| Antigua and Barbuda |
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General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 9 March 1999.[1] They 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 election was extremely close, with the UPP losing five seats very narrowly (by only 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 election. Spencer began a hunger strike in protest at flaws in the system. The government responded by introducing an independent Electoral Commission.
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua Labour Party | 17,521 | 52.6 | 12 | +1 |
| United Progressive Party | 14,713 | 44.5 | 4 | -1 |
| Barbuda People's Movement | 418 | 1.3 | 1 | 0 |
| Antigua Freedom Party | 57 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
| National Reform Movement | 33 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
| Independents | 355 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 223 | - | - | - |
| Total | 33,320 | 100 | 17 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen | ||||
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