“Attention seeking Jack-Donkey,” PM Browne fires back at Burke amid judiciary row

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Brown has reportedly hit back at the Guyanese activist Rickford Burke, calling him an “attention seeking, intellectual, jack-donkey”, after Burke criticised the Prime Minister over his remarks about the judiciary.

The exchange is the latest development in a widening controversy over Browne’s criticism of sentencing practices, his reported threat to deport a sitting judge and the constitutional principle of judicial independence.

Following that, Prime Minister Browne issued an official explanation regarding his remarks noting that, “My remarks of 10 August were made in the context of grave concern, expressed by law enforcement and the people of Antigua and Barbuda in general, about firearm violence and statutory rape, in what they regard as unduly lenient sentences in some serious cases.

To this Burke criticised and actively argued that the prime minister should challenge any disputed court ruling through the appeal process rather than publicly threaten a judge.

You threatened the judge. You in effect said if he doesn't fall in line with your ill-informed interpretation of what the sentence for certain offences should be, he must leave the country voluntarily or you will deport him. That's a sinister attempt to coerce and bully the judiciary. It is repugnant Trumpian, undemocratic rhetoric that constitute an absolute abuse of your office as PM,” the post read.

Browne had also described Browne as “demagogue” in the above post.

Your below statement is a hyperbolic obfuscation. You're establishing yourself as a straight demagogue, he wrote.

Browne rejected Burke’s criticism and accused him of seeking attention as he referred to him as attention-seeking jack-donkey.

The situation arose from the comments Browne made during a national-security discussion on August 10, when he called for tougher and more proportionate sentences for gun crimes and repeated offenses.

During that, Browne reportedly criticised the sentencing of serious offenders and said a judge who continued to impose what he regarded as inadequate sentences should leave the country or face deportation.

Following that, the Antigua and Barbuda Bar association noted that Browne’s remarks threatened judicial independence, to which Browne responded by telling the association to “Piss off.”