Immediate Excellence – By Sharon N Simon
Immediate Excellence Needed Satisfy
Political analyst Stafford Lewis warns that Antigua and Barbuda’s government must achieve immediate “excellence” to satisfy a mandate mirrored by the 2026 election results.
With parliamentary numbers identical to 2018, the administration faces an urgent task to transform the nation into a promised economic powerhouse, therefore Lewis argues that it must now prove its performance.
The April 30 polls granted the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) 15 seats, while the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) secured one seat each.
During an interview on Observer AM, Lewis suggested that voters chose “familiar leadership” under Prime Minister Gaston Browne over an opposition leader whose capabilities were questioned even within his own ranks.
The atmosphere of the new term is already marked by both urgency and mourning. Prime Minister Browne has signaled a low tolerance for “laggards” within his new cabinet, demanding a “renaissance” of productivity. Lewis noted the Prime Minister appeared “visibly shaken” at recent ceremonies following the death of party stalwart Mary Claire Hurst. Hurst, the former ABLP General Secretary, was praised as a “stalwart” and a trendsetter who successfully broke political glass ceilings in a traditionally chauvinistic society.
The opposition now faces its own existential challenges, and Lewis stressed that the minority must avoid “opposing for opposition’s sake” and focus instead on deep restructuring. Currently Governor General Sir Rodney Williams is set to determine the official Leader of the Opposition, choosing between the UPP’s Jamale Pringle and Barbuda’s Trevor Walker.
For Barbuda, the path forward requires a shift in diplomacy. Lewis highlighted the necessity of “sincere” dialogue between the central government and the BPM regarding land ownership and the Land Act. He warned that meaningful engagement is required to ensure Barbudans are not left on the sidelines of national development, urging Mr. Walker to move beyond rhetoric toward effective representation.
Ultimately, the US-based Political Analyst placed the burden of progress on the citizenry, describing voters as the “employers” who hired the government. He argued that national excellence cannot merely be a top-down mandate; it must begin in the homes, the churches, and the civil service.
“If citizens are performing and showing excellence … and the government does not perform at the same level, then there is your reason for saying you don’t get it,” Lewis concluded.
However, he maintains that the next five years will be defined by whether the ABLP government can match the high standards of the people who returned them to power.
