Opposition Leader hoping for early judgment

Antigua’s Opposition Leader Lester Bird says he hopes the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Court of Appeal will hand down a decision soon in the election petition case involving Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and two other senior government ministers.



The Court is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to hear the appeal against the March 31 High Court ruling by Justice Louise Blenman that the election of Spencer, Tourism Minister John Maginley and Education Minister Jacqui Quinn-Leandro was invalid.



The judge based her ruling on polling day irregularities, particularly the long delays before voting began in the three constituencies at the March 12, 2009 general election.



However, the ruling United Progressive Party (UPP) had been able to get the High Court to grant a stay, effectively putting the brakes on the judgement and allowing Spencer and his two Cabinet ministers to continue in government.



Bird’s Antigua Labour Party (ALP) has been calling for the government to hold either fresh general elections or by-elections.