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The United Progressive Party (UPP) has levelled a number of serious allegations against the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP), accusing it of making and distributing fake voter identification cards.

Chairman of the UPP Leon “Chaku” Symister said the ALP recently imported an identification system with all the things necessary to make identification cards.

“We have been hearing in conversations on the airwaves of operatives in the Antigua Labour Party promising persons that they can deliver voter registration cards to them,” Symister said during a press conference held yesterday.

Symister said they know that the Electoral Commission will do everything in its power to ensure that it is the only one making voter registration cards. “But where our concern lies is knowing the history of the Antigua Labour Party, the history of its corrupt practices and the history of it seeking and manipulating the electoral process. We are very concerned,” Symister said.

According to him, the ALP has imported the system to make sure that those

photo IDs are printed on both sides. Symister, who also produced a copy of the invoice, which he said, was addressed to Mary Clare Hurst, Antigua Labour Party (ALP) headquarters. “What this invoice tells us is that the ALP has imported a Fargo DTC 550 duplex ID card system. They have also imported a DTC 550 printer two sides. They also imported the alpha card standard ID card software. They also imported a quick cam communication webcam and all the accessories to ensure that they can make photo identification cards,” Symister added. “We ask the people of Antigua and Barbuda to ask the question why would the Antigua Labour Party import an identification card system with the capacity to make voter registration cards. The information that we have is that they have already begun the process.”

When contacted by the Antigua Sun Deputy Leader of the ALP Gaston Browne did not deny purchasing the identification system but sought to justify his party’s reason for its purchasing the equipment. He said he ordered the machine to make membership cards because they have in excess of 20,000 members. According to him, the machine does not make photo identification cards. “The printing of these cards have been outsourced to a private contractor and we have now decided to bring the process in the house,” Browne told the SUN. He further stated that the machine arrived in Antigua last week and they sent the invoice to the office of the prime minister for them to authorise duty free.

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