General election in Antigua and Barbuda 1971
The 1971 parliamentary election in Antigua and Barbuda for the election of the members of the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda took place on February 11, 1971. It was the first choice in since the country joined the West Indies Associated States in 1967 and the end of British colonial rule in the year of election.
background
In the year of the election, the Progressive Labor Movement (PLM) was founded as a new party . It was created under the direction of George Walter and Donald Halstead of the Antigua Workers Union (AWU). This union split off from the Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU) in 1967 , as the country experienced an economic crisis from the mid-1960s onwards, caused by the decline of the sugar industry and violent conflicts. The previously ruling ALP was the political arm of the ATLU and both were headed by the previous Prime Minister, Vere C. Bird, until 1968. Bird resigned as union chairman that year.
The number of seats in parliament increased from 10 to 17 in the year of independence.
Election result
In the 1971 elections, the PLM received a majority of 13 seats, ending the dominance of the ALP. The ALP was the ruling party from 1946 to the end of the 1960s and provided the Prime Minister.
George Walter became the new Prime Minister.
| Political party | be right | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Labor Movement (PLM) | 9,761 | 57.7 | 13 | +13 (New) |
| Antigua Labor Party (ALP) | 6,409 | 37.9 | 4th | −6 |
| Antigua People's Party (APP) | 595 | 3.5 | 0 | ± 0 (new) |
| Independent | 157 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid votes | 397 | - | - | - |
| total | 17.309 | 100 | 17th | +7 |
Remarks
- ↑ a b c d Nohlen, Dieter: Elections in the Americas: A data handbook . Oxford University Press, New York 2005, ISBN 0-19-928357-5 , pp. 61 ff .
- ^ Nohlen, Dieter: Elections in the Americas: A data handbook . Oxford University Press, New York 2005, ISBN 0-19-928357-5 , pp. 66 .