KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent and the Grenadines – In a seismic political shift, the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Godwin Friday, swept the general election on November 27, 2025, securing a stunning 14 out of 15 seats in the House of Assembly.1 The result marks a decisive end to the nearly 24-year rule of the incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP) and its leader, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, one of the Caribbean’s longest-serving Prime Ministers.2
This unprecedented landslide victory delivers the largest supermajority for any party in St.3 Vincent and the Grenadines since 1989 and is being hailed as a forceful mandate for change by the Vincentian electorate.
The End of the Gonsalves Era
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who had led the ULP to five consecutive election victories since 2001, was reduced to his party’s sole remaining elected representative. The ULP’s defeat is the most severe fall from government in the nation’s history, with several prominent cabinet members losing their seats.
The election was a stark contest between Gonsalves’ established, left-leaning governance and Friday’s fresh campaign focused on economic revival. Despite Gonsalves’ record of presiding over major infrastructure projects—like the Argyle International Airport—and his international advocacy for climate justice and slavery reparations, anti-incumbency sentiment proved overwhelming. Voters cited concerns over the rising cost of living, youth unemployment, and the divisive COVID-19 vaccine mandate as key drivers for their decision.
New Leader, New Direction: NDP’s Key Policy Promises
The New Democratic Party, led by lawyer and Northern Grenadines representative Godwin Friday, successfully campaigned on a platform of rapid economic relief and structural reform summarized by the slogan, “Let’s get SVG working.”7
Key policies promised by the incoming administration include:
- Citizenship by Investment (CBI): A central and controversial policy is the pledge to introduce a CBI program. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is currently the only independent OECS member not to offer one. The NDP views this as a crucial mechanism to generate immediate and substantial national revenue.
- Economic Relief: Within the first 60 days, the NDP has promised to slash the 16% VAT (Value Added Tax) on everyday goods and residential electricity and double the Public Assistance or ‘Poor Relief’ payments.
- Reinstatement of Workers: A commitment was made to reinstate public sector workers who were dismissed as a result of the ULP’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
- Economic Pillars: The long-term development plan focuses on four key pillars: agriculture, tourism, the blue economy, and the new economy, aimed at creating new, better-paid jobs.
The transition of power now sets the stage for a dramatic shift in policy, both domestically and regionally, as the new NDP government prepares to implement its agenda for the archipelago nation.
You can watch an address by the outgoing Prime Minister to the United Nations General Assembly here: Saint Vincent & Grenadines – Prime Minister Addresses United Nations General Debate, 80th Session. This video is relevant as it provides insight into the international perspective and policy focus of the leader whose long tenure was just ended by the election.