2009 Antiguan general election

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 12 March 2009. The result was a victory for the United Progressive Party, which won nine of the seventeen elected seats in the House of Representatives.

2009 Antiguan general election

← 2004 12 March 2009 2014 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 17 seats in the House of Representatives 9 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	80.27% ( 10.92pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Baldwin Spencer Lester Bird Trevor Walker Party UPP ALP BPM Seats won 9 7 1 Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 21,239 19,657 474 Percentage 50.95% 47.16% 1.14% Swing 4.55pp 5.22pp 0.12pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election Baldwin Spencer UPP Subsequent Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer UPP

Conduct

Three days before the elections the Chamber of Commerce announced observations of voter registration irregularities and called for an investigation into the matter. For example, in the Saint Peter constituency, voter registration increased by 41%.^[1]

A three-member observation team from Belize, Canada, and Guyana observed the election.^[2]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	United Progressive Party	21,239	50.95	9	–3
	Antigua Labor Party	19,657	47.16	7	+3
	Barbuda People's Movement	474	1.14	1	0
	Organisation for National Development	119	0.29	0	New
	Independents	196	0.47	0	0
Total		41,685	100.00	17	0
Valid votes		41,685	99.52
Invalid/blank votes		201	0.48
Total votes		41,886	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		52,183	80.27
Source: PDBA, IFES

Aftermath

On 31 March 2010, a judge nullified the election of UPP's leader Spencer and two other UPP MPs, calling the UPP's majority into question.^[3] However, on 24 October the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court overturned the High Court's decision and decided that the three MPs were duly elected.^[4]

References

1. "Chamber of Commerce questions Antigua's voters list". Caribbean 360. 9 March 2009. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
2. Ramjeet, Oscar (9 March 2009). "Three-member Commonwealth team in Antigua-Barbuda to observe elections". Caribbean Net News. Retrieved 9 March 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
3. Antigua and Barbuda General Election Results - 12 March 2009 Caribbean Elections
4. 33. Antigua & Barbuda (1981-present) University of Central Arksansas