Dr. Godwin Friday has officially been sworn in as the fifth Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines following a decisive victory for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Thursday’s general election. Preliminary results showed the NDP capturing 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats, marking a near-total landslide.
The election ended the 25-year tenure of the Caribbean’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, and his Unity Labour Party (ULP), preventing him from securing a historic sixth consecutive term. Dr. Gonsalves, 79, was the only ULP candidate to win, while key figures such as his son, Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves, and Agriculture Minister Saboto Scofield Caesar were defeated.
Speaking from his home in Bequia on state-owned NBC Radio, Dr. Friday emphasized national unity and the need for collective effort in governance. “The election is behind us now and I want to see this country come together. We put ourselves and our backs to the wheel and quickly work to build St. Vincent and the Grenadines for all of us,” he said.
Friday, 66, comfortably retained his Northern Grenadines seat and outlined plans to honor campaign promises, implement a 60-day plan, and form a Cabinet in the near future. “It’s an awesome responsibility to be prime minister of a country…I am coming to it, there’s a lot of hope, expectation and desire to make a difference and I intend to do so,” he added.
Among the successful NDP candidates is Dr. Kishore Shallow, president of Cricket West Indies, who defeated Tourism Minister Carlos James in the North Leeward constituency.
Political analysts noted a significant shift in voter sentiment. Barbados-based pollster Peter Wickham observed a five percent swing away from the ULP, which has seen declining support over the past two elections. Former NDP chairman Dr. Linton Lewis praised the party for its strategic campaigning, noting it skillfully avoided contentious issues such as the shift from Taiwan to China and the controversial Citizenship by Investment program.
Regional leaders have extended congratulations to Dr. Friday. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness called the election “an important moment for the Vincentian people” and wished Friday success in his leadership. St. Lucia’s Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet and Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar also extended well-wishes, emphasizing the significance of the democratic process.
Dr. Friday’s victory ushers in a new chapter for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, ending a quarter-century of ULP governance and presenting an opportunity for policy changes and national renewal under the NDP.
