Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on supporters of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to mobilise across every constituency, declaring that the party must aim for a complete victory in the next general election to safeguard the nation’s future.

Speaking at the annual Labour Day rally on Monday, Browne said the ABLP remains “strong and united” and must be prepared to win all seats if elections are called at short notice.

“We must be in a position that if we call elections tomorrow, we win all of the seats. We want nothing less than a clean sweep,” he told the crowd.

The Prime Minister accused the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) of posing a threat to national development, characterising its members as “vagabonds” and “destructive elements.”

“If we do not destroy the UPP in its present form, it will actually get stronger to destroy our country,” Browne said. “So understand that it is in your interest to come out in solidarity with the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party.”

He warned that the stakes were high, saying the upcoming election would determine whether the country continues on a path of progress or regresses under what he called an unfit opposition.

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth within the UPP because at the end of the day we’re going to beat them mercilessly—and we’re doing it for you, the people,” Browne said.

The Prime Minister urged party members to “guard your lines, join the battle, go into every constituency and mobilise now,” adding that the date of the election is “nigh.”