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  • Politics

St Vincent and the Grenadines - Politics

Key Facts

  • Last Elections: December 2005
  • Next Elections: 2010/2011
  • Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by governor-general, Sir Frederick Ballantyne (2002–)
  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves
  • Ruling Party: Unity Labour Party
  • Independence: 27 October 1979

The New Democratic Party (NDP), led by James Fitz-Allen Mitchell, was returned to power at the 1989 elections, and at the 1994 elections, when it took 12 seats. The remaining three seats were taken by the St Vincent Labour Party (SVLP) and Movement for National Unity coalition, which, led by Vincent Beache, later merged to become the Unity Labour Party (ULP).

In the general election in June 1998 the ruling NDP narrowly won a fourth successive election taking eight of the House of Assembly’s 15 seats, with only 45% of the votes cast. The ULP had had high hopes of winning and came very close to it, receiving 55% of the votes and winning seven seats, four of which were gained from the NDP.

Following public protests at the raising of MPs’ remuneration and pensions, in May 2000, through the offices of OECS and CARICOM, the government agreed with the ULP that there would be a general election by end March 2001.

In August 2000, Mitchell stepped down from the presidency of the ruling NDP and was replaced by Finance Minister Arnhim Eustace, who became prime minister in October.

The March 2001 general election was won by the ULP with 12 seats, ending almost 17 years of NDP government and ULP leader Dr Ralph Gonsalves became prime minister. At the opening of parliament in April, the new government announced that it would initiate a process of constitutional review, among other things to consider replacing the UK’s Privy Council as the final court of appeal by the Caribbean Court of Justice and replacing the British monarch as head of state by a ceremonial president.

In 2003, St Vincent and the Grenadines became a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.

In February 2005 the Constitutional Review Commission proposed far-reaching reforms including replacement of the British monarch as head of state by an indirectly elected president, establishment of a non-partisan ‘council of elders’ to advise on public appointments and issues of the day, and reconstituting the legislature to include representatives of civil society as well as directly elected and appointed members.

In the December 2005 general election the ULP was returned, again winning 12 seats, and Gonsalves continued as prime minister.

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