Senate Minority Leader Chester Hughes delivered a bold warning to the ruling party as 16 senators were sworn into the Upper House: do not mistake a numerical disadvantage for a weak opposition.
According to Antigua Observer, Hughes addressed the lopsided composition of the newly constituted Senate, where the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) holds eleven seats to the United Progressive Party's (UPP) four. Despite the disparity, Hughes made clear that his bloc intends to fight hard on every front.
"Do not underestimate 11 to 4," Hughes declared, signalling that the minority caucus plans to mount fierce battles in the Upper House regardless of its limited numbers.
The swearing-in ceremony marked the formal establishment of the new Senate, setting the stage for what could be a contentious parliamentary term as the UPP opposition prepares to challenge the ABLP's legislative agenda from a position of significant numerical disadvantage.
