BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OVER the decades we have seen a relatively large number of women within the Caribbean region throwing their ‘hats’ into the political arena, and the latest one to have done so is the wife of Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Gaston Browne.
Information reaching this publication states that PM Browne’s wife, Maria Bird-Browne, has formally written to the executive of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party that she is interested in contesting the St. John’s Rural East seat.
According to the Antigua Observer, since last week it was bandied about that Bird-Browne was being pursued by the constituency branch to run in the area, and that her husband said because of health issues, the current Member of Parliament for that Constituency, Sir Lester Bird, would not be contesting the seat during the upcoming general election.
This publication has learnt that the Prime Minister has up until June 2019 or as late as September of the same year to call election for that country.
The Antigua Observer has however indicated that Bird-Browne would go up against two other females during the a primary, including the Senate President, Alincia Grant.
The media house also stated that on Saturday (Nov. 11), PM Browne, during an interview on his radio station, Point FM, confirmed that his wife would be throwing her hat into the political arena.
“Maria has now written to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party executive confirming that she is interested in contesting the Rural East seat, that letter went in yesterday (Friday). As I said to her when you are doing these things tell your husband, because I was, up to last night, telling people that she is considering and next thing I there listening and a beautiful letter came from her confirming that she is definitely interested in contesting. So there is no if or but about it now,” Browne reportedly said.
He also reportedly said that his wife, who is “naturally bright and very articulate”, was pushed into running for public office after allegations were made about her charity, Share Inc.
He noted that his wife is of the opinion that she has a contribution to make to the nation coming from a public service family, with her grandfather being father of the nation, national hero and former premier and prime minister Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Sr.
“So as far as I am concerned, now she is fair game. When you enter into the political arena, male or female, you are fair game. However, prior to that she was just First Lady, keeping her head down, was not involved in any politics, just trying to be a beautiful mother, a nice mother raising our child.
“And when you have a situation where people are fabricating stories to say that I took $5 million of government’s money to put into her charity, I mean there is no way I could not defend it, I felt too that in the context of being first lady and not being involved in politics at the time they went too far. However, they inspired her…” PM Browne was reported as saying.
He also said his wife has the capability to run for public office, adding that if he thought she did not have what it takes he would tell her “don’t embarrass our family”.
The Observer also reported that while he is proud of his wife, who has been around politics all her life, PM Browne said he is nervous about her contesting because he knows the strain that could be placed on the family life.
“The truth is I have some little butterflies in my stomach, you know about my wife going into politics, I’m being straight up. And I am not encouraging her because I recognise it could impact on our family life.
“I want to tell you I have a beautiful family, for me that is a priority other than the people of Antigua and Barbuda and representing them, that is my first priority to uplift them. The secondary thing is to keep my family together. I know the strains of politics so I understand the personal risks so there are some butterflies.”
