Barbudans Voting In By-election

CODRINGTON, Barbuda, Sept. 29, 2014 – Residents on this tiny island are voting today in a by-election to fill a vacancy on the Barbuda Council.

The need for the by-election arose in mid-June, when elected council member Arthur Nibbs was appointed Minister of Agriculture after winning his seat on the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) ticket at the June 12 general elections.

The Barbuda Local Government Act prohibits any person who holds public office from being on the council; therefore Nibbs’ seat was automatically vacated.

Emrick John is the contender on the ABLP ticket while the Barbuda People’s Movement, which is aligned to the main opposition United Progressive Party, is being represented by Paul Nedd.

There are approximately 1,000 registered voters on Barbuda.