Two major events precipitated the ABLP's first defeat in 28 years in the 2004 elections. The first was the introduction of the Electoral Commission after the 1999 election. According to international observers, the 1999 election was rife with irregularities. Most notably, the report from the Commonwealth observer group concluded that "the voting rolls appeared to be inflated" and recommended "the establishment of an independent electoral commission to improve the voter registration process." The second was the Medical Benefits Scandal. Under the watch of the ALP Government, the government of Antigua and Barbuda failed to contribute EC$120 million to cover recipients' medical expenses.