By Admin. Updated 9:23 p.m., Saturday, February 15, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Lawyer and current Attorney General Mr. Grenville T. Williams has been chosen by the Unity Labour Party (ULP) South Leeward Constituency Council to represent the party in the upcoming General Election.
Mr. Williams, who is from Lower Questelles within the constituency, was selected during the ULP’s South Leeward conference held on Saturday (February 15), at the community center in Retreat, Vermont.
He was unopposed.
Mr. Williams said he accepted the nomination to a rousing round of applause from the audience.
His selection will now go to the party’s Candidate Selection Committee for final approval of the Central Executive and then to the National Council of the party.
In addition to his role as Attorney General, Mr. Williams once served as the Director of Finance for the Regional Security System – Asset Recovery Unit (RSS-ARU) and the head of the local Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
He is currently in his forties.
Previously, Mr. Williams expressed interest in contesting the seat for the ULP but was not selected at that time. However, he was unanimously chosen without opposition at tonight’s conference in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, other members of Parliament and Cabinet, and scores of delegates at the conference.
This means the island scholar will go up against former teacher, incumbent Nigel Stephenson, of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) who has held the seat since 2010.
Mr. Williams will remain in the post of Attorney General in a way that is different than the way that Grafton Isaacs, Arthur Williams, Parnel Campbell, Carlisle Dougan, Carl Williams and other did. He currently serves as a civil servant attorney general and not as an elected member of Parliament Attorney General.
South Leeward Constituency
At tonight’s conference, Mr. Williams received the support of high-taking ULP South Leeward officials including caretaker – Mineva Glasgow who contested in 2020, former candidate- Mr. David Browne who was only given six weeks to campaign in 2010, and former representative – Dr. Douglas Slater who were all present at the event. Missing was lawyer Mr. Jomo Thomas who contested the seat in 2015 for the ULP.
His candidacy was officially endorsed by former candidate David Browne.
South Leeward, the second-largest constituency in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (in terms of number of registered voters) has been held by the Labour Party three times since independence (once by the St. Vincent Labour Party and twice by the Unity Labour Party), and seven times by the New Democratic Party.
The next general election in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is constitutionally due by November 2025, with a three-month grace period.
The incumbent Unity Labour Party will be seeking a sixth consecutive term in office, having won the last five elections by 12-3 in 2001 and 2005, 8-7 in 2010 and 2015, and 9-6 in 2020.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Gonsalves endorsed Mr. Grenville Williams as the candidate for South Leeward.
Dr. Gonsalves said six new candidates will contest for the ULP. New candidates will conclude for North Windward, Dr. Grace Walters, South Leeward – Mr. Grenville Williams, West Kingstown – Ms. Keisal Peters, and new faces for South Windward, Southern Grenadines, and Central Kingstown who will be announced soon.
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