Browne Hails Joanne Massiah’s Appointment, Invites Her Into ABLP Fold

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has welcomed the appointment of Ambassador Joanne Massiah and publicly invited the former Democratic National Alliance leader to become a card-carrying member of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party.

Speaking on his Browne and Browne radio programme, Browne said Massiah had contacted him following her appointment and expressed a desire to contribute to the country’s development.

“She would have messaged me prior. And she’s very excited about the appointment. She says, ‘You know, Prime Minister, I am results-driven. And I want to be part of this little superpower. I want to help you to build this economic powerhouse,’” Browne said.

Browne said he welcomed her involvement and praised her professional background and experience.

“We’re looking forward to her joining the team,” he said. “And again, we believe in female empowerment, herself and her comrade Samantha Marshall, two very capable attorneys, still relatively young individuals who can contribute to nation building.”

The prime minister said the government benefits when it attracts talented individuals to public service and argued that Massiah’s experience would strengthen governance and national development efforts.

“I’ve said to our people: Whenever we attract new talent here, it makes the Labour Party stronger,” Browne said.

He described Massiah as an experienced attorney with strong communication skills and suggested she could represent Antigua and Barbuda at international conferences or other official engagements.

“No one can doubt that Joan has significant capacity. She’s a trained lawyer for decades, has very good speaking skills,” Browne said. “Joan is the kind of person who we can actually select to go and represent us.”

A programme co-host added that Massiah brings both governance and parliamentary experience, a point Browne agreed would be valuable in strengthening government performance.

Browne concluded by extending a political invitation to the former opposition figure.

“I see her as someone who will strengthen our governance and performance, and help to strengthen the Labour Party as well, so welcome on board, Comrade. And I want to invite you to become a card-carrying member,” he said.

Massiah, a former leader of the Democratic National Alliance, was recently appointed Ambassador-at-Large by the government.