Bird back in Parliament
Published:Friday | March 13, 2009 | 6:38 PM
The Antigua Labour Party\'s (ALP) political leader Lester Bird returned to parliament after ousting the country\'s former Finance Minister Dr Errol Cort in a surprise election victory.
The incumbent United Progressive Party (UPP) won nine of the 17 seats in yesterday\'s general elections, securing a slim majority.
Bird\'s victory in the St. John\'s Rural East constituency brought an end to more than 12 hours of counting, after a day of voting that was plagued by delays in five constituencies, long lines and a late start to the count.
He took 1, 939 votes, edging out Dr. Cort who won 1, 843 votes.
Baldwin Spencer, who also returned to the St. John\'s Rural West seat after what initially appeared to be a close battle with the ALP\'s Gale Christian, signaled that there will be some changes.
Spencer was sworn in as Prime Minister a few hours after the count ended, on a day that he earlier declared a national holiday.
The ALP leader has indicated that the party will mount a challenge to the results of the Barbuda seat.
A total of 41, 452 of the more than 52, 000 people registered to vote, cast their ballots in the poll.