Opposition challenges
election results

The main opposition Antigua Labour Party says it’s going ahead with challenging the outcome of the results in four constituencies from the general elections on March 12.

Lawyers representing the party filed elections have filed petitions in the High Court, seeking to overturn the results on the grounds that there were irregularities.

The seats being challenged are held by Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, Finance Minister Harold Lovell, Agriculture Minister Hilson Baptiste and the Barbuda seat which the ALP lost by one vote after a recount.

Party leader and former prime minister Lester Bird told a public meeting on Thursday that the elections results were “tainted” because of the late opening of polling stations in five constituencies. He also claims that the counterfoil on ballots papers was not removed. The ruling United Progressive Party had said it was contemplating filing writs in the two constituencies which it lost to Mr Bird and former finance minister Molwyn Joseph by narrow margins.

However a party official has said they may not proceed with those.

BVI welcomes scrutiny

The government of the British Virgin Islands says it welcomes a visit next week by a delegation charged with reviewing operations in the UK’s offshore financial centres.

BVI Premier and Finance Minister Ralph O’Neal has said in a statement that his government is committed to global standards of regulation in the sector.

He also said that they are open to co-operation in exchange of information and transparency.