Required permits for public meetings are issued by the police and are normally granted. On a few occasions, police permits for political rallies and marches have been delayed in an effort to defuse confrontational situations. On these occasions, the opposition parties accused the police of interference. There is unrestricted exercise of religious freedom. The population is overwhelmingly Protestant, but adherents of other religious denominations practice their religion and proselytize openly without government interference.
All groups are free to maintain links with coreligionists in other countries.
Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign Travel, Emigration, and Repatriation Neither law nor practice restricts the right of citizens to move about within the country, to travel abroad, or to emigrate. The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government Antigua and Barbuda has a multiparty political system accommodating a wide spectrum of political viewpoints. All citizens 18 years of age and older may register and vote by secret ballot. The Constitution requires general elections at least every 5 years. The Government is obligated by law to hold voter registration during a fixed period each year, and parties conduct their own registration drives free of government interference.