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ST JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC - Opposition Leader Lester Bird has written to the Accountant General indicating his intention to forego his salary in protest of the socio-economic policies of the Antigua and Barbuda government. \"In these difficult times when the government has not paid many public servants on time, and have laid off many others, I believe that it is right that all political leaders should make a sacrifice,\" Bird said in his letter. \"In the circumstances, I am foregoing my salary as Leader of the Opposition.

URGENT -FINALRESULT-ANTIGUA-ELECTIONS-POLLING DAY-UPP scores second consecutive victory St JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC - The incumbent United Progressive Party (UPP) has managed to hold on to power for a second straight term but with a slightly reduced majority, following Thursday's general election that has also rekindled the political career of a former prime minister in Antigua and Barbuda. Preliminary results show that the UPP won nine of the 17 seats declared to re-take the leadership reins while seven seats went to the Antigua Labour Party (ALP), whose leader Lester Bird, a former prime minister, was among the winners. But despite an improved showing, the ALP, which held power here for 28 unbroken years prior to 2004, failed in its bid to unseat the UPP, which has been given a new mandate to govern. In the last general election, the UPP copped12 seats with the ALP taking four and the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM) one seat. Bird's victory reverses the 2004 defeat he suffered to Finance Minister Errol Cort. The preliminary results showed that Bird polled 1,939 votes as compared to 1,843 for Cort and 71 votes for the leader of the fledgling Organization for National Development (OND) Melford Nicholas.

PORT OF SPAIN, Oct. 16 (IPS) -- No doubt worried by the economic problems that confronted Dominica earlier this year, eastern Caribbean states are moving to adapt their economies to the rigors of a changing global environment by first opening up to one another. The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis and the British Virgin Islands. Earlier this year, the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) launched a $250 million stabilization fund to assist struggling island economies, particularly Dominica, where the dramatic decline of the state's economic fortunes forced Prime Minister Pierre Charles to openly admit his country was experiencing \"a financial and economic crisis.\"

APUA's general manager Leon Symister said ZDK broke an agreement both sides reached last weekend. APUA said ZDK [commonly known as Bacchanal Radio] failed to meet the deadline on Monday to pay the first instalment of 50,000 East Caribbean dollars (18, 150 US dollars) on the outstanding arrears of 132,000 000 East Caribbean dollars (48,800 US dollars).

Tourism Minister Molwyn Joseph has also played the race card. He reminded party supporters that the ruling Antigua Labor Party was born from the Antigua Trades and Labor Union, formed in the aftermath of the 1938 labor struggles in the Caribbean. Its founder was Bird's father, the island's first Prime Minister, V.C Bird. The Observer newspaper last week published the prime minster's entire legal suit in a \"Special Supplement\" of the paper. In it, Bird denies \"any knowledge and involvement in two shipments of drugs from Colombia\" as well as in the death of a \"baby of a Spanish family\" who had been stabbed and done \"to intimidate a guy who did a job with drugs for them.\" At the public meeting Bird said, \"I've been falsely accused by this female minor whose allegations were encouraged as part of a plot to discredit me and the government. I was not angry at her (but) at the despicable exploitation of a female minor by men who have taken up political arms against me by declaring war on me in their newspaper.\"

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, May 20 (IPS) -- Nearly overshadowed by a drugs and sex scandal that dominated the evening news, Antigua played host to the 5th Annual Caribbean Media Conference, the principal regional media forum for publishers, broadcasters, journalists and scholars. Caribbean governments had promised financial aid but media heads have balked at giving governments equity and membership on the CMC board. Antigua is one of the governments said to favor such an arrangement and this has not gone down well with the private media. The videotape was made by reporters at the Antigua Observer Group, which owns and operates a daily newspaper and a radio station that are the [Lester Bird] administration's strongest critics. The group is owned by Samuel Derrick and his brother Winston, who have close links with the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP).

St John's, Antigua: Prime Minister Lester Bird has strongly criticized the manifesto released here on Tuesday [16 March] night by the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), describing it as a \"desperate document\", void of original ideas. \"The UPP manifesto is pages and pages of words that make empty promises but sets no road map for our country's development and progress,\" said Bird, who is also leader of the incumbent Antigua Labour Party (ALP), in a prepared statement. The UPP manifesto promises significant tax relief for Antiguans and Barbudans if the party wins the 23 March poll.

Ministers, who met here yesterday, would not say how much money would be involved but Antigua-based Observer Radio reported the bailout could amount to $1.5 million. CMC reportedly had sought $2 million. Details are to be finalized and the deal approved and unveiled at next month's Caribbean leaders' summit in Belize. CMC, established 17 months ago to take over the operations and functions of the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), was forced to close Jan. 4 under the weight of more than $1 million in debt. \"It is absolutely clear to the CMC board that the importance of the organization is greater today than it has been over the past 30 years. Undoubtedly, permanent closure would be a grave blow to the region and a development that would require establishment of a similar institution with all the attendant difficulties that will flow from the loss of knowledge and experience accumulated over three decades,\" CMC added.

The prime minister made the much-anticipated announcement at a public meeting at 46th North Street in the city - the old Antigua Labour Party (ALP) stomping ground and the current headquarters of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (ALP [acronym as received; should be ATLU]). While opposition forces in the country say it is time for change, the ALP leader urged party supporters to put up a fight to the end to ensure the ALP retains the government. The prime minister also expressed confidence that the ALP will secure another term in office but appeared to be reaching out for grass-roots support, describing the ALP as the party of the working class.

St John's, Antigua: Prime Minister Lester Bird on Monday [15 September] announced that his government is seriously considering legislation that could be adopted for \"community service\" sentencing for first offenders of certain types of crimes and as well as the use of legal marijuana for religious purposes. Regarding the use of marijuana by Rastafarians for religious purposes, Bird added, \"additionally, some provision ought to be made where religious practices conflict with the law, such as the use by Rastafarians of marijuana in their religious rites\". He said there was good medical evidence that use of marijuana might be \"one of the better medications for certain medical conditions including eye drops for the treatment of glaucoma; marijuana tea to relieve the pain and nausea of cancer victims undergoing radiation therapy.\"