The prime minister, usually the leader of the majority party in the parliament, is appointed by the governor general, who represents the British monarch as the largely ceremonial head of state. Ralph Gonsalves remained prime minister following the victory of his incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP) in the 2020 legislative elections, which were considered free and fair.

The constitution provides for the direct election of 15 representatives to the unicameral House of Assembly. In addition, the governor general appoints six senators to the chamber: four selected on the advice of the prime minister and two on the advice of the opposition leader. All serve five-year terms.

The ULP won its fifth consecutive electoral victory in November 2020, taking nine seats. Although the party increased its majority by one seat, it won around 500 votes less than the New Democratic Party (NDP), which won six seats. It was the first time since 1998 that the party winning the most votes did not win the most seats. Voter turnout was 67 percent.

Electoral laws are generally fair and impartially implemented. Ahead of the 2015 elections, legislators passed an election law amendment that removed over 20,000 names from the voter lists. The Organization of American States (OAS) election monitoring mission welcomed the change, but recommended continuous updating and verification processes, which have not been enacted. The mission also called for better standardization of voting procedures across polling sites. The 2020 elections were deemed free and fair.

Political parties can organize freely. While there are a number of smaller political parties in the country, only the ULP and NDP have won parliamentary seats since 1998. The first-past-the-post electoral system has contributed to this pattern, but there are also concerns that unregulated private campaign financing puts smaller parties at a disadvantage. The limited state funding that is available goes only to parties represented in the previous parliament.

The country has experienced multiple peaceful transfers of power between rival parties after elections, including two since it gained full independence in 1979. The ULP has been in government since 2001, but it has had only a narrow majority over the opposition NDP since 2010.

The political choices of candidates and voters are generally free from interference by extrapolitical forces. However, the OAS raised concerns in 2015 about the lack of transparency regarding party and campaign financing. Little has been done since to address these concerns.

All citizens are formally entitled to full political rights and electoral opportunities, but women remain significantly underrepresented in the legislature and in politics generally. In its report on the 2015 elections, the OAS noted “pervasive reluctance” on the part of potential women candidates to participate in harsh political campaigns. No women were elected to the House of Assembly in the 2015 or 2020 elections. The ULP selected women to hold the legislative speakership and deputy speakership after the 2020 elections.

LGBT+ people are marginalized, and this affects their ability to engage fully in political processes. There are no openly LGBT+ legislators. The St. Vincent population is largely Afro-Caribbean and of mixed African-European descent, and most identify as Protestant or Roman Catholic. These segments of the population and others can engage in the political process. The small Rastafarian community does not engage fully with politics.

The elected prime minister, cabinet, and House of Assembly members determine the policies of the government without improper interference from unelected entities.

The independent judiciary and media provide checks on government corruption. However, there is no specialized national anticorruption agency, and claims of petty corruption continue to be reported.

The government generally operates with openness and transparency. Nevertheless, freedom of information legislation that was passed in 2003 has yet to be implemented, and there is no active legislation requiring government officials to disclose assets, income, or gifts. In July 2021, the NDP claimed that audit reports were five years behind schedule.

In December 2022, the government announced that a planned 2018 poverty assessment report, which allegedly showed that poverty had increased in the preceding decade, would not be released; a new study is reportedly planned for 2025.

The constitution guarantees the freedoms of expression and communication, which are usually upheld in practice. The state owns the main local broadcaster, and concerns have been raised, most recently by the NDP in 2020, about the level of access to the broadcaster given to the political opposition. However, several private newspapers operate consistently, and consumers also have access to foreign media and online outlets.

Journalists remain subject to criminal and civil defamation laws, and the 2016 Cybercrime Act broadened the definition and scope of defamation to include online publications; violation of its often vaguely worded provisions can carry a fine of as much as $500,000 East Caribbean dollars ($185,000) and up to seven years’ imprisonment.

Freedom of religion is constitutionally protected and respected in practice.

Academic freedom is generally upheld.

There are no significant restrictions on individuals’ ability to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics. However, the threat of defamation is used by politicians.

Freedom of assembly is constitutionally protected and generally upheld in practice. However, some protests were met with forceful rhetoric or were violent in 2021. That July, an NDP legislator accused a senior police officer of ordering subordinates to shoot protesters if they removed a barricade during a Kingstown rally, though another senior officer told protesters the police would not open fire.

In August 2021, Prime Minister Gonsalves was struck by an object when attempting to enter the legislature while a demonstration against the government’s COVID-19 policies was being held in front of the House of Assembly. The prime minister later traveled to Barbados for follow-up medical tests.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate freely.

The constitution protects the right to form or join trade unions and other such associations. Unions are permitted to strike and engage in collective bargaining. The law prohibits antiunion discrimination and dismissal for engaging in union activities. The right to collective bargaining is generally upheld.

The judiciary generally operates independently. Judges are appointed through an impartial Judicial and Legal Services Commission and cannot be dismissed arbitrarily. The country is subject to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and recognizes the original jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice, though the London-based Privy Council remains the final court of appeal.

There is due process in civil and criminal matters. Detainees and defendants are guaranteed a range of legal rights, which are mostly respected in practice. However, there is a significant case backlog, which leads to prolonged pretrial detention.

The population is free from war and other acute threats to physical security. Homicide rates remain relatively high; there were 42 recorded homicides in 2022, exceeding the 2016 record of 40. In a May interview, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves mentioned the idea of reintroducing the death penalty—which was last carried out in St. Vincent in 1995—in response to increased levels of violent crime in the country.

Prison conditions have improved since a new correctional facility was opened in 2012, but the old prison in Kingstown is still in use and features substandard conditions.

The constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and other such categories, but sexual orientation and gender identity are not similarly protected. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal and carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison. While the law is rarely enforced, societal discrimination against LGBT+ people persists. In 2019, two gay Vincentian men filed a legal challenge to the law; the government said it would oppose the challenge and received the backing of several Christian groups. No further updates on the case were reported during 2022.

Women reportedly face sexual harassment in the workplace, which is not specifically addressed by law.

There are no significant restrictions on freedom of movement, and individuals can freely change their place of residence, employment, and education. The April 2021 La Soufrière volcanic eruption caused significant displacement, especially in the north. Over 13,300 people were displaced. In April 2022, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that more than 100 homes remained uninhabitable.

Public sector employment was affected by a government mandate requiring some workers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, which was announced in October 2021 and took effect that December. It was reported that over 500 workers lost their jobs after refusing to comply with the mandate. In March 2022, the High Court allowed those dismissed to file a lawsuit against the state. The case was ongoing at year’s end.

Individuals are free to own property and to establish and operate businesses. The government has actively encouraged investors to do business in the country, though there are some regulatory difficulties.

Individual rights with respect to personal status matters like marriage and divorce are generally protected by law, though same-sex marriage is not recognized. The Domestic Violence Act of 2015, which went into effect in 2016 and provides for protective orders, offers some tools and resources to victims of domestic violence. However, such violence remains a serious and widespread problem, as does sexual assault.

The law provides safety and other basic protections against labor exploitation, and these are typically upheld, though there are some reports of inadequate enforcement. The Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2011 criminalizes forced labor and sex trafficking, and the government has increased its efforts to investigate violations and improve prevention and victim protection, but it has yet to secure any trafficking convictions.