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Caribbean & Central America - December 2015 (ISSN 1741-4458)

ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES: NDP fighting incumbency factor

St Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) goes to the polls on 9 December. From 1984-1998 the centrist opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), now led by Arnhim Eustace, won four consecutive elections: in 1984 (by 10 seats to 3), 1989 (15-0), 1994 (12-3), and 1998 (8-7). Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is now trying to repeat that feat of four consecutive victories for the left-wing Unity Labour Party (ULP), which defeated the NDP in 2001 (12-3), 2005 (12-3), and 2010 (8-7). The ULP went into this election claiming that it would win by 12 seats to three, and an eve of election opinion poll gave Gonsalves 61% support against 37% for Eustace. However, Gonsalves was similarly popular in 2010 when the ULP only manged to squeeze home with a one-seat margin.

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