Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a small Caribbean island nation located in the Windward Islands with a population of around 109,000 people. The economy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is largely dependent on tourism, agriculture and manufacturing, with its GDP per capita estimated at US$9,900 in 2017. In terms of foreign relations, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has strong ties to other countries in the region as well as other countries around the world. It is also a member of the United Nations, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In terms of politics, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has a parliamentary democracy which includes two major parties: Unity Labour Party (ULP) and New Democratic Party (NDP). The Parliament consists of 15 members who are elected by popular vote every five years. In 2017, ULP won majority in parliamentary elections under Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. See militarynous for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. A judge in the High Court ruled in July that two appeals for electoral fraud filed by the Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) in early 2016 should be brought up for judicial review. According to Countryaah.com, there is evidence that the electoral process in at least two constituencies did not follow the rules in connection with the December 2015 parliamentary elections and that the election was therefore not free and fair. The NDP received seven out of a total of 15 seats in the election, only one less than the United Workers’ Party (ULP). The NDP’s appeal was rejected in April 2016 by a judge because of a technicality. The party then moved the case to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, which found evidence of obvious bias and ordered the petitions to be reinstated by the court in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with another judge. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of St. Vincent and The Grenadines.
In October, the authorities in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines waived a description of the country as “notorious for money laundering”. This allegation had circulated in international media in connection with reporting the prosecution of two former co-workers of US President Donald Trump – Paul Manafort and Rick Gates – who were accused of hiding large sums in various tax havens. In a written statement, it was pointed out that during the 21st century Saint Vincent and the Grenadines introduced laws and regulations to counteract money laundering.