Prime Minister Gaston Browne and independent candidate Asot Michael in a confrontation at a Pares Village home (Photo courtesy of an onlooker)
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (December 31, 2023) – Police were dispatched to the eastern constituency of St Peter Friday evening after a heated exchange between Prime Minister Gaston Browne and incumbent candidate Asot Michael.
The confrontation occurred at approximately 8 pm on the verandah of a Pares Village resident while Browne and Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidate Rawdon Turner were campaigning in the community. Browne was standing in the front doorway when Michael arrived and worked his way through the crowd before stepping up to the verandah.
In a video obtained by Dadli Media Pop Up, an irritated Browne could be heard complaining that Michael encroached on his personal space: “
“You’re starting trouble. I’ll thump you in your face, okay?” Browne said.
A small crowd of ABLP and Michael supporters and other villagers gathered in front of the Pares residence to observe what was happening. As some recorded the exchange with their cell phones, Michael turned to them and said: “You should record him saying that.”
“I can say so again. If you come within my space, I will thump you in your face,” Browne responded.
A member of the prime minister’s security detail could be seen standing between Browne and Michael.
The St Peter MP stepped off the verandah, but continued to gaze at the prime minister as he stood in the doorway
“I am not in your space, I’m not in your house,” Michael said.
“I’d love you to thump me in my face,” he added as Browne was escorted from the home.
Police arrived on the scene and restricted traffic as Browne and Michael continued separate house visits in the area. It was not immediately clear if officers made any further interventions.
Browne and Michael have been at loggerheads in recent years. Tensions worsened as Michael, a four-time MP for the ABLP St. Peter stronghold, was barred from contesting the seat on the party ticket. Michael is now running as an independent.
