Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle has accused Prime Minister Gaston Browne of using state agencies to intimidate political opponents, warning that democracy in Antigua and Barbuda is under threat.
In a New Year’s statement, Mr Pringle said the Prime Minister had abandoned dialogue in favour of what he described as hostility and intimidation, claiming the country was drifting towards authoritarian rule.
His remarks follow events in Morris Bay, where a tent owned by Mr Pringle’s family was demolished by the Development Control Authority for alleged illegal construction.
Less than a day later, a nearby infrastructure project being carried out by the Antigua Public Utilities Authority was destroyed by fire. Police are investigating the blaze and have questioned the opposition leader.
Mr Pringle said the sequence of events was politically motivated and part of a wider campaign of “bullying and retaliation” against critics of the government. He warned that freedom of expression and political dissent were being eroded, deepening national divisions.
The government has rejected such claims, maintaining that regulatory enforcement and police investigations are lawful, independent and free from political interference.
