Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Overview Country Overview St Vincent & the Grenadines make up part of the Windward Islands and lie south of St Lucia. St Vincent, like all the Windwards, is volcanic and mountainous with luxuriant vegetation and black sand beaches. The Grenadines are equally lush. Kingstown, capital of St Vincent, is a lively port and market town on the southern coast. The town contains 12 small blocks with a variety of shops and a busy dock area. Bequia: This island lies 14km (9 miles) south of St Vincent and is the largest of the Grenadines. Admiralty Bay, the island’s natural harbour, is a favourite anchoring spot for yachtsmen from all over the world. Heading south, the next port of call is Mustique, a gem in the ocean taking up only 4.5 sq km (2 sq miles). Verdant hills roll into soft white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. St Vincent is one of the few islands where good West Indian cuisine can almost always be enjoyed. Specialities include red snapper, kingfish, and souse (a sauce made from pigs’ foot). Many evening events take place in hotels. General Information Area: St Vincent: 344 sq km (133 sq miles). Grenadines: 45.3 sq km (17.3 sq miles). Total: 389.3 sq km (150.3 sq miles). Population: 111,000 (1998). Population Density: 285.1 per sq km. Capital: Kingstown. Population: 16,132 (1996). GEOGRAPHY: St Vincent & the Grenadines make up part of the Windward Islands and lie south of St Lucia. St Vincent, like all the Windwards, is volcanic and mountainous with luxuriant vegetation and black sand beaches. The highest peak of St Vincent, La Soufrière (1219m/4000ft), is volcanic, and deep down in the crater is a lake. The ‘tail’ of the comet of St Vincent (the Grenadines) is a string of islands and cays that splays south from Bequia (pronounced Beck-Way), Petit Nevis, Isle à Quatre and Pigeon Island to Battowia, Baliceaux, Mustique, Petit Mustique, Savan, Canouan, Petit Canouan, Mayreau and the Tobago Cays, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St Vincent. All of the Grenadines are famous for their white beaches, clear waters and verdant scenery. Government: Constitutional monarachy. Gained independence from the UK in 1979. Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General Frederick Ballantyne since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves since March 2001. Language: English. Religion: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and other Christian denominations. Time: GMT - 4. Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 1 784. Outgoing international code: 0. Mobile telephone TDMA network operated by Cable & Wireless Caribbean Cellular (website: www.caribcell.com). Compatible with most US handsets but not with GSM phones. Unregistered roaming is available – visitors with TDMA handsets can make calls without registering, provided they can give a credit card number. Fax Faxes can be sent from most hotels. Internet ISPs include Caribsurf (website: www.caribsurf.com). Telegram Facilities are limited to main towns and hotels. Post Airmail to Western Europe takes up to two weeks. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1500, Sat 0830-1130. Press All newspapers are in English and most are published weekly. The most popular papers are The Vincentian, The News and Searchlight; The Herald is published daily. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.19 12.10 6.195 5.975 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 13.79 9.455 6.130 5.995 Passport/Visa   Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required? British 1 No Yes Australian Yes No Yes Canadian 1 No Yes USA 1 No Yes OtherEU Yes No Yes Japanese Yes No Yes PASSPORTS: Valid passport required by all except: (a) 1. British subjects and nationals of the USA and Canada holding a driver’s licence or birth certificate. VISAS: Not required. Length of stay is determined by immigration authority on arrival, if necessary. Check with Consulate or High Commission before departure. A return or onward ticket is also required by all visitors, as well as proof of accommodation and adequate funds. Temporary residence: Refer applications or enquiries to the Embassy or High Commission (see Contact Addresses section) or to the Prime Minister’s Office in Kingstown. Money Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of EC$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of EC$1, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. Note: The Eastern Caribbean Dollar is tied to the US Dollar. Currency exchange: All major currencies can be exchanged at banks and at the airport. Credit & debit cards: All major credit and debit cards are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that may be available. Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars. Currency restrictions: Free import of local and foreign currency, subject to declaration. Export of local and foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on import. Exchange rate indicators The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Eastern Caribbean Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar: Date May ’02 Aug ’02 Nov ’02 Feb ’03 £1.00= 3.93 4.11 4.27 4.29 $1.00= 2.70 2.70 2.70 2.70 Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1500, Fri 0800-1700. The bank at ET Joshua Airport opens Mon-Sat 0700-1700 with additional extensions during the major festivals. Duty Free The following items may be imported into St Vincent & the Grenadines without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 225g of tobacco; 1.136l of alcoholic beverage. Public Holidays Dec 25 2002 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day. Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Apr 18 Good Friday. Apr 21 Easter Monday. May 5 Labour Day. Jun 9 Whit Monday. Jul 7 Caricom Day. Jul 8 Carnival Tuesday. Aug 4 August Monday. Oct 27 Independence Day. Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day. Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Apr 9 Good Friday. Apr 12 Easter Monday. May 3 Labour Day. May 31 Whit Monday. Jul 5 Caricom Day. Jul 6 Carnival Tuesday. Aug 2 August Monday. Oct 27 Independence Day. Dec 25 Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day. Health   Special Precautions Certificate Required Yellow Fever No 1 Cholera No No Typhoid and Polio No N/A Malaria No N/A 1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age arriving from infected areas. Food & drink: Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe, may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat. Health care: There is one large hospital, the 207-bed Kingstown General Hospital. In addition, there are five district rural hospitals, 38 health centres and one medical laboratory. Visitors can get treatment at primary level, but need a referral for access to the main referral hospital. As facilities are limited, serious medical problems require evacuation to another island or the USA. Visitors would be expected to pay the full costs for services, therefore health insurance is recommended. Visitors with Blue Cross or Blue Shield should have their cards with them and can obtain assistance through the Life of Barbados company. Travel - International AIR: Travel to St Vincent & the Grenadines is via Barbados, Grenada, Martinique, St Lucia or Trinidad & Tobago, and then on to St Vincent & the Grenadines in a prop plane. LIAT (LI) (handled by British Airways) is the main airline serving St Vincent & the Grenadines. Other airlines include Air Martinique, Mustique Airways, SVG Air, BWEE Express and Caribbean Star. Approximate flight times: From St Vincent to London (via Barbados) is 9 hours, to Los Angeles is 9 hours, to New York is 5 hours and to Singapore is 33 hours. International airports: ET Joshua (SVD) is 3km (2 miles) southeast of Kingstown. Airport facilities include car hire, restaurant, bar and duty-free shops. Buses and taxis go from the airport to the city. There are standard fares to a number of major hotels throughout the island. There are also small airports on Bequia, Union Island, Canouan and Mustique for light aircraft. Departure tax: EC$30 on all international departures. Children under 12 years of age and passengers staying for less than 24 hours are exempt. SEA: Some of the Grenadines are ports of call for a number of cruise lines: Clipper Cruise Lines, Epirotiki, Festival Cruises, Fred Olsen, Hapag Lloyd, Holland America, Marline Universal, Seabourn and Sea Cloud Cruises. Travel - Internal AIR: Local and charter services are available. Small planes can be chartered for inter-island travel. Mustique Air, SVG Air and TIA run regular services to the Grenadines. SEA: Yacht chartering is easily arranged and one of the best ways to explore the Grenadines. Yachts can be hired locally, with or without crew. Two ferries make frequent sailings to Bequia (travel time – 60 minutes). The rest of the Grenadines are served regularly by a mailboat. The Tourist Office can help with all details. ROAD: Traffic drives on the left. Bus: Services run regularly throughout St Vincent. Small minibuses run a shared route-taxi service with a standard fare anywhere along the route. Public transport is cheap but crowded. Taxi: These are shared and charge standard rates (fixed by the Government). Car hire: Easily arranged through a number of national and international firms. Documentation: A local driving licence is essential and can be obtained on presentation of a valid national or international licence either at the airport or at the police station in Bay Street, Kingstown, or at the Licensing Authority in Halifax Street, Kingstown (Mon-Fri 0900-1500). The cost is around EC$75. Accommodation From casual and economical to elegant and exclusive, lodgings in St Vincent & the Grenadines offer something for every taste and budget. The choice ranges from a rustic cottage on the beach or an historic country hotel in the mountains, to a luxury resort with an island to itself. Young Island, an idyllic small island off the south coast of St Vincent, has a cottage community of separate huts including all modern facilities. All hotels are small and emphasise personal service. A list of rates is available from the St Vincent Department of Tourism and all its overseas offices. All rooms are subject to a seven per cent hotel tax. Grading: Many hotels in the Caribbean offer accommodation according to one of a number of plans. FAP (Full American Plan): room and all meals supplied (including afternoon tea, supper, etc); AP (American Plan): room and three meals supplied; MAP (Modified American Plan): breakfast and dinner included with the price of the room plus, in some places, British-style afternoon tea; CP (Continental Plan): room and breakfast only; EP (European Plan): room only. For further information regarding accommodation, contact the Department of Tourism (see Contact Addresses section); or the St Vincent & the Grenadines Hotel Association, PO Box 834, Kingston, St Vincent (tel: 458 4379; fax: 456 4456; e-mail: ofc@svghotels.com; website: www.svghotels.com). St Vincent St Vincent is a lush, volcanic island of steep mountain ridges, valleys and waterfalls. The rugged eastern coast is lined with cliffs and rocky shores, while the western coastline dips sharply down to black-sand beaches. To the north, La Soufrière, St Vincent’s volcano, rises to 1219m (4000ft). St Vincent has frequent rains, and rich volcanic soil which produces an abundance of fruit, vegetables and spices. The interior flatlands and valleys are thickly planted with coconuts, bananas, breadfruit, nutmeg and arrowroot. Kingstown: The capital of St Vincent is a lively port and market town on the southern coast. The town contains 12 small blocks with a variety of shops and a busy dock area, which is the centre of commerce for the islands. The Saturday morning market, comprising many stalls piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, brings everyone to town. In the centre of Kingstown, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, built of grey stone, is a graceful combination of several European architectural styles displaying Romanesque arches, Gothic spires and Moorish ornamentation. Its architecture has led Kingstown to become known as the City of Arches. The ruins of Fort Charlotte overlook a 180m (590ft) ridge north of town and offer a magnificent southward view of the Grenadines. The oldest Botanical Gardens in the Western hemisphere occupy 8.1 hectares (20 acres) to the north of Kingstown and contain a display of tropical trees, blossoms and plants, including a breadfruit tree descended from the original one brought to the island in 1765 by Captain Bligh. Elsewhere on St Vincent: The Falls of Baleine, at the northern tip of St Vincent, are accessible only by boat. The 18m (59ft) freshwater falls stream from volcanic slopes and form a series of shallow pools at the base. A challenging hike for the more adventurous is the just over 5km (3 miles) journey up La Soufrière, St Vincent’s northern volcano, which affords a wonderful bird’s-eye view of the crater and its islands, and all of St Vincent. Strung along the western coast are the fishing villages of Questelles, Layou, Barrouallie and Châteaubelair, all of which have charming pastel-coloured cottages and excellent black-sand beaches from which fishermen set out daily in small brightly painted boats. Young Island: Only 180m (590ft) off St Vincent, Young Island rises from the sea, a 10.1 hectare (25-acre) mountain blanketed with tropical foliage and blossoms. Young Island provides an excellent view of the procession of yachts sailing into the harbour of St Vincent. The entire island comprises one resort called ‘Young Island Resort’, which consists of 29 rustic cottages set on the beaches and hillsides. There is a freshwater pool and tennis courts hidden in the hilltop trees. Adjoining Young Island is the 18th-century Fort Duvernette, sculpted from an enormous rock, towering 60m (200ft) above the sea. A ferry, a smaller version of the African Queen, runs regularly between Young Island and St Vincent. The Grenadines Bequia: This island lies 14km (9 miles) south of St Vincent and is the largest of the Grenadines, measuring 18 sq km (7 sq miles). Little changed by time, it is an island on which life is completely oriented to the sea. It can be reached by boat, although an airport, JF Mitchell, was opened in May 1992. Its seclusion has ensured it retained its age-old traditions of boat building and fishing. In the marine park, spearfishing, snares and nets are prohibited. The islanders themselves are the world’s last hand-harpooners and their activities do not affect marine stocks, unlike the mechanised fishing of some fleets. The centre of the island is hilly and forested, providing a dramatic backdrop to the bays and beaches. Admiralty Bay, the island’s natural harbour, is a favourite anchoring spot for yachtsmen from all over the world, and here visitors can watch men building their boats by hand on the shores. The attractive region around Lower Bay has good opportunities for swimming and other watersports. The quaint waterfront of Port Elizabeth is lined with bars, restaurants and craft shops. Bequia is encircled by gold-sand beaches, many of which disappear into coves, excellent for sailing, scuba diving and snorkelling. Lodgings vary from luxurious resort cottages to small, simple West Indian inns. Much of the nightlife centres on the hotels and beachside barbecues, invariably accompanied by a steel band. Mustique: Heading south, the next port of call is Mustique, a gem in the ocean taking up only 4.5 sq km (2 sq miles). Mustique is privately owned, with a landscape as gentle as its lifestyle – verdant hills roll into soft white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. This island has long been a hiding place for the rich and famous, including members of the British Royal Family. A sprawling 18th-century plantation house has been converted into the island’s only resort. Elegant accommodation is available in several stone houses, widely separated for seclusion. The public rooms of the Main House are beautifully decorated with antiques, and afternoon tea is served daily on the veranda. There is a hilltop swimming pool with a magnificent panorama, as well as tennis, horseriding, motorcycling and all watersports. Canouan: The island claims some of the best beaches in the Caribbean – long stretches of powder-white sands, wide shallows and coral. The island stretches over 11 sq km (7.9 sq miles) and has two hotels: the Tamarind Beach Hotel and Canouan Beach Hotel. There are also three guest-houses: Crystal Apartments, Rebecca’s Place and the Anchor Inn. The recently established Carenage Bay resort is a plush 5-star resort boasting two private beaches and excellent sports facilities including its 18-hole golf club, scuba diving, wind-surfing and tennis. Tobago Cays: South of Canouan are the Tobago Cays, numerous islets and coves guarded by some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world. Visitors can sail, snorkel and beachcomb in complete seclusion. The only way to get here is by chartered yacht. Mayreau: East of the Cays is Mayreau, one of the smaller Grenadines, which has few residents. The island has one hotel, Salt Whistle Bay Resort, and can be reached by boat from Union Island. There is one guest-house, Dennis’ Hideaway. Union Island: Mount Parnassus on Union Island soars 275m (900ft) from the sea – guarding the entrance to the southern Grenadines. The 850 hectare (2100-acre) mountainous island is fringed by superb beaches and is the stopping-off point for yachtsmen and visitors heading to some of the smaller Grenadines. Clifton Harbour, the main town, is small and commercial. There are several beachfront inns with a relaxed atmosphere. Palm Island: The 44.5 hectare (110-acre) flat Palm Island acquired its name from the graceful coconut palms that line the beaches – 8000 in all. This private island has been turned into a resort, the Palm Island Beach Club, made up of 20 beachfront stone cottages. Here it is possible to dine in the open air and all watersports take place off the wide, white shores. Petit St Vincent: The southernmost Grenadine governed by St Vincent is Petit St Vincent, a 45.7 hectare (113-acre) resort set on beaches. The luxuriant foliage and the 22 villas of Petit St Vincent offer guests the ultimate luxury and seclusion, including private patios and seaside vistas. Visitors gather for meals in beachfront pavilions and the ambience is carefree and festive. Sport & Activities Watersports: These are a major pastime. Various sailing boats head south regularly through the Grenadines. For the novice, professionals are available to handle the sails. Visitors can, of course, bring their own yacht, or charter one, either with or without crew. Yachts are available for charter from Barefoot Yacht Charters (tel: 456 9526 or 456 9334; fax: 456 9238; e-mail: barebum@caribsurf.com; website: www.barefootyachts.com) and Sunsail St Vincent at the Lagoon Marina & Hotel (tel/fax: 458 4308; e-mail: sunsailsvg@caribsurf.com; website: www.lagoonmarina.com). Other watersports, particularly windsurfing and scuba diving, can be arranged through some hotels. Dive sites around St Vincent include New Guinea Reef, where sea horses swim around an abundance of black coral; and Bottle Reef, so called because the sea bed is dotted with antique gin and rum bottles thrown into the sea from the English fort above in centuries past. Deep-sea fishing excursions are available. Hiking: This can be undertaken in the rainforest. Hiking to the Soufrière volcano (1200m/4000ft) in the north of the island is popular, though strenuous. The trip takes a full day. Other: Cricket and football are very popular. Tennis courts are available at Kingstown Tennis Club and facilities may also be arranged through hotels. Horseriding can be arranged in Mustique. The only golf course is the Carenage Golf Course on Canouan, which is partly on the flat coastal plain and partly carved into the hillside. Social Profile Food & Drink: St Vincent is one of the few islands where good West Indian cuisine can almost always be enjoyed in hotels. Specialities include red snapper, kingfish, lambi (conch), callalou soup, souse (pickled meat or seafood) and sea-moss drink. In addition there is plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and other seafood on offer. Lobster is available in season. Vincentian beer and rum, a major ingredient in punch and cocktails, are the local drinks, as are a wide variety of local exotic fruit juices. Nightlife: Most evening events take place in hotels and it is best to ask at individual hotels for a calendar of events. Nightclubs include the Aquatic club and the recently opened Buccama Club on the Leeward Coast. The Attic in Kingstown features a wide variety of music during the week and live entertainment at weekends. There is one casino on the island, at Peniston, on the Leeward side. Shopping: Designs on sea-island cottons can be bought and made up into clothes within two or three days at a number of shops. Handicrafts and all varieties of straw-made items, grass rugs and other souvenirs can be bought at a number of workshops and gift shops. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1300-1600, Sat 0800-1200. Special Events: For full details, contact the St Vincent & the Grenadines Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of events held in 2003: Feb 5-24 St Vincent & the Grenadines Blues Festival. Mar 20 Fête de la Francophonie (international French speaking day), Kingstown. Apr 17-21 Bequia Easter Regatta; ‘Easterval’ (festivities, including boat races and a calypso competition), Union Island. May 1 Canouan Annual Regatta, Canouan. Jun 21 Fête de la Musique (Music Day). Jun 27-Jul 8 Carnival, Kingstown. Oct 27 National Independence Day Celebrations (cultural events to celebrate the country’s 24th year as an independent nation). Dec 1-7 National Tourism Week Celebrations. Dec 16-24 Nine Mornings Festival, Kingstown. Note: *(a) St Vincent & the Grenadines Carnival (first week in July) is one of the largest in the West Indies and lasts for at least ten days, ending with the Street Parade. The Festival displays the islands’ artistic talents in music, brass bands, steel and calypso bands, costume design, folk dances and calypso dances. The street parades, featuring costumed bands with as many as ten sections, depict scenes from mythology and folklore, as well as contemporary and futuristic themes. A Carnival King and Queen as well as a Calypso King are chosen. The greatest experience is playing mas (participating in one of the costumed bands). (b) Canouan Annual Regatta – activities include a fishing competition, a cricket match, ‘Greasy Pig’, donkey relay races, a Queen and Calypso competition, crab races and various regattas. (c) Nine Mornings (December) – nine mornings before Christmas, people parade through the streets of Kingstown long before dawn. The most recent addition to St Vincent’s unique Christmas celebrations are the organised dances held in St Vincent’s dance halls on each of the nine mornings. Social Conventions: The Vincentians are fun-loving and easy-going people, and the informal and relaxed lifestyle combines many English influences with West Indian. The Saturday market in Kingstown is bustling with life, seemingly involving all islanders. All visitors are made welcome and casual wear is widely acceptable. Refrain, however, from wearing beachwear or mini shorts on the streets or while shopping. Tipping: Ten to 15 per cent service added to the bill. Taxi drivers do not expect tips. Business Profile Economy: St Vincent & the Grenadines is poor by Eastern Caribbean standards, with agriculture the main source of income and export earnings. Bananas are the main crop, but St Vincent is also the world’s leading producer of arrowroot and grows other exotic fruit, vegetables and root crops. Fishing has also been revitalised and a processing complex has been built with Japanese assistance. Agriculture is especially vulnerable to the unpredictable, often adverse, weather patterns of the Caribbean. Tourism is the other main component of the economy. By regional standards, this was relatively late to evolve and was initially hampered by the lack of a suitable infrastructure. This was addressed with the help of aid from the European Union and the industry is now growing rapidly: the most recent figures record its contribution to the economy at US$75 million. A small manufacturing sector and an embryonic ‘offshore’ financial services industry complete the country’s economic inventory. St Vincent is a member of the regional trading bloc CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, which is assuming a growing economic role. In addition to the USA and the UK, St Vincent has important trade links with Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St Lucia and Martinique. Business: Short- or long-sleeved shirt and tie or a safari suit are suitable for most business visits. Government office hours: These vary from department to department but generally Mon-Fri 0800-1615, with some opening for a few hours Saturday morning. Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: St Vincent & the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce, PO Box 134, Corea’s Building, Halifax Street, Kingstown (tel: 457 1464; fax: 456 2944; e-mail: svgcic@caribsurf.com; website: www.svgcic.com). Conferences/Conventions: For information, contact the St Vincent & the Grenadines Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section). Climate Tropical, with trade winds tempering the hottest months, June and July. Required clothing: Lightweights and waterproofs. History and Government History: By the time St Vincent was discovered by Christopher Columbus in January 1498, the island had been occupied for nearly 200 years – by Carib Indians from South America, who had subjugated the original Arawak Indian inhabitants. The island remained a Spanish possession until 1627, when it was granted to the British Lord Carlisle. However, the Caribs fought furiously to keep possession of it. In 1783, the Treaty of Versailles restored St Vincent to Britain, after the French had temporarily taken it. Carib resistance was finally crushed in 1795, after which the settlement of St Vincent proceeded on more conventional lines. During the late 19th and 20th centuries, St Vincent endured a series of natural disasters: in 1812, the first recorded eruption of the La Soufrière volcano, during which many lives were lost; in 1896, floods; two years later, a hurricane; and in 1902, the second eruption of La Soufrière, killing 2000 inhabitants. The next eruptions, neither of which caused loss of life, occurred in the 1970s. Soon after World War II, the right to vote was extended to the entire adult population, after decades of restriction. This was an essential preparatory move towards independence – the key issue of the day. For small Caribbean islands like St Vincent & the Grenadines, a variety of proposals were studied during the 1960s, leading to St Vincent’s adoption of Associate Statehood with the UK in 1969. Under this agreement the island was internally self-governing, while London looked after foreign and defence matters. It also gave St Vincent the right to declare full independence at any time, which it finally did in October 1979. The viability of St Vincent as a nation state has been the subject of constant debate ever since. In 1992, the New Democratic Party (NDP) administration of James Mitchell committed itself to the pursuit of a limited political and economic union with three other countries in the region – St Lucia, Dominica and Grenada. The plan is still officially on the agenda in all four states but little progress has been made towards its realisation. Frustrated by their inability to dislodge the well-entrenched NDP – which had, by this time, been in office for a decade – the main opposition party, the St Vincent Labour Party (SVLP), arranged an electoral pact and then a formal merger with two smaller socialist parties in 1994, to create the United Labour Party (ULP). Nonetheless, at the fiercely disputed general election of June 1998, the NDP retained eight seats in the House of Assembly, with the ULP taking the remaining seven. Mitchell continued in office until 2000, when he was replaced as premier by his former finance minister, Arnhim Eustace. After almost two decades in power, the NDP was finally ousted in March 2001, when the ULP won an absolute parliamentary majority. The new premier was ULP party leader Ralph Gonsalves, a former lawyer known to many as ‘Comrade Ralph’. Government: St Vincent & the Grenadines is a constitutional monarchy in which executive power is vested in the British monarch, represented locally by a Governor-General who appoints a prime minister and cabinet of ministers. Legislative power is vested in the 21-member House of Assembly, which has 15 elected representatives and six nominees (Senators). The latter are appointed by the Governor-General – four on the recommendation of the prime minister, two on that of the leader of the opposition. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.