Last Updated on October 20, 2020, 9:16 AM AST by Anthony Morris
October 20 is the last day for filing nominations for the general elections of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines which are to be held on November 05, 2020.
The race would be between three major political parties, Unity Labour Party (UNP), which is the ruling party, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party and New Democratic Party (NDP).
St Vincent and Grenadines is preparing to get into elections on fifteen parliamentary constituencies.
The issues of concern which would influence the result of the elections are COVID-19 pandemic handling, housing and tourism.
St Vincent and Grenadines is presently facing the spread of diseases such as COVID-19 and Dengue fever, and the Government is taking the measures for checking their spread.
However, the citizens of the country do not have access to affordable housing and medical facilities.
Also, there is no housing initiative in St Vincent and Grenadines for supporting the victims of several hurricanes which shook the region multiple times.
However, such initiatives can be seen in the neighbouring countries such as Dominica, the Government in Dominica is distributing over five thousand climate-resilient homes without any charge from the people.
Similarly, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, St Kitts and Nevis announced one of the most extensive stimulus packages to assist the people in the closed down of tourism and other significant sectors.
Surprisingly, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have not been following the path of its sister nations.
It is noteworthy that the Unity Labour Party led by Ralph Gonsalves is in power for almost two decades.
The general elections of St Vincent and Grenadines are constitutionally due in March next year.
However, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has announced that the elections would be held on November 5, 2020.
Current Prime Minister and Unity Labour Party (UNP) are seeking the fifth consecutive term in office since the Prime Minister gained power in 2001.
The Prime Ministerial candidate for the New Democratic Party is Godwin Friday.
UNP’s Ralph Gonsalves would be representing North Central Windward, and 61-year-old Godwin Friday would represent NDP from Northern Grenadines constituency.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
