Antigua PM Swears in New Cabinet After Election Win

ST. JOHNS, Antigua and Barbuda -- Prime Minister Gaston Browne led the swearing-in of a new Cabinet on Tuesday, days after his Antigua and Barbuda Labor Party secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive general election victory by winning 15 of the country's 17 parliamentary seats.

The ceremony marked a historic shift, as elected officials for the first time swore an oath of allegiance to Antigua and Barbuda, its constitution and its laws. This replaced a tradition spanning more than 40 years in the former British colony, where oaths pledged loyalty to the British sovereign. Parliament had approved the constitutional amendment in December 2025, formally removing references to King Charles III, his heirs and successors.

Addressing the new ministers, Browne emphasized the weight of their mandate. "Your success at the polls has earned you the confidence and trust of the people," he said. "That confidence and trust collectively is not a gift to be enjoyed, or trust to be betrayed. It is a burden to be carried, a duty to be performed, a trust to be honored every single day."

The snap election, called two years ahead of the constitutional deadline, was dominated by debates over the...