New Democratic Party (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Last updated

New Democratic Party
President Godwin Friday
Chairperson Dr. Linton Lewis
Founded3 December 1975
HeadquartersDemocrat House, Kingstown
Ideology Conservatism
Pro-Commonwealth
Political position Centre-right
Regional affiliation Caribbean Democrat Union
International affiliation International Democracy Union
Seats in the House of Assembly
6 / 15
Website
https://www.ndpsvg.com/

The New Democratic Party (NDP) is a moderate conservative political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The party is led by Godwin Friday, [1] [2] and is currently the official opposition in the House of Assembly.

Contents

History

The New Democratic Party was founded in Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, on 3 December 1975. Its first leader was James Fitz-Allen Mitchell, commonly referred to by his peers as "Son Mitchell".

In 1979, the New Democratic Party contested the general elections and won two seats in the then 13-seat parliament.

Five years later the NDP won with nine of the thirteen seats, making Mitchell the country’s second Prime Minister. By way of a by-election, when then Labour Party leader Hon. Robert Milton Cato closed the last chapter of his political book; the NDP gained an additional seat advantage.

So far, the NDP has been the first and only political party in St. Vincent & the Grenadines to have won all the seats in a national election, doing so in 1989.

The development of the banana and tourism industries have been among the major pillars of economic development for St. Vincent & the Grenadines, spearheaded by the New Democratic Party.

When Sir James Mitchell departed elective politics, the Hon. Arnhim Ulric Eustace was elected President of the NDP and took over as the third Prime Minister. He served as Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition from 2001 to 2016. Under Eustace’s leadership the NDP grew and became more democratic with the Central Executive and party delegates more involved in the election and selection of the Executive Members of the party.

In 2016, NDP leader Arnhim Eustace resigned and since, the party has been led by Godwin Friday.

Electoral history

House of Assembly elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
1979 James Mitchell 9,02227.4%
2 / 13
Increase2.svg 2Increase2.svg 2ndOpposition
1984 21,70051.4%
9 / 13
Increase2.svg 7Increase2.svg 1stMajority government
1989 29,07966.3%
15 / 15
Increase2.svg 6Steady2.svg 1stSupermajority government
1994 25,78954.9%
12 / 15
Decrease2.svg 3Steady2.svg 1stSupermajority government
1998 23,25845.4%
8 / 15
Decrease2.svg 4Steady2.svg 1stMajority government
2001 Arnhim Eustace 23,84440.9%
3 / 15
Decrease2.svg 5Decrease2.svg 2ndOpposition
2005 25,74844.68%
3 / 15
Steady2.svgSteady2.svg 2ndOpposition
2010 30,56848.67%
7 / 15
Increase2.svg 4Steady2.svg 2ndOpposition
2015 31,02747.37%
7 / 15
Steady2.svgSteady2.svg 2ndOpposition
2020 Godwin Friday 32,90050.33%
6 / 15
Decrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg 2ndOpposition

References

  1. "ST. VINCENT- Opposition party selects Dr. Goodwin Friday as new leader". Archived from the original on 30 December 2016.
  2. New Democratic Party Archived 28 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Caribbean Elections