You can count Dr Maria Agard out of the 2018 general elections.
The incumbent Christ Church West representative was down to contest the May 24 poll on a United Progressive Party (UPP) ticket after she was given the boot by the Opposition Barbados Labour Party in November 2015.
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Lynette Eastmond and Dr Maria Agard[/caption]
However, Agard was noticeably absent today as UPP candidates paid in their $250 deposits to the Treasury with UPP leader Lynette Eastmond explaining to reporters that Agard, who has been battling health challenges in recent months, had pulled out of the race.
"Dr Agard has sent us a letter to the effect that she has to withdraw. She has an appointment, another consultation and she had delayed that appointment to May 23rd in anticipation that elections would have been called soon after the dissolution of Parliament, but that did not happen. She imagined that by the 23rd everything would have been over," Eastmond said, adding that "she [Agard] has to meet that appointment because she has already rescheduled and you know that in the United States when you reschedule appointments there is a possibility of penalties".
Eastmond said no replacement has been identified for Agard in Christ Church West although she did not rule out the possibility of that happening ahead of Nomination Day on Monday.
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