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World > North America
> Saint Vincent and the Grenadines > Government and Political Conditions (Notes)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Government and Political Conditions (Notes) |
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GOVERNMENT St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is represented on the island by a governor general, an office with mostly ceremonial functions. Control of the government rests with the prime minister and the cabinet.
The parliament is a unicameral body, consisting of 15 elected members and six appointed senators. The governor general appoints senators, four on the advice of the prime minister and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition. The parliamentary term of office is five years, although the prime minister may call elections at any time.
As in other English-speaking Caribbean countries, the judiciary in St. Vincent is rooted in British common law. There are 11 courts in three magisterial districts. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, comprising a High Court and a Court of Appeals, is known in St. Vincent as the St. Vincent and the Grenadines supreme court. The court of last resort is the judicial committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council in London.
There is no local government in St. Vincent, and all six parishes are administered by the central government.
Principal Government Officials Head of State--Queen Elizabeth II Governor General--Sir Frederick Ballantyne Prime Minister--Ralph E. Gonsalves Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Trade--Sir Louis Straker Ambassador to the United States and the OAS--Ellsworth I. A. John Ambassador to the UN--Margaret Hughes Ferrari
St. Vincent and the Grenadines maintains an embassy at 3216 New Mexico Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016 (tel. 202-364-6730). St. Vincent also has a consul resident in New York.
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