| Parliament name |
House of Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
13 December 2010 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all directly-elected members of the House of Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 14 November 2010, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced that the House of Assembly would be dissolved on 15 November in view of general elections to be held on 13 December.
In the previous elections held in December 2005, Prime Minister Gonsalves' Unity Labour Party (ULP) won its second consecutive term. It took 12 of the 15 seats, winning 55.26 per cent of the votes. The New Democratic Party (NDP), which had been voted out of office in 2001 after 17 years in power, won only three seats although it took 44.68 per cent of the votes.
The country of 110,000 inhabitants was severely affected by the global economic crisis in 2008. In an apparent bid to supplement a reduced budget, Prime Minister Gonsalves forged closer ties with Iran, which sent US$ 7 million in aid for several local development projects. In 2009, St. Vincent and the Grenadines joined the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA, see note), launched in 2004 by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the then Cuban President Fidel Castro.
In September 2009, the House of Assembly adopted a constitutional referendum bill, paving the way for a referendum to be held on 25 November. The proposed constitution provided for a President as the Head of State instead of the Governor-General, as stipulated in the current 1979 Constitution. The President would be elected by the National Assembly, as the parliament would be known. Prime Minister Gonsalves' ULP claimed that the new constitution would bring true independence to the country. The opposition NDP, led by former prime minister Arnhim Eustace, urged voters to reject it, arguing that it did not reduce the prime minister's powers. On 25 November, 43 per cent of voters supported the proposed constitution, well short of the two-thirds majority required for approval. The NDP demanded early general elections, a call rejected by the Prime Minister.
In 2010, 44 candidates were vying for the 15 directly elected seats in the House of Assembly: 15 each from the ULP and the NDP and 14 from the Green Party, which had failed to win parliamentary representation in 2005. The media focused on the duel between the ULP and the NDP, pushing the Green Party's election campaign to the back burner.
The ULP was seeking a third consecutive victory. It presented 10 policies aiming at poverty reduction, job creation, economic growth and development. It focused on information and communications technology (ICT) training and the implementation of the "one laptop per student" project as part of extending its "education revolution" policy. Prime Minister Gonsalves called on voters' support for the ULP, arguing that he needed another five-year term "to complete certain unfinished tasks" and to lead the country to "the next level" in the interest of all citizens. He pledged to provide better housing, health and well-being, ICT and airport development.
The NDP criticized the government's economic and social policies, arguing that the poor were becoming poorer and many citizens were in need of better health services. The NDP launched a "Social, Spiritual and Redemption Charter", a job-creation policy that aims to employ at least one member of each of the country's 33,000 households. NDP leader Eustace, an economist, pledged to implement "knowledge-based" economic policies. He accused the Prime Minister of having an "autocratic" style of leadership. Many NDP candidates pledged to relax the country's ties with Venezuela and Cuba.
The 2010 electoral roll comprised 101,000 registered voters, up from 91,000 recorded in 2005. NDP leader Eustace alleged that the list contained the names of 20,000 deceased persons, which was denied by the election supervisor.
In all, 62.33 per cent of the 101,000 registered voters turned out at the polls.
The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) monitored the elections. The OAS concluded that the election had complied with international standards for inclusiveness and transparency. CARICOM stated that the preparations for the elections had been adequate and the conditions existed for the free expression of the will of the voters.
Prime Minister Gonsalves was returned to office with a reduced majority, taking eight of the 15 seats at stake. The NDP took the remainder while the Green Party failed again to win parliamentary representation.
On 15 December, Mr. Gonsalves was sworn in for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister along with his deputy, Ms. Girlyn Miguel, the sole woman elected to the House of Assembly in 2010. Prime Minister Gonsalves nominated four members, all male, to the House of Assembly while the NDP nominated two members, both female. They were subsequently appointed by the Governor General.
On 30 December, the newly elected House of Assembly held its first session and re-elected Mr. Hendrick Alexander as its Speaker.
Note:
ALBA was launched as an alternative to the Free Trade Area of Americas, proposed by the United States. By 2010, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela had acceded to ALBA. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 13 December 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
101'067
62'993 (62.33%)
188
62'805 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| United Labour Party (ULP) |
|
32'099 |
|
|
51.11 |
|
|
| New Democratic Party (NDP) |
|
30'568 |
|
|
48.67 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| United Labour Party (ULP) |
8
|
|
|
|
|
| New Democratic Party (NDP) |
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
19
4
17.39%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Note on the number of women:
- one woman directly elected;
- two appointed;
- the Attorney General.
Sources:
House of Assembly (24.05.2013)
http://gov.vc/election/public/views2010/index.php
http://www.caribbeanelections.com |
|
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