Arnhim Ulric Eustace is a
VincentianSaint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
politician and
economistEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, who was the
third Prime MinisterA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and is the current leader of the
New Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party is a conservative political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The party is led by Arnhim Eustace, and is currently the official opposition in the House of Assembly.-History:...
(NDP).
Eustace is currently the
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the
constituencyAn electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
of East Kingstown and the
Leader of the OppositionParliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
in the
House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesThe House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a unicameral legislature that serves as the legislative body for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines....
.
On 27 October 2000, Eustace succeeded
James Fitz-Allen MitchellSir James Fitz-Allen Mitchell was the second Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the founder of the New Democratic Party . He also served as Premier of the then colony from 1972 to 1974.-Life and career:...
as the leader of the NDP. Eustace's NDP was defeated in the 2001 general election in which the party was reduced to 3 seats, producing a majority government for the
Unity Labour PartyThe Unity Labour Party is a democratic socialist political party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Currently the governing party, it is led by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.-History:...
.
In the 2005 general election, Eustace's NDP also won 3 seats. In the
2010 general electionParliamentary elections were held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 13 December 2010. The date of these elections was announced at the Calliaqua Playing Field by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on 14 November 2010. It was also announced that parliament would be dissolved on 15 November and...
, Eustace's NDP saw an increase in the popular vote to 48.67%, winning 7 seats in a close election. The number required to form a majority in the
House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesThe House of Assembly of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a unicameral legislature that serves as the legislative body for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines....
is 8, and the NDP did not form government.
Education and career
Eustace attended St Vincent Boys' Grammar School. He attended
Sir George William UniversityConcordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
in
MontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
,
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he earned a bachelor's degree in
economicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
In 1977, Eustace joined the
Caribbean Development BankThe Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries...
in Barbados. He rose from Administrative Officer through the ranks of the institution, ultimately becoming Director of Projects before repatriating to St. Vincent in 1993.
In 1985 Eustace was for 18 months seconded by the CDB to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which assigned him to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to review and implement changes to the public finance system and to manage government finances as Director General of Finance and Planning.
Upon his 1993 return to St. Vincent, Eustace was appointed Fiscal Adviser to the Government of St. Viincent and the Grenadines.
In 1998, he resigned from the public service and ran for political office, winning the East Kingstown parliamentary seat (which he has won for the past 4 consecutive elections by increasing margins of victory). Following the 1998 general election, he was appointed Minister of Finance, Planning and the Public Service. Later that year he was offered the post of Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which he declined.
From 1993 to 1998 Eustace was chairman of WIBDECO as well as the Joint Venture Holding Companies in the UK. He headed the Windward Islands negotiating team for the acquisition of GEEST Bananas in a joint venture with Fyffes of Ireland. Eustace was chairman of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).He was also the Government Director on the board of the East Caribbean Group of Companies.
In 2000, Eustace was elected leader of the New Democratic Party and upon the October 2000 retirement of Sir James Mitchell, became prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines until the NDP's loss at the March 2001 General Elections.
Eustace remains president of The New Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition. In the three general elections his party has contested since he took the helm, the NDP has risen from 3-12 to 7-8, within narrow reach of forming government.