Uwi Law – Algernon Watts
Uwi Law Classes Could
The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus could hold classes for its new law programme at People’s Place, a complex that also houses the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party headquarters and Club Labour, as the university grapples with a shortage of suitable teaching space.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed Saturday that the facility is among the options being considered.
The possibility of placing university students in a building shared with the governing party is likely to attract scrutiny over how any agreement would be reached, what UWI would pay and whether other venues were formally considered.
Browne said the university’s new law programme has created an immediate demand for additional space.
The prime minister argued that alternatives such as hotel conference rooms could be significantly more expensive.
He cited Sandals as one possible venue but estimated that its use could cost approximately US$2,000 per day, while questioning whether a hotel would be practical for regular classes.
Browne has previously said the university received more than 100 applications for the new programme but could accommodate approximately 65 students because of space limitations.
Browne rejected the characterisation of the entire People’s Place property as simply the Labour Party headquarters, saying the ground floor operates independently as a commercial venue.
“The name of it is the People’s Place. The name of it is not Labor Party Headquarters,” he said.
He also sought to separate the conference space from the political activities upstairs.
“First of all, there’s not one political picture in that part of the building,” Browne said. “Not even a picture of me as the leader. There’s no red in it. There’s nothing political about it.”
Browne argued that affordability and suitability should ultimately determine whether the venue is used.
“If it is the best facility or the cheapest, what is the big issue?” he asked.
However, several details remain unresolved, including whether a formal rental agreement is being negotiated, what fee would be charged, and what process UWI would use to approve the arrangement.
No final agreement between UWI Five Islands and People’s Place has been publicly announced.
Any eventual arrangement is therefore likely to be judged on whether the selection process and financial terms are transparent given the building’s connection to the governing party.
