Ten of 11 government senators received their instruments of appointment at Government House one week after the April 30 general election, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne having selected the appointees for the Upper House. Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant confirmed that 17 senators will be appointed in total when the process is complete. Senate President Alincia Williams-Grant was reappointed for a fourth consecutive term.
The senators sworn in are Williams-Grant, Shenella Govia, Kendra Beazer, Joel Rayne, Angelica O’Donoghue, Abena St Luce, Colin O’Neal Browne, Lamin Newton, and Shaquan O’Neil. One additional government appointee has not yet been publicly identified at the time of swearing-in. The Upper House appointments come a week after the ABLP took 15 of 17 House seats in the April 30 vote.
Abena St Luce, daughter of the late Sir John E. St Luce, signalled that young people would be central to her work in the chamber. “It is one thing to create the environment, but they also need mentorship,” she said. Angelica O’Donoghue, public relations officer for the ABLP, said her priority would be making legislation accessible to ordinary citizens, and signalled that reparatory justice would feature prominently in her senate contributions. The reparatory justice file remains a CARICOM-wide priority that Antigua and Barbuda has consistently advanced.
Sources: Antigua Observer, May 8, 2026.