The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has mounted a ten-member CARICOM Election Observation Mission (CEOM) to observe the General Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines scheduled for 27 November 2025.
The Mission was deployed in response to an invitation extended by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in a letter dated 2 October 2025. The CARICOM Election Observation Mission will be in the country for the period 20-29 November 2025.
The CEOM is headed by the Chief of Mission, Mr. Sase R. Gunraj, Commissioner, Guyana Elections Commission.
The Chief of Mission and CARICOM Secretariat staff, who comprise the Core Group, arrived in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on 20 November 2025. The remaining members of the observation team are expected to arrive by 23 November 2025.
To date, the CEOM has met with the Honourable Daniel Cummings, Chairman of the New Democratic Party (NDP), representing Dr. Godwin Friday, Leader of the Opposition and of the NDP, and Dr. Doris Frederick, Leader of the National Liberation Movement (NLM). We have also met with representatives of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union, the Voice of the Disabled, and the media.
In the coming days, the CEOM is scheduled to meet with Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP), Ms. Dora James, Supervisor of Elections, and Mr. Enville Williams, Commissioner of Police. The team will also engage with other political actors and civil society institutions. These engagements are expected to provide the CEOM with a first-hand account of the pre-election atmosphere and assess the level of preparedness for the holding of the elections.
The role of the CEOM Observers on Election Day is to observe the electoral process, including preparations for the start of the poll, the casting of votes, the closure of the polling stations, the counting of the ballots, and the declaration of results. The CEOM will also assess the immediate post-election atmosphere.
Following the conclusion of the Election Day activities on 27 November 2025, and prior to the departure of the CEOM on 29 November 2025, a Preliminary Statement will be issued, outlining the Mission’s initial assessment of the electoral process.
A detailed Final Report providing a summary of the Mission’s comprehensive findings and recommendations will subsequently be prepared. This Report will be submitted to Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, and subsequently made public.
