Caribbean Elections and Politics

For the longest while I have been wanting to write about the politics and specifically the recent elections in the region. After the first couple of them in Dominica last December and St Kitts and Nevis, where the incumbent party won, I was tempted to write that the so-called wind of change from 2008 had stopped blowing, but then came elections in Anguilla couple days ago and what do you know, the wind of change picked up again and there was a change of government. I am sure the other ruling parties in the region for whom elections are close, were perhaps feeling a little more comfortable, but for Anguilla. It perhaps reminded those ruling parties of the harsh realities of Caribbean politics.

The elections bells must surely to close to ringing in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where elections are constitutionally due by March 2011. I am sure the Comrade will wait for as long as possible to repair some of the damage done by his ruling party loosing the constitutional referendum late last year. My guess is that had the “yes” vote won the referendum elections would have been called already, but having lost that crucial vote, the Comrade and his strategists have to think agian. I would think that a post-carnival or even post-Christmas elections is possible.

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