Opposition Member of Parliament Richard Lewis has condemned Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s announcement that he’s considering holding a constitutional referendum on dissolving the Barbuda Council, as a “dangerous pronouncement” that could undermine established governance structures.
Lewis’ comments come after the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Ambassador Lionel Hurst commented during last week Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing on the Prime Minister’s thoughts.
“I think it’s a dangerous pronouncement. I don’t think that can be easily done,” Lewis said in response to the Prime Minister’s statements.
The controversy began when Browne questioned the relevance of maintaining separate governance for Barbuda during his weekly radio programme.
“If this thing continues, we will put the issue on a referendum and you [Antiguans and Barbudans] can decide,” he stated. “Look, if Barbuda has a Council, should Bethesda have one? Should All Saints have one? Should Freetown have one?”
Hurst elaborated on the administration’s position, claiming that the Council has “opposed the improvements in economic conditions in Barbuda” while still collecting “significant amounts of taxes as a result of the improvements.”
He specifically referenced the Peace, Love and Happiness development project, which reportedly paid more than $1.5 million to the Barbuda Council despite the Council’s opposition to the project.
Lewis emphasized that constitutional procedures must be respected and advocated for dialogue rather than structural changes.
“What is needed is for the Constitution to be followed, for the legislation supported by the Constitution to be respected, and for the administration of the day to sit with the people of Barbuda, with the Council elected by the people of Barbuda to sort things out,” he stated.
In September, members of the Barbuda Council met with the Cabinet to propose a joint consultative committee as a way to ease tensions and improve dialogue between the two islands.
Since then, neither side has publicly revealed a restart of talks about the committee, and have blamed each other for the delay.
In October, Council Chairman Devon Warner denied claims by the Cabinet suggesting they had requested an “indefinite postponement” of committee meetings, and explained that they simply needed time to adequately review the 10-point agenda.
Meanwhile, the MP noted the significant authority vested in the Barbuda Council through existing legal frameworks.
“The Council has a lot of powers and certain things cannot be done without the consent of the Barbuda Council,” Lewis said, expressing more scepticism about the feasibility of the government’s proposal.
“I really don’t see that happening unless the sitting administration gains control of the Barbuda Council,” he added. “I don’t even see this passing through the referendum.”
