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Ar ANTIGUA | Court Challenge Against MP Smith's Independence Status Faces Further Delay
Former United Progressive Party (UPP) Member of Parliament, Anthony Shamari Smith.
ST, JOHN’S Antigua, November 6, 2024 - In a developing political saga that has gripped All Saints West constituency, the high-stakes legal challenge questioning the independent status of former United Progressive Party (UPP) parliamentarian Anthony Shamari Smith has encountered another setback, with proceedings now postponed until the 3rd of December .
The postponement, triggered by the absence of presiding High Court Judge Justice Jan Drysdale, adds another chapter to the increasingly complex political narrative that began unfolding in July when Smith departed from the UPP ranks to accept a cabinet position in Prime Minister Gaston Browne's Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) government as Minister of Agriculture, Lands and The Blue Economy.
Three UPP constituents - Ivan Hurst, Ann Juliette Simon, and Eversleigh Warner - have mounted the legal challenge, contending that Smith's cabinet role fundamentally contradicts his claimed independent status in the House of Representatives. The constituents have filed formal documentation expressing their dissatisfaction with their representative's political realignment.
"Smith's role in the Cabinet conflicts with his claim of independence," assert the UPP's legal representatives, Attorney Kendrickson "Kenny" Kentish and King's Counsel Justin Simon, who are spearheading the opposition's legal strategy.
The case has become a lightning rod for political discourse in Antigua and Barbuda, highlighting the complex interplay between party loyalty, constituent representation, and executive branch service. The December hearing is expected to set a significant precedent regarding the parameters of political independence within the nation's parliamentary system.
This constitutional challenge represents a crucial test case for political accountability in the Caribbean nation, with potential implications for future parliamentary crossovers and the definition of political independence in the Westminster system of government.
The matter's resolution now awaits the December 3rd court date, when the legitimacy of Smith's dual role as an independent MP and cabinet minister will face judicial scrutiny.