Browne claims to be biggest political threat to Antigua-Barbuda administration

ALP Parliamentarian
Gaston Browne

by Sarrah Hadeed
Caribbean Net News Antigua Barbuda Correspondent.
E-mail: sarrahhadeed@yahoo.com

Monday, August 15, 2005

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua:  Opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Parliamentarian, Gaston Browne, has claimed that the Baldwin Spencer-led UPP Administration is attempting to "de-focus" him because he is seen by some as the future leader of the ALP who will be the greatest threat to the UPP come the next general election.

Browne had unsuccessfully challenged Lester Bird for the leadership of the ALP in last April's convention, results that produced some controversy.

Browne, a former banker, along with former Agriculture Minister Vere Bird Jnr., has been brought before the courts by way of a civil action by the government regarding the acquisition of some three acres of land in the English Harbour area on Antigua's South East.

Speaking on radio over the weekend, Browne, who said he could not go into details of the transaction as the matter is now before the courts, said he got the land for some EC$75,000 in what he said was a customary process approved by Cabinet where government ministers and civil servants were sold land at concessionary rates and questioned why he was apparently singled out for legal action.

"There are even Permanent Secretaries who got land at a concessionary rate, I know of at least two Permanent Secretaries while I was serving who got lands at EC$25,000 per acre."

According to the ALP Parliamentarian while speaking on Observer Radio on Saturday, this is a practice that goes back some 20 years where there was a policy to sell land to parliamentarians for EC$10,000 per acre up to a maximum of three acres per person and added that even the present Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer benefited from such a policy 

Browne who said he is not aware that he committed any wrong, is of the view that the Spencer Administration ought to look into the land policy of the former ALP Administration instead of how much money was paid for the land. 

  Back...

  Most popular articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed

  Printable version