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Political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
| New Democratic Party | |
|---|---|
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| President | Godwin Friday |
| Chairperson | Dr. Linton Lewis |
| Founded | 3 December 1975 |
| Headquarters | Democrat House, Kingstown |
| Ideology | Conservatism Pro-Commonwealth |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Regional affiliation | Caribbean Democrat Union |
| International affiliation | International Democracy Union |
| Seats in the House of Assembly | 6 / 15 |
| Website | |
| https://www.ndpsvg.com/ | |
The New Democratic Party (NDP) is a moderate conservative political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The party is led by Godwin Friday, and is currently the official opposition in the House of Assembly.
History
The New Democratic Party was founded in Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, on 3 December 1975. Its first leader was James Fitz-Allen Mitchell, commonly referred to by his peers as "Son Mitchell".
In 1979, the New Democratic Party contested the general elections and won two seats in the then 13-seat parliament.
Five years later the NDP won with nine of the thirteen seats, making Mitchell the country’s second Prime Minister. By way of a by-election, when then Labour Party leader Hon. Robert Milton Cato closed the last chapter of his political book; the NDP gained an additional seat advantage.
So far, the NDP has been the first and only political party in St. Vincent & the Grenadines to have won all the seats in a national election, doing so in 1989.
The development of the banana and tourism industries have been among the major pillars of economic development for St. Vincent & the Grenadines, spearheaded by the New Democratic Party.
When Sir James Mitchell departed elective politics, the Hon. Arnhim Ulric Eustace was elected President of the NDP and took over as the third Prime Minister. He served as Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition from 2001 to 2016. Under Eustace’s leadership the NDP grew and became more democratic with the Central Executive and party delegates more involved in the election and selection of the Executive Members of the party.
In 2016, NDP leader Arnhim Eustace resigned and since, the party has been led by Godwin Friday.
Electoral history
House of Assembly elections
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | James Mitchell | 9,022 | 27.4% | 2 / 13 |  2
|
2nd
|
Opposition |
| 1984 | 21,700 | 51.4% | 9 / 13 | 7
|
1st
|
Majority government | |
| 1989 | 29,079 | 66.3% | 15 / 15 | 6
|
 1st
|
Supermajority government | |
| 1994 | 25,789 | 54.9% | 12 / 15 |  3
|
1st
|
Supermajority government | |
| 1998 | 23,258 | 45.4% | 8 / 15 | 4
|
1st
|
Majority government | |
| 2001 | Arnhim Eustace | 23,844 | 40.9% | 3 / 15 | 5
|
2nd
|
Opposition |
| 2005 | 25,748 | 44.68% | 3 / 15 |
|
2nd
|
Opposition | |
| 2010 | 30,568 | 48.67% | 7 / 15 | 4
|
2nd
|
Opposition | |
| 2015 | 31,027 | 47.37% | 7 / 15 |
|
2nd
|
Opposition | |
| 2020 | Godwin Friday | 32,900 | 50.33% | 6 / 15 | 1
|
2nd
|
Opposition |
References
- "ST. VINCENT- Opposition party selects Dr. Goodwin Friday as new leader". Archived from the original on 30 December 2016.
- New Democratic Party Archived 28 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Caribbean Elections
 Political parties in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | |
|---|---|
| Current parties | |
| Defunct parties | |
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