By Nelson A. King
The incumbent Unity
Labor Party (ULP) of Prime
Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves
created history Thursday
night by becoming the
first party in the nation to
win five consecutive general
elections.
According to preliminary
results from the country’s
electoral office, the ULP won
nine seats in the 15-seat
Legislature, with the main
opposition New Democratic
Party (NDP) of Dr. Godwin
Friday capturing the
remaining six seats.
The ULP increased its
seats in Parliament, over
the NDP, by one after it had
snatched victory, 8-7, in the
previous general elections
five years ago.
The NDP’s Roland “Patel”
Matthews, the Member of
Parliament for North Leeward,
narrowly lost to the
ULP’s Carlos James, the
Speaker of the House of
Assembly, enabling the ULP
to gain the additional seat
this time around.
It was sweet revenge for
James, who also had narrowly
lost to James five years
ago.
Gonsalves, 74 — who
observers say may step down
as prime minister during his
new mandate, passing the
mantle to his son, Camillo
Gonsalves, the finance minister
in the previous administration
Caribbean Life, N 18 ovember 13-19, 2020
– hailed his party’s
triumph Thursday night.
“Today, the people of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
embraced the politics of
‘Lifting SVG Higher,’” he
said in his victory message,
echoing the ULP’s campaign
theme, “Lifting SVG (St.
Vincent and the Grenadines)
Higher.” “They embraced
our progressive agenda for
the future by returning us to
government.
“I am humbled and honored
that the people of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
embraced our bold vision
for the future and rejected
the politics of hate, backwardness
and colonialism,”
added Gonsalves, who
resoundingly retained the
North Central Windward
constituency, easily brushing
aside the NDP’s Chieftain
Neptune and the minority
Green Party’s Kadmiel
McFee. Gonsalves has been
representing North Central
Windward since 2001.
“We ask Vincentians to
celebrate this victory in
peace and maturity,” the
prime minister urged.
“Now is the time to come
together as one nation to
address our developmental
challenges and move forward
to uplift our nation
and its people.”
Friday, 61, who replaced
economist Arnhim Eustace
as head of the NDP, retained
the Northern Grenadines
seat that he has won since
2001.
The two Grenadines seat
– Northern and Southern
Grenadines – has always
been the bastion of NDP
control.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E.
Gonsalves. United Nations / Ryan Brown
Incumbent party in SVG records
historic fifth consecutive win
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner