Anguillan opposition wins election

Voters in the tiny Eastern Caribbean island of Anguilla on Wednesday, Feb. 26, elected the main opposition Anguilla United Front (AUF) to run national affairs for the next five years, handing the British colony its first female head of government.

Official results show that Attorney Cora Richardson-Hodge and the AUF won eight of the 11 seats, disposing of the Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM) led by veteran politician Ellis Webster. Richardson-Hodge has been leading her party since 2020.

The elections in Anguilla, which broke away from a federation with St. Kitts and Nevis at the close of the 70s because of alleged administrative neglect, followed just two weeks after voters in the Turks and Caicos Islands reelected the Progressive National Party (PNP) by a wide margin and just about a week after Bermudans reelected the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) of Premier David Burt.

General elections are also expected in Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Suriname this year, adding to the plethora of events on the 15-nation CARICOM bloc’s busy calendar.

“To the people of Anguilla, we extend our deepest gratitude. Your unwavering support, well wishes, and prayers mean the world to us. Today, you showed up, you stood strong, and you made your voices heard,” the winning party said in a social media statement. “We promise to work with you and for you, to listen, serve, and rally around you, just as you have rallied around us. Your faith in us fuels our commitment, and we are truly humbled by your trust. Anguilla, today we witness a momentous milestone in our nation’s history. Let us extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. Cora Richardson Hodge on her resounding success at the polls,” it said.

She was sworn in on Thursday by Governor Julia Crouch, meaning that for the first time in local history, both of the top political titles are held by women.