By Admin. Updated 12:13 a.m., Friday, November 27, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The New Democratic Party (NDP) secured a landslide victory in the General Election held on 27 November 2025 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, winning 14 seats to 1.
The ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) managed to retain only the seat of its leader, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, aged 79, who has been in power since March 2001, nearly 24 years.
“Tomorrow is going to be a national holiday,” Prime Minister-designate Dr. Friday said, LIVE on a broadcast on the state-owned Agency for Public Information (API). He also invited the nation to a celebration event at Heritage Square in Kingstown on Friday, November 28. .
The prime minister-designate said he will move to be sworn in on Friday the 28th after he meets with the Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Susan Dougan.
Dr Friday and the NDP campaigned vigorously on youth unemployment and other economic issues, promising substantial relief measures. These included a proposed reduction in value-added tax (VAT), offering an economic relief of a double salary for public servants within 60 days, doubling public assistance payments, a $500 grant for mothers of newborns, among other initiatives. The NDP also outlined plans for a blue economy, among other pillars.
It is also believed that the government’s 2022 vaccine mandate, which resulted in the dismissal of public servants who refused the Covid-19 vaccine, played a role in the election outcome.
Dr. Gonsalves and the ULP focused their campaign on the NDP candidate’s proposals to privatize certain state-owned assets, such as the Taiwan-funded hospital under construction and the newly constructed port, while highlighting the ULP’s track record of rebuilding homes for the disaster-affected, providing scholarships to students, fostering a booming economy, and increasing tourism and foreign direct investment.
The ULP also pledged to construct a new city at Arnos Vale, revamp the waterfront in Kingstown, and facilitate the building of resorts in the country.
The election results are expected to have significant regional implications, as the country’s long-standing relationship with Taiwan may end in favour of establishing ties with mainland China. The state reportedly owes Taiwan some $800 million.
Additionally, the regional tensions in Caribbean waters involving the USA and Venezuela, with Trinidad and Tobago playing a key role, are anticipated to require diplomatic efforts. A potential conflict in Venezuela could trigger a rise in global oil prices.
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