The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, it was Saint Vincent was named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS after Saint VINCENT of Saragossa because the 22 January 1498 day of discovery was the saint's feast day. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick

National symbols

Saint Vincent parrot; national colors: blue, gold, green.

The flag

The National flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern, which stands for Vincent; the diamonds recall the islands as "the Gems of the Antilles" and are set slightly lowered in the gold band to reflect the nation's position in the Antilles; blue conveys the colors of a tropical sky and crystal waters, yellow signifies the golden Grenadine sands, and green represents lush vegetation.

The National Anthem

Title	"St. Vincent! Land So Beautiful!"
Lyric/music	Phyllis Joyce MCCLEAN PUNNETT/Joel Bertram MIGUEL

note: adopted 1967

More about the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Constitution
Date of Independence	27 October 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Legal system	English common law
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Previous 1969, 1975; latest drafted 26 July 1979, effective 27 October 1979 (The Saint Vincent Constitution Order 1979)
Amendments	Proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to constitutional sections on fundamental rights and freedoms, citizen protections, various government functions and authorities, and constitutional amendment procedures requires approval by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum of at least two thirds of the votes cast, and assent of the governor general
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	yes
Citizenship by descent only	at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	7 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Susan DOUGAN (since 1 August 2019)
Head of government	Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001)
Cabinet	Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections/appointments	the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch
Description	Unicameral House of Assembly (23 seats; 15 representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 6 senators appointed by the governor general, and 2 ex officio members - the speaker of the house and the attorney general; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections	Last held on 5 November 2020 (next to be held in 2025)
Election results	Percent of vote by party - ULP 49.58%, NDP 50.34%, other 0.8%; seats by party - ULP 9, NDP 6; composition - men 18, women 5, percentage women 21.7%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; note - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office	Chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Subordinate courts	Magistrates' courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Lou-Anne Gaylene GILCHRIST (since 18 January 2017)
Chancery	1627 K Street, NW, Suite 704, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone	[1] (202) 364-6730
FAX	[1] (202) 364-6736
Email address and website	[email protected] http://wa.embassy.gov.vc/washington/
Consulate(s) general	New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Embassy	The US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Key Political parties and their leaders in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

New Democratic Party or NDP [Dr. Godwin L. FRIDAY]

SVG Green Party or SVGP [Ivan O'NEAL]

Unity Labor Party or ULP [Dr. Ralph GONSALVES] (formed in 1994 by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)