Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed that his attorneys are urging him to file a defamation lawsuit against Senator Malaka Parker after she allegedly referred to him as a pedophile during a public exchange. According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the remarks on the Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, saying his legal team has advised him to preserve all evidence of the statements.
"My attorneys have insisted that I sue Malika. They've asked me to screenshot everything and to save everything," Browne said.
The Prime Minister stopped short of confirming a final decision, but indicated he is under mounting pressure from his lawyers to proceed. He suggested Parker should have understood the legal consequences of making such an allegation.
"Not convinced I should. But I mean, I'm under some pressure from my attorneys to sue her because I feel that she ought to have known better and it is deliberate," he said.
Browne made the comments while responding to criticism over a recent social media exchange involving Parker. He acknowledged that public officials are expected to endure ridicule and criticism, but argued there are boundaries that must not be crossed.
"You can't escape ridicule in politics. It is part of the game. It happens in every country," Browne said. "But you have to mature enough to know that when you respond, that you don't respond with statements that are defamatory."
The Prime Minister said Parker's remarks crossed that line. "That's precisely what she did by calling me a pedophile," he said.
Browne noted that Parker holds a law degree and should therefore understand the distinction between political criticism and potentially defamatory statements. "For somebody who did a law degree, she also knows better," he said.
The Prime Minister also referenced a previous legal dispute involving a similar allegation, stating he had taken prior action against another individual who publicly accused him of the same. "The last person who called me a pedophile on radio, I took him to court," he said.
During the discussion, Browne drew a distinction between robust political commentary and reckless statements that could carry legal consequences. "When you become so reckless because somebody criticizes you or they roast you to the extent that your statement is defamatory, then you're getting yourself in trouble," he said.
Browne was unequivocal in rejecting the allegation. "By calling an upstanding man like me a pedophile, she would have defamed me," he said.
The remarks form part of a broader and ongoing clash between Browne and Parker, who have repeatedly clashed over political issues and government policy. Browne used the occasion to caution politicians, activists, and members of the public to exercise restraint during heated political exchanges.
As of Saturday afternoon, Browne had not confirmed whether he would follow his attorneys' advice and file a lawsuit. Parker has not publicly responded to his latest remarks.
