General elections were held in

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...

on 11 February 1971.

Dieter Nohlen Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An expe ...

(2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p66 They were won by the

Progressive Labour Movement The Progressive Labour Movement was a major centre-left political party in Antigua and Barbuda and, until the 2000s, was the only political party to have defeated the Antigua Labour Party in an election. History The party was established in 196 ...

. PLM leader

George Walter Sir George Herbert Walter, KNH KNH or knh may refer to: * Kamla Nehru Hospital, a hospital located in Gandhi Medical College campus, Madhya Pradesh, India * Kenyatta National Hospital, the oldest hospital in Kenya * KNH, the IATA code for Kinmen ...

was elected

Premier of Antigua Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

, defeating the incumbent Premier

Vere Bird Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, KNH (9 December 1910 – 28 June 1999) was the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. His son, Lester Bryant Bird, succeeded him as Prime Minister. In 1994 he was declared a national hero. He was an officer in ...

of the

Antigua Labour Party The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bird ...

. The PLM was founded in 1967 after a split in the leadership of the

Antigua Trades and Labour Union The Antigua Trades and Labour Union (ATLU) is a national Trade union of Antigua and Barbuda. It was formed in 1939 and is closely related to the Antigua Labour Party. It has a membership of 7,000 and is led by Wigley George as president. His ...

; this was its first election, as well as its first and only electoral victory. The 1971 election marked the first change of government in the history of Antigua and Barbuda. It was the first election held in the territory since its creation as a

West Indies Associated State West Indies Associated States was the collective name for a number of islands in the Eastern Caribbean whose status changed from being British colonies to states in free association with the United Kingdom in 1967. These states were Antigua, Domi ...

in 1967 and the end of its period under

British colonial rule The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. Voter turnout was 56.4%.

Results

References

{{Antigua and Barbuda elections Elections in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

1971 in Antigua and Barbuda February 1971 events in North America