Independent candidate for St. George Gail Pero-Weston is urging a fundamental change in how government functions, arguing that responsibility for infrastructure, healthcare and national development should rest squarely with the executive, not individual Members of Parliament.
Speaking during a “Know Your Candidates” interview ahead of the April 30 general election, Pero-Weston challenged what she described as a long-standing political culture that places undue responsibility on constituency representatives to deliver basic services.
“I do not hold a view that an individual candidate or Member of Parliament is responsible for ensuring that infrastructure comes to a community,” she said. “That is an issue for central government.”
Pero-Weston, an attorney-at-law and independent candidate, framed her campaign around accountability and governance reform, contending that decades of weak oversight have contributed to persistent national problems such as poor roads, inadequate drainage systems and limited access to healthcare.
“These are not constituency issues. These are issues across the island,” she said, adding that the current approach has led to repeated election-cycle promises without long-term solutions.
Her proposal calls for a structural shift in which the executive branch takes full responsibility for planning and delivering development across all 17 constituencies, while MPs focus primarily on advocacy rather than direct intervention.
“I firmly do not believe that that is an issue that could be properly addressed by a single member of parliament,” Perowaston said.
She argued that the existing system fosters inequality, with some constituencies benefiting more than others depending on political alignment or influence, and called for a more equitable distribution of resources nationwide.
“We do not live in isolation, one constituency from the next,” she said. “The benefits need to be just the same way, widespread.”
Pero-Weston also linked her position to a broader call for accountability in public office, stating that without clear responsibility at the executive level, governance failures are allowed to persist.
“If integrity in office is not fixed, we are going to have these discussions every single election cycle,” she said.
While acknowledging that an MP’s role would still include advocating for constituents, she maintained that the actual execution of development projects must be driven by central government.
Her stance sets her apart from candidates representing the two major parties, who typically campaign on delivering constituency-level projects, and positions her candidacy as part of a wider push to redefine political expectations in Antigua and Barbuda.
Pero-Weston is contesting the St. George seat against candidates from the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and the United Progressive Party.