ABEC headquarters and registration units to close for three days for repairs; some residents react with suspicion

As the country awaits the decision on whether there will be a
complete re-registration of voters or the renewal of the voter’s ID
card, the office of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission
(ABEC) is temporarily closing its doors to facilitate repairs. 

In addition to the Queen Elizabeth Highway headquarters ceasing
operations, the registration units will be closed for maintenance and
upgrades, as well, from Thursday,  March 14, to Monday,  March 18.

ABEC says that services to the general public will resume on
Tuesday,  March 19.

In the meantime, the news of the temporary closure of all
registration units is being greeted with suspicion in some quarters.
“You know what can happen in three days?” one woman asks
ominously, adding that she does not put it past the Browne
Administration “to try something” with the electronic system while
the units are closed.

This fear, expressed by several others to REAL News, is tied to the
fact that many believe another General Election is imminent. And
given that the United Progressive Party’s convention is only a
month away, hundreds believe that voters will be going back to the
polls soon after.

Meanwhile, the Commission and the respective registration units
have been closing at midday for some time now, due to the physical
condition of the headquarters, including alleged mold infestation.