parker urged. “That spirit belongs to no politician or political party.”

However, she contended that the event also exposed shortcomings in planning, budgeting, transparency and inclusive participation.

Parker alleged that, apart from the parliamentary representative for Barbuda, opposition parliamentarians were not afforded comparable opportunities to participate as panellists in key discussions. She also said opposition representation was absent from other significant invitation-only engagements.

“These exclusions deserve explanation,” she said, arguing that the opposition has an essential place in the country’s constitutional democracy.

“The Government is not the nation. The ruling party is not the State. And the Commonwealth belongs to all our people.”

Parker also defended citizens who used the international attention surrounding CHOGM to raise concerns through peaceful advocacy and protest.

She commended reparatory justice campaigners, including those associated with the Reparations Committee, and the citizen-led Reflections of a Nation gatherings, which highlighted environmental protection, coastal development and public access to beaches.

“Their voices did not diminish CHOGM. They enriched it,” she said.

Parker argued that patriotism includes informed public engagement, peaceful assembly and a willingness to challenge decisions affecting the country’s future. The Commonwealth’s commitments to democracy, human rights and sustainability, she added, must be reflected in citizens’ daily experiences.

She also urged continued discussion of reparatory justice, saying the consequences of slavery and colonialism require education, examination and economic transformation.

Turning to Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Parker congratulated her on her first CHOGM in the role and praised her emphasis on democratic, economic and environmental resilience.

Looking beyond the summit, Parker said the country should preserve the unity the event inspired while ensuring that its promised opportunities reach ordinary people.

“The true legacy of CHOGM will not be measured by what was promised from a podium, but by what changes in the lives of ordinary Antiguans and Barbudans,” she said.