By Sarah Peter
CASTRIES, St Lucia, April 30 (Reuters) – Voters head to the polls on Thursday in Antigua and Barbuda in a snap general election dominated by concerns over U.S. visa restrictions, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne seeking a fourth term.
Debate has been dominated by Washington’s decision in January to suspend visa processing for Antigua and Barbuda nationals – a major blow for locals who regularly travel to the United States for work.
Washington raised concerns over a program where foreigners can secure citizenship in the Eastern Caribbean twin-island state by making an investment. It argues that criminals could exploit the scheme to then get into the United States.
Browne’s administration has said it is working with the U.S. and that it has already brought in reforms to make the Citizenship by Investment Program more robust and transparent.
The leader of the opposition United Progressive Party, Jamale Pringle, has also pledged to engage with the U.S. and restore visa access.
Browne’s Labour Party, in power since 2014, called the general election last month, two years ahead of schedule, saying it needed a new mandate at a time of international crisis.
During his term in office, the 59-year-old former banker and businessman has called on the United States and other wealthy nations to boost assistance to Caribbean countries that are facing the increasingly costly impact of climate change.
His party had a 9-seat majority in the 17-seat parliament before the assembly was suspended in the run-up to the election. The United Progressive Party, which governed for two terms before 2014, is the main challenger.
(Reporting by Sarah Peter; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Andrew Heavens)
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