PM Suggests Referendum to Dismantle Barbuda Council, if obstruction continues

Browne says constitutional reform may be necessary if obstruction continues

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has suggested that the ongoing tension between the central government and the Barbuda Council may ultimately lead to a referendum on whether the local body should be dismantled.

Speaking on Pointe FM on Saturday, Browne said the council has increasingly acted as an impediment to national development, rather than a partner.

“If this thing continues, we will put the issue on a referendum, you know, and Antiguans decide to dismantle the council,” Browne stated.

The Prime Minister said that while the Council was constitutionally established to manage the affairs of Barbuda, it has often served to obstruct progress. He questioned whether its continued existence serves the public interest.

“I’m beginning to wonder if that council was not a mistake in the sense that, you know, Sir Vere was trying to satisfy the late Sir Claude Earl (Franics),” he said, referring to the political compromise that led to the Council’s formation. “But having that kind of duplication, especially when the council becomes obstructive…”

Browne challenged the logic of having a separate governance structure only for Barbuda. “If Barbuda has a council, should Bethesda have one? Should Old Road have one? Should Freetown have one?”

He acknowledged that dismantling the Council would not be straightforward. “There’s a constitutional provision, so we’ll have to have a referendum…”

The remarks reflect escalating frustration over land rights, local governance, and resistance to central government initiatives on the sister island.

The Prime Minister has previously accused the Barbuda Council of stalling development projects, including housing, infrastructure, and land adjudication efforts.

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