Barbuda has two political parties, which we list in alphabetical order -
Barbuda People's Movement ( BPM )
Antigua Labour Party (Barbuda Branch) ( ALP )
Barbuda is part of a three-island state with Antigua and Redonda. After independence in 1981 Antigua and Barbuda remained a monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State. Her representative in the state is the Governor General, presently Sir James Carlisle. Parliament, situated in Antigua, consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Representatives or MPs are elected by popular vote from 16 constituencies in Antigua and one in Barbuda. A general election must be held within five years of the previous one. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Prime Minister heads a Cabinet of Ministers who administer the State. All legislation is introduced in the House of Representatives and then passed to the Senate for review and assent. The whole form of Government is modelled very much on the British Parliamentary System.
On 25 March 2004 the United Progressive Party (UPP) defeated the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) administration to become the majority party in Parliament. Their leader Baldwin Spencer is the Prime Minister. Robin Yearwood is the leader of the opposition party, the ALP. Trevor Walker represents Barbuda in the House of Representatives, while Mackenzie Frank and Atkinson Beazer sit as Barbuda's senators.
Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and will join the Caribbean Single Market (CSM) and the Caribbean Court of Justice on 30 June 2006.
The Barbuda Council runs the internal affairs of the island on a day-to-basis. The Barbuda Council was established in 1976 by the Barbuda Local Government Act, which created a council of 11 members. Nine members are elected by the registered voters of Barbuda, with the parliamentary representative and the senator as ex-officio members. The councillors serve for 4 years. Elections are held every two years in March with four seats and five seats becoming vacant at alternate polls.
The Barbuda Council administers and regulates agriculture, forestry, public health, public utilities, and roads and raises and collects revenue to meet expenses incurred in the performance of its functions.
The Chairman of the Barbuda Council is Fabian Jones and the Deputy Chairman is Randolph Beazer. The other members of the Barbuda Council are Courtney Burton, George Burton, Lincoln Burton, Hartford John, Arthur Nibbs, Kelvin Punter, and David Shaw. Trevor Walker and Atkinson Beazer are the ex-officio members. The Secretary to the Council is Dorothy Symister.
The Barbuda Council has five committees - Finance, Works and General Purposes, Health, Social Welfare and Disaster, Tourism, Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, and Agriculture, Land, Forestry, Fisheries, and Coastal/Marine Protection. The Council has two boards - the Education and Training Board and the Tourism Board.
Click here to see the membership of the Barbuda Council's committees.
Click here to read the news from the Barbuda Council.
Trevor Walker represents the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM) and Barbuda in the House of Representatives. Trevor won the general election on 20 April 2004 with 408 votes from Arthur Nibbs of the Barbuda People's Movement for Change (BPMC) with 394. In the first general election on 23 March 2004 both candidates had received 400 votes. Trevor was sworn in by the Governor General, Sir James Carlisle, at Government House in Antigua on 26 April 2004. He serves as Minister of State for Barbudan Affairs in the UPP cabinet.
Trevor Walker is 36 years of age and was first elected to the Barbuda Council in 2001. Trevor was educated at the Holy Trinity School and was awarded a degree in economics by the St Leo University in Florida. He worked at the K Club as the local manager for 9 years. His father, Rueben Harris, was Minister of Education for 18 years.
Mackenzie Frank received his Instruments of Appointment from the Governor General on 26 April 2004. He was sworn in as a senator at the first sitting of the Upper House.
Mackenzie Frank, who is an historian and development consultant, was born in Barbuda and educated at the Holy Trinity School until the age of eight. He then lived in England where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history and politics at the University of de Montfort (formerly Leicester Polytechnic). He researched The Codrington Papers as part of an MPhil programme at the University of Warwick. Mackenzie lectured at the University of Leicester on the Urban Studies Certificate. Since returning to the island 18 years ago, Mackenzie served as the Secretary to the Barbuda Council and has been active in politics with the Barbuda People's Movement for many years. In 2005 Mackenzie was appointed as a senator in the parliament of Antigua and Barbuda. Mackenzie Frank can be contacted by email.
On 1 November 2004 Hilbourne Frank was knighted for his services in the political field for over 40 years. Sir Hilbourne retired as Barbuda's representative in 2004, after serving for 15 years since 1989. He had originally entered politics in 1960 when he lost to McChesney George in the general election of that year.
Sir Hilbourne graduated from Antigua Grammar School in 1950 and taught at the Grammar School, the Boys' School (now T N Kirnon), and the Holy Trinity School in Barbuda from 1950 to 1960. Then Sir Hilbourne worked at the Coco Point Lodge and as a legal secretary for Claude Earle Francis until his departure for England in 1963.
In the early sixties Sir Hilbourne established the Barbuda Workers Union and whilst living in England he founded the Barbuda Association. In 1974 he organised the first international convention of Barbudans. On returning to the island in 1979 Sir Hilbourne was elected to the Barbuda Council and became the Chairman. He attended the independence talks at Lancaster House and worked on the Essex Report. More recently Sir Hilbourne has been instrumental in pursuing legal cases to establish Barbudan's rights to the sand and land of the island.
Barbuda stands at a very serious crossroad in its history. The previous government, that of the Antigua Labour Party had been able to divide the political leadership on the island and as a result had denied Barbudans the implementation of the recommendations of the Commonwealth Report.
These recommendations had implications for improved infrastructure, the expansion of airport facilities, creation of a port of entry, the construction of roads, the improvement of public utilities, and the complete restructuring of the financial and administrative arrangements between the islands.
Importantly the Commonwealth Report implicitly recognised the land right claims of the island's people, when it stated “no development should take place without the consent of the people”.
The ALP administration had completely frustrated the implementation of the report and as a consequence had caused stagnation, decay, and delayed the development of the island. Its actions had caused young people to suffer. Many are unable to find employment and appropriate educational opportunities.
The BPM will find ways to overcome all these negatives and open the doors to a bright future for all Barbudans, young and old. We believe what the Commonwealth Report said
“ While Barbuda faces a number of constraints deriving from the small size of its population and its ecological fragility, it has considerable potential to pursue a development strategy geared to its own needs and circumstances.”
The BPM will invest in the future of Barbuda. We will ensure that Barbuda is developed according to the needs and wants of the island's people.
Arthur Nibbs was first elected to the Barbuda Council in 1979 and served as Chairman for 7 years altogether, from 1985 to 1989, 1997 to 1999, and 1999 to 2000. Arthur was educated at the Holy Trinity School and the Antigua Grammar School. He was employed as an assistant air traffic controller at the V C Bird International Airport and worked as personnel manager at the K Club.
As Chairman of the Barbuda Council's Health and Welfare Committee, Arthur was instrumental in organising the volunteer medical programme with physicians from the USA and Canada. He served as chairman of this committee from 2001 to 2002.
In 1980 Arthur Nibbs was a member of the delegation that met at Lancaster House in London to discuss independence for Antigua and Barbuda. The delegation was mandated to seek a separate future for Barbuda from the island of Antigua.
In 2000 Arthur participated in the review of the relationship between the government of Antigua and the Barbuda Council since Independence in 1981. This review was carried out by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Arthur is the Deputy Chairman of the Joint Consultative Committee, which was set up by the Commonwealth Review Report (2001).
Arthur Nibbs has served two terms in the Senate, the Upper House of Parliament of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. He represented the opposition and the Barbuda Council. He is now Chairman of the Government Implementation Agency.
Arthur Nibbs is a firm believer in the co-operative movement and currently serves as President of the Barbuda Fishermen's Co-operative Society. He is a part-time farmer, particularly attracted to organic farming.
Arthur Nibbs is a firm believer in the protection and sustainable use of the environment. He attended a workshop in Dominica on ecotourism management sponsored by the University of the West Indies.
Arthur enjoys sport. He is an opening batsman with the Nuff Respect team and he plays table tennis and volleyball.
Arthur Nibbs is a mover for change and a believer in Caribbean integration - a Caribbean citizen.