Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles,which lie in the West Indies,at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea,where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean.
The indigenous inhabitants of the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were various Amerindian groups. The arrivals of Europeans in the early 16th century did not lead to long term settlement,only in 1717 did the French occupy the island in Barrouallie,though the English laid claim on St. Vincent in 1627. The Treaty of Paris (1763) saw St. Vincent ceded to Britain. Frictions with the British led to the First and Second Carib War in the mid- to late-18th century but the British held on to the islands. A Crown Colony government was installed in 1877,a Legislative Council created in 1925,and universal adult suffrage granted in 1951. Following a referendum in 1979,St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence on 27 October 1979.
Politics of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines takes place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent Commonwealth realm,with Charles III as its king,represented by a governor-general,who acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party of the House of Assembly,and the cabinet conducts affairs of state. The governor-general exercises ceremonial functions,but reserve powers,under the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines constitution,can be used at the governor-general's discretion.
George William Odlum was a Saint Lucian left-wing politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Born in Castries,Odlum studied at Bristol University and Oxford University in the United Kingdom before returning to Saint Lucia as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Trade. After working for the Commonwealth Secretariat and the West Indies Associated States,he formed the Saint Lucia Forum,a left-wing pressure group. This group merged with the Saint Lucia Labour Party in time for the 1974 elections;although the Party did not win,the progress they made allowed them to take power in 1979,with Odlum as Deputy Prime Minister.
The Unity Labour Party (ULP) is a democratic socialist political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Currently the governing party,it is led by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
Arnhim Ulric Eustace is a Vincentian retired politician and economist. He served as the third Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,and is the former Leader of the Opposition and former president of the New Democratic Party (NDP) after resigning in 2016.
The monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The current Vincentian monarch and head of state,since 8 September 2022,is King Charles III. As sovereign,he is the personal embodiment of the Vincentian Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations,each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result,the current monarch is officially titled King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and,in this capacity,he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. However,the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
A constitutional referendum was held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 25 November 2009. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new constitution which would have replaced the constitution in force since independence in 1979. The proposal was supported by only 43.13% of voters in the referendum,well short of the required two-thirds threshold. If approved,the proposed constitution would have abolished the monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,at the time headed by Queen Elizabeth II,and would have given more power to the opposition. The referendum was the first of its kind to be held by a member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. The Penal Code makes same-sex sexual acts illegal with a punishment up to 10 years in prison,although the law is not enforced. In addition,it outlaws the practice of "buggery",whether homosexual or heterosexual and irrespective of whether the act was consensual. The country's laws also do not address discrimination or harassment on account of sexual orientation or gender identity,nor recognize same-sex unions in any form,whether it be marriage or partnerships. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for any of the same rights given to opposite-sex married couples. In 2024,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines upheld its constitutional ban on same-sex sexual activity within its High Court.
Camillo Michael Gonsalves is a Vincentian politician,lawyer and diplomat. Gonsalves is the current Minister of Finance,Economic Planning and Information Technology of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as well as the current representative for the constituency of East St. George.
General elections were held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 15 June 1998. Although the Unity Labour Party (ULP) received a majority of the public vote,the New Democratic Party (NDP) won a majority of seats,the first time the party receiving a majority of the vote had failed to win the elections since 1966. Voter turnout was 67%.
Federal elections were held in the West Indies Federation for the first and only time on 25 March 1958. The result was a victory for the West Indies Federal Labour Party,which won 25 of the 45 seats in the House of Representatives.
General elections were held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 9 December 2015. The result was a victory for the Unity Labour Party,which retained its one seat majority. However,the NDP has challenged the results in two constituencies,North Windward,and Central Leeward.
Terrance Nathaniel Ollivierre is a Vincentian politician,teacher and vocalist. Terrance is also the New Democratic Party Southern Grenadines candidate for 2020 Vincentian general election.
Mexico–Saint Vincent and the Grenadines relations are the diplomatic relations between the United Mexican States and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States,Organization of American States and the United Nations.
General elections were held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 5 November 2020. Nomination day was 20 October 2020. The result was a victory for the Unity Labour Party,its fifth in a row;the party won nine of the fifteen seats,gaining one seat. These elections marked the first time since 1998 that the party which received the most votes did not win the most seats and the first time since 1994 that the New Democratic Party won the popular vote.
Rochelle Forde is a Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lawyer and politician who has been Speaker of the country's House of Assembly since November 2020.
Girlyn Miguel is a Vincentian educator and politician who served in the Parliament of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from 1998 until 2015. A member of the Unity Labour Party,Miguel also served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015,becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Events in the year 2020 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
