1999 Antiguan general election

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 9 March 1999.[1] The elections were won by the governing Antigua Labour Party. Lester Bird was re-elected Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Voter turnout was 63.6%.[1]

The elections were extremely close, with the UPP losing five seats by a narrow 554 votes in total, and had the elections been free and fair (the government controlled almost all newspapers as well as television and radio stations), the opposition could have won a majority.[2] Opposition leader Baldwin Spencer criticised the conduct and fairness of the elections and began a hunger strike in protest to the flaws in the system. The government responded by introducing an independent Electoral Commission.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Antigua Labour Party	17,521	52.94	12	+1
	United Progressive Party	14,713	44.45	4	−1
	Barbuda People's Movement	418	1.26	1	0
	Antigua Freedom Party	57	0.17	0	New
	National Reform Movement	33	0.10	0	New
	Independents	355	1.07	0	0
Total		33,097	100.00	17	0
Valid votes		33,097	99.33
Invalid/blank votes		223	0.67
Total votes		33,320	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		52,385	63.61
Source: Nohlen

References

1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p66 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
2. Nohlen, p63