Freedom in the World 1999 - Antigua and Barbuda

1999 Scores

Status: Partly Free
Freedom Rating: 3.5
Civil Liberties: 3
Political Rights: 4

Overview

In 1999, Antigua and Barbuda's nearly 30-year-long Bird family dynasty won a ringing endorsement by voters, who ignored a series of corruption scandals and retained Lester Bird as prime minister. The vote reflected continued support for policies that have made the two-island nation one of the region's most prosperous. A month before the March vote, the U.S. State Department had warned that Antigua's democratic institutions "remain under threat from individuals who have infiltrated government bodies to weaken the fledgling money laundering and offshore business controls." The country, it said, is "one of the most attractive centers in the Caribbean for money launderers."

Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the British Commonwealth. The British monarchy is represented by a governor-general. The islands gained independence in 1981. Under the 1981 constitution, the political system is a parliamentary democracy, with a bicameral parliament consisting of a 17-member house of representatives elected for five years and an appointed senate. In the house, there are 16 seats for Antigua and one for Barbuda. Eleven senators are appointed by the prime minister, four by the parliamentary opposition leader, one by the Barbuda Council, and one by the governor-general.

Dominated by the Bird family and the Antigua Labour Party (ALP), rule has been based more on power and the abuse of authority than on law. The constitution has been consistently disregarded. The Bird tenure has also been marked by scandals ranging from Antigua's role as a transshipment center for South American cocaine destined for the United States and Europe, and its involvement in arms smuggling for the Colombian cartels, to its importance as a money-laundering center.

In 1994 Vere Bird, (who was the patriarch of the most prominent family and who died in 1999), stepped down as prime minister in favor of his son Lester. In the run-up to the 1994 election, three opposition parties united to form the United Progressive Party (UPP). The UPP campaigned on a social-democratic platform emphasizing rule of law and good governance. In the election, the ALP won 11 of 17 parliamentary seats, down from 15, in 1989, while the UPP won 5, up from 1.

After taking office as prime minister, Lester Bird promised cleaner, more efficient government. But his administration continued to be dogged by scandals. In 1995 Bird's brother, Ivor, was convicted of smuggling cocaine into the country, but received only a fine.

The country's thriving offshore banking industry has repeatedly been the target of international concern about inadequate regulation and vetting that led to a surge in questionable banking operations, a number with alleged links to Russian organized crime. In 1998, Antigua and Barbuda's offshore industry, serviced by some 50 loosely-regulated banks, was rocked by public disclosure of what the U.S. Customs Service called the biggest non-narcotics money-laundering racket it had ever uncovered. The government's recent crackdown on Russian-owned banks (six were closed down in 1998) has been offset by renewed efforts to ensure even greater banking secrecy and a reluctance to cooperate with foreign law enforcement.

The March 1999 elections resulted in the ALP winning 12 of the 17 parliamentary seats; the UPP 4, and the Barbuda People's Movement retaining its single seat.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Constitutionally, citizens are able to change their government by democratic means. Political parties, labor unions, and civic organizations are free to organize. However, the UPP announced it was challenging the March 1999 results in six of 17 constituencies, reflecting outside observers' criticism of a lack of an independent electoral commission, the need for redrawn electoral districts, and the need to purge the electoral rolls, which have not been revised in 20 years. In the weeks before the election, many opposition ads were pulled from government-controlled television and radio stations; in a nation of 67,000 people, some 52,000 were registered to vote.

The judiciary is nominally independent, but weak and subject to political manipulation by the ruling party; it has been nearly powerless to address corruption in the executive branch. In 1997, legislation was passed which allows for the issuance of an Internet casino license that, like those of offshore banks, promises minimum regulation, maximum discretion, and no taxes. There is an intra-island court of appeals for Antigua and five other former British colonies in the Lesser Antilles. The police generally respect human rights, but basic police reporting statistics are confidential. Conditions at the country's prison, which dates to the eighteenth century and was recently privatized, are primitive.

The ALP government and the Bird family control the country's television, cable, and radio outlets. Opposition parties claim that they receive limited coverage from, and have little opportunity to express their views on, the government-controlled electronic media. Freedom of religion is respected. Social discrimination and violence against women is a problem.

The Industrial Court mediates labor disputes, but public sector unions tend to be under the sway of the ruling party. Demonstrators are occasionally subject to harassment by the police, who are politically tied to the ruling party.