About Ralph E. Gonsalves

BRIEF PROFILE OF DR. THE HON. RALPH E. GONSALVES

PRIME MINISTER OF ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

Ralph Everard Gonsalves was born on August 8, 1946 to Alban Gonsalves and Theresa Francis, in Colonarie, a rural village in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  He is married to Eloise Gonsalves nee Harris and has three sons (Camillo, Adam and Storm), and two daughters (Isis and Soleil).

Dr. Gonsalves was educated in St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Colonarie Roman Catholic School and at the St. Vincent Boys’ Grammar School.  He later completed a bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of the West Indies, there obtaining several noteworthy accolades including, President of the Debating Society and President of the Guild of Undergraduates.  In 1971, he obtained a master's in Government from the University of the West Indies. In 1974 and 1981 he obtained a Ph.D in Government and a Degree of Utter Barrister at University of Manchester, England and Gray’s Inn, London, respectively.

Dr. Gonsalves became the Deputy Political Leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) in 1994.  The ULP, a merger of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Labour Party and the Movement for National Unity (MNU), a political party which at the time of the merger Dr. Gonsalves was the leader, won the St. Vincent and the Grenadines General Elections held on March 28, 2001.  At the time of the elections, Dr. Gonsalves had since been elected to Political Leader of the ULP and such he became the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on that same date, March 28, 2001.  He has remained Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines since then, winning the elections again in December, 2005.

Concurrently while pursuing his political career and prior to his becoming the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Gonsalves practiced law extensively and successfully before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in a wide range of matters, but particularly in the fields of constitutional law, administrative law, matrimonial law, real property law, law of tort generally and the law of contract.

Dr. Gonsalves has researched, written and published extensively on a range of matters touching upon the Caribbean, Africa, trade unionism, comparative political economy, and developmental issues generally.  Among his four latest publications are: History and the Future: A Caribbean Perspective (Quik Print, St. Vincent, 1994); The Politics of Our Caribbean Civilisation – Essays and Speeches (Great Works Depot, St. Vincent, 2001); Diary of a Prime Minister: Ten days among Benedictine Monks (SFI Books, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2010) and The Making of ‘The Comrade: The political journey of Ralph Gonsalves (SFI Books, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 2010).

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Postal Address:          Administrative Centre, Bay Street, Kingstown

                                    St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Telephone:                  1 784 456-1703

Facsimile:                   1 784 457-2152

E-mail:                         pmosvg@vincysurf.com 

Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Website: http://www.gov.vc/

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