00:00...Barbuda will head to early elections that will shape the country's direction in the next five years.
00:05Our special correspondent, Belén de los Santos, brings us this story.
00:11Antigua and Barbuda has called for early elections.
00:14This Thursday, more than 61,000 registered voters will decide the course of the island nation for the next five
00:21years.
00:22The AB Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Gaston Brown,
00:25and the United Progressive Party will compete for a parliamentary majority and control of the government.
00:31Yes, definitely. I will vote. Definitely.
00:33I'm cool. I'm good because I already know what it's going to be like. So, I'm good.
00:38These elections add to a recent wave of polls across the Caribbean.
00:43People living in the region stress the importance of participation in shaping the chosen path within a context of growing
00:49global tensions.
00:51I think it's very important for every Antiguan to exercise the democratic right, be it for the AB, LP or
01:00the UPP.
01:01Make the decision based on what they think is right for the next five years,
01:04because I think it's very important for any sovereign nation to have good leadership to take them into the place
01:09that they want to be.
01:09Among the main reasons analysts give for the call to early elections is the need for the governing party to
01:16strengthen its popular mandate
01:17in the face of the complex international situation in order to take decisions that protect the country's sovereignty.
01:25Very small, open, import-dependent economy impacted by what's happening in the world.
01:30The Prime Minister says it's important to have these elections early to ensure that, at this point, to ensure that
01:35that's settled,
01:36the country wouldn't have to be focusing on that going forward as it faces what's happening in the world.
01:40From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the ballot boxes will be open to decide the future of this
01:46island nation.
01:47Belinda Santos, Javier Hernández, for Telesur English, from St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.
01:53Belinda Santos, Javier Hernández, for Telesur English, at this point,
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