Editing History of Antigua and Barbuda (section)

==Independent Antigua and Barbuda (1981–present) ==
[[File:Former Prime Minister Honourable Lester B. Bird speak to the audience.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lester Bird]] in 2016. He served as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004.]]
The islands gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, becoming the nation of [[Antigua and Barbuda]]. The country became part of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], and a [[constitutional monarchy]], with the first [[Monarchy in Antigua and Barbuda|Queen of Antigua and Barbuda]] being [[Elizabeth II]]. The monarch is represented in the country by the [[governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ag/education/country_profile.asp |title=Antigua and Barbuda Country Profile |website=Caribbean Elections |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128175618/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ag/education/country_profile.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1997, Prime Minister [[Lester Bird]] announced that a group of ecologically sensitive islands just off Antigua's northeastern coast, previously proposed for national park status, were being turned over to Malaysian developers. The Guiana Island Development Project deal, calling for a 1,000-room hotel, an 18-hole golf course and a world-class casino, sparked widespread criticism by environmentalists, minority members in parliament and the press. The issue came to a head when a local resident shot the PM's brother. Today,{{when|date=April 2023}} the proposed development is mired in lawsuits and politics.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

The [[Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party]] (ABLP) won renewed mandates in the general elections in 1984 and 1989. In the 1989 elections, the ruling ABLP won all but two of the 17 seats. During elections in March 1994, power passed from Vere Bird to his son, [[Lester Bird]], but remained within the ABLP which won 11 of the 17 parliamentary seats. The [[United Progressive Party]] won the 2004 [[Antigua and Barbuda legislative election, 2004|elections]] and [[Baldwin Spencer (politician)|Baldwin Spencer]] became Prime Minister, removing from power the longest-serving elected government in the Caribbean. Baldwin was the [[Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda]] from 2004 to 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography: Winston Baldwin Spencer |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/biography/bios/spencer_baldwin.asp |website=Caribbean Elections |access-date=29 December 2021 |archive-date=25 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225020401/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/knowledge/biography/bios/spencer_baldwin.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2014 the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party regained power from a massive win with the leader being the "World Boss", [[Gaston Browne|Gaston A. Browne]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Antigua and Barbuda Elects a New Government: Gaston Browne is Prime Minister Elect |url=https://caricom.org/antigua-and-barbuda-elects-a-new-government-gaston-browne-is-prime-minister-elect/ |work=CARICOM |date=13 June 2014}}</ref> A snap election was called three years later, and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party led by the incumbent Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne dominated the [[2018 Antiguan general election|elections]] with a landslide victory of 15-1-1. General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 18 January 2023 to elect members of the House of Representatives. The Labour Party (ABLP) has held an absolute majority of 15 seats in the House of Representatives after the 2018 general election, with Gaston Browne remaining as prime minister. Browne initiated a constitutional referendum after the 2018 election, which was rejected by voters, and following the death of Elizabeth II in 2022, he announced his intention to hold a referendum for the country's transition to a republican system. Besides ABLP, the United Progressive Party (UPP), Democratic National Alliance, Barbuda People's Movement (BPM), and three independent politicians filed candidacies for the 2023 general election.

During the election campaign, UPP proposed to raise the minimum wage and expressed support for small businesses, while ABLP pledged to construct more homes and open two polyclinics. ABLP retained its majority in the House of Representatives, although it won a reduced 9 seats, while UPP won 6 seats. Trevor Walker, the leader of the BPM, retained his seat in Barbuda, while Asot Michael, an independent politician and former member of ABLP, won his seat in the St. Peter constituency. Browne was sworn in for his third consecutive term as prime minister a day after the election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Speculation about early election in Antigua |url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/06/12/speculation-about-early-election-in-antigua/ |work=Barbados Today |date=12 June 2021}}</ref>