PM Browne Dismisses Report of Planned Change at Government House

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has dismissed reports that his administration intended to replace the Governor-General following the general election, making the clarification during his swearing-in ceremony on Friday.

“And by the way, there’s no intention to remove him as Governor General,” Browne said shortly after acknowledging Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams at the start of his remarks.

The statement appeared to directly counter a report published ahead of the April 30 election by the opposition-aligned outlet Real News Antigua, which claimed that a change at Government House was being considered.

That report, citing unnamed sources, suggested that a replacement for the Governor-General had already been identified and that the move was causing concern within government ranks.

Browne did not reference the publication by name, but his brief aside was delivered in the context of broader comments in which he criticised misinformation and false narratives circulated during the election campaign.

The Prime Minister and his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) secured a decisive victory in Thursday’s polls, winning 15 of the 17 seats and earning Browne a fourth consecutive term in office.

There has been no official indication from the government of any planned changes to the office of the Governor-General, who serves as the ceremonial representative of the monarch under the country’s constitutional framework.

Browne’s remarks signal that the current officeholder will remain in place as his administration begins its new term.