St. Vincent and the Grenadines has entered a new political era after the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) delivered a stunning victory in Wednesday’s general election, sweeping long-serving Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and his Unity Labour Party (ULP) out of office.
Preliminary results show the NDP secured 11 of the nation’s 15 parliamentary seats, positioning party leader Dr. Godwin Friday to become the next prime minister and ending Gonsalves’ bid for an unprecedented sixth consecutive term.
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Friday, 66, a political scientist and long-time parliamentarian who has represented the North Grenadines constituency for 23 years, will now lead a government that campaigned on reform, renewed global partnerships, and a shift in foreign policy strategy.
Regional Leaders React
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar — whose own party recently transitioned from opposition to government — congratulated Friday on the sweeping win, calling it a “resounding democratic mandate.”
“I commend the citizens of Saint Vincent for upholding the highest ideals of democracy,” she said in a statement on X. “May God bless the newly elected government as they begin this new chapter of service.”
A Tense Finale to a Long Campaign
The election followed a volatile final stretch of campaigning. Just days before the vote, Gonsalves publicly accused several Trinidad and Tobago nationals — including eight lawyers — of assisting the NDP in an alleged plot to “rig” the election. He warned that any Trinidadian working in St. Vincent without appropriate CARICOM skill certification could be acting illegally.
He also claimed that Trinidadian entertainer John Michael Alibocas, known as Makamillion, had planned to lead a group of artists to campaign for the NDP but backed out.
Simultaneously, Gonsalves faced mounting controversy at home and abroad after Trinidad and Tobago Minister Anil Roberts disclosed that the prime minister, his Trinidadian wife Eloise, and their children owned three apartments at the upscale Victoria Keyes development in Diego Martin. Roberts accused Gonsalves of failing to declare the properties, prompting a review by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
Political Shifts and Foreign Policy Fault Lines
Gonsalves, 79, appealed to Vincentians to extend their trust in his leadership as they had for over two decades, but analysts say the electorate appeared ready for change.
Reuters noted that the election offered a “clear ideological contrast” between the parties — with the ULP favoring continuity in foreign policy and the NDP advocating stronger ties with China and support for a Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programme.
Gonsalves has long been a staunch ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose government was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States amid escalating military tensions in the region. While he criticized Trinidad and Tobago’s support of U.S. military maneuvers, Gonsalves insisted he maintained respect for Persad-Bissessar.
Despite the ULP’s defeat, Gonsalves has retained his Windward constituency seat, preserving his presence in Parliament as the nation prepares for a historic transition of power.
