ST.JOHN’S, Antigua – FOLLOWING a legal battle between the opposition party, Antigua Labour Party (ALP), and the ruling Baldwin Spencer administration in relation to access to the state-owned media house Antigua Broadcasting Station (ABS) Radio and Television, a ruling has been made to redress the matter.
According to the Antigua Sun, representatives from both parties appeared before Justice David Harris in the Antiguan High Court on Monday (Feb. 9) and an agreement was made in principle in favour of ALP.
The report states that the Attorney-General Justin Simon QC said the government “accepted the constitutional right of the claimant to access the services” of ABS Television and Radio noting that the next step is to “work out the mechanics of the process to guide that access”.
News from that country states that Special Counsel Anthony Astaphan issued a draft of the intended agreement to the Attorney General in order for both parties to come to an agreement, after which the agreement would come into effect.
Although the finer details of the proposal have not yet been announced, the document is expected to cover conditions for advertisement, payments and live and general airtime. Information would be made public after the agreement is in full effect.
The writ was originally filed on January 6 after the Lester Bird-led ALP was repeatedly denied access to the media house during the last five years of being in the opposition.
According to ALP representatives, ABS has deliberately refused to air advertisements from the party and has censored public notices from the party. Party members acknowledged that the media house was a necessary tool to reach the masses especially since political campaigns went into overdrive following Monday’s dissolving of Parliament.
In early January, the party indicated its intentions to launch ‘Liberty TV’, using a Cable channel, to send its messages across to the electorate.
The court ruling was however made in favour of ALP and would allow the party the opportunity to use the media house particularly for this year’s election period. A similar ruling was made in 1994 when it was agreed that the Spencer-led United Progressive Party (UPP) which was in opposition at that time, and the then ruling party (ALP) should have equal access to the state-owned media house.
Antigua News