National holiday: Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Constitution: 27 October 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Charles ANTROBUS (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Ralph GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) election results: last held 28 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Political parties and leaders: National Reform Party or NRP [Joel
MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's
Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP
[leader NA]; United People's Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS]; Unity
Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint
Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO