1979 Vincentian general election

General elections were held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 5 December 1979.[1] The result was a victory for the Saint Vincent Labour Party (SVLP), which won eleven of the thirteen seats. Voter turnout was 63.9%.[2]

1979 Vincentian general election

5 December 1979

13 seats in the House of Assembly
7 seats needed for a majority
Turnout63.9% (Increase 0.7%)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Milton Cato James Mitchell
Party SVLP New Democratic
Leader's seat West St. George Grenadines
Last election 69.0%, 10 seats
Seats won 11 2
Seat change Increase 1 New
Popular vote 17,876 9,022
Percentage 54.2% 27.4%
Swing Decrease 14.8% New

Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Office created

Elected Prime Minister

Milton Cato
SVLP

Campaign

Fifty candidates contested the 13 seats from four parties. The SVLP led by Milton Cato, Prime Minister since 1974; the People's Political Party (PPP), the SVLP's traditional rival, headed by Ebenezer Joshua; the New Democratic Party, led by James Fitz-Allen Mitchell; and the United People's Movement of Ralph Gonsalves, which contested elections for the first time. All four groups presented a similar manifesto but ideologically the United People's Movement was oriented to the left much as the political groups which had recently come to power in Grenada and Saint Lucia. The SVLP (considered a moderate socialist party), the centrist New Democratic Party and the People's Political Party were oriented to the right.[3]

Results

On polling day, the SVLP obtained a clear victory as it captured 11 of the 13 seats. The other two seats went to New Democratic Party candidates although the NDP leader, James Mitchell, was himself defeated. Voter turnout was 63.9%, up only slightly from 63.2% in 1974.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Saint Vincent Labour Party17,87654.2411+1
New Democratic Party9,02227.382New
United People's Movement4,46713.550New
People's Political Party1,4924.530–2
Independents980.300New
Total32,955100.00130
Valid votes32,95599.04
Invalid/blank votes3210.96
Total votes33,276100.00
Registered voters/turnout52,07363.90
Source: Nohlen

By constituency

Constituency Registered
voters
Party Votes
SVLP NDP UPM PPP Independents Valid Invalid Total Turnout
Votes  % Votes  % Votes  % Votes  % Votes  %
North Windward2,94371835.556628.026813.336217.9984.92,01282,02068.6
North Central Windward4,5821,72556.163320.658218.91153.73,055193,07467.1
South Central Windward3,5691,00644.165828.838316.82269.92,273102,28364.0
South Windward3,4751,39159.561126.130513.02,307322,33967.3
Marriaqua3,5271,80782.122910.41356.1120.52,183182,20162.4
East St. George4,3501,96274.041615.72378.9150.62,630222,65261.0
West St. George4,8151,60855.732211.241914.551017.72,859262,88559.9
East Kingstown4,4251,36956.347819.746819.3813.32,396342,43054.9
West Kingstown4,4041,58663.451420.537915.12,479242,50356.8
South Leeward4,7401,67851.698930.449115.1280.93,186633,24968.5
Central Leeward3,1601,36060.629113.055324.7221.02,226172,24371.0
North Leeward4,2531,38444.51,44846.62477.9150.53,094163,11073.1
Grenadines3,83028212.31,86781.61064.62,255322,28759.7
Total52,07317,87654.29,02227.44,46713.61,4924.5980.332,95532133,27663.9

Seats, of total, by party

  SVLP (84.6%)
  NDP (15.6%)

Votes, of total, by party

  SVLP (54.2%)
  NDP (27.4%)
  PPP (4.5%)
  UPM (13.6%)
  Independents (0.3%)

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p600 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  2. Nohlen, p603
  3. "General Election Results - 5 December 1979". Caribbean Elections. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
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