SVG Opposition Sweeps to Historic Victory

New Democratic Party Ends 24-Year Rule

The New Democratic Party (NDP) has achieved a stunning electoral victory in St Vincent and the Grenadines, capturing 14 of 15 parliamentary seats and ending the Unity Labour Party’s 24-year hold on power.

Outgoing Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, the Caribbean’s longest-serving leader and prominent advocate for climate justice and slavery reparations, was the only ULP candidate to retain his seat. The result marks a dramatic reversal from the party’s previous nine-seat majority.

Regional political analyst Peter Wickham captured the moment’s significance, declaring on social media: “Looks like a giant has fallen in Vincy.”

Prime Minister-elect Godwin Friday, 66, a lawyer who has led the NDP since 2016, campaigned on promises to create better-paid jobs, combat rising crime, and improve healthcare infrastructure. The party also pledged to introduce citizenship by investment—a program SVG is the only independent Eastern Caribbean state not to offer.

University of the West Indies lecturer Emanuel Quashie attributed the defeat to accumulated voter fatigue and lingering resentment over the government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which cost some frontline workers their jobs. In 2021, Gonsalves was hospitalized after being struck by a stone during protests against the requirement.

The election drew regional attention, with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness congratulating Friday and pledging continued cooperation for “a more resilient and prosperous Caribbean region.”

Questions remain about SVG’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, after previous NDP proposals to switch recognition to China.