What was October 27th, 2025 all About?

I don’t believe that 46 years was anything of significance to most people. But after all, it is one more than forty five but certainly four years short of fifty years, the Jubilee year.

Unlike the majority of Vincentians, I do not get excited about celebrating the date of the recovery of our Independence.

I guess it started with the manner in which that day came about. Most civic and other organisations attempted to be part of the process and to attach meaning to the process and event. Unfortunately, the political directorate did not see it that way and insulted the many organisations that had actually submitted suggestions for the Independence constitution. Maybe they were right because it was manufactured and meant to be, in England. It advanced the Statehood constitution in that we were then allowed to take control of our own external affairs and defence. The British monarch was still Head of State, and the Privy Council was our final Court of Appeal. Since then, the Caribbean Court of Justice was brought into existence, but we only adhere to its position re the interpretation of the Revised Treaty of Chaugaramus.

The 27th October annually is the time I reflect on the road we have travelled since Independence. That is not to say that there hasn’t been some advancements, but it depends on how you look at it. There is the argument that much more has been done in islands like Martinique and Guadeloupe which remain colonies of France. The same cannot be said about Anguilla, the BVI, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos. Perhaps the exception here is the Cayman Islands with a population of between 88,000 and 90,000 which has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. But what does Independence really mean? Will we want to give up our Independence and be the French type of Martinique and Guadeloupe? When I first went to Guadeloupe it appeared to me that I was living in a European country. That might mean different things to different people.

In the normal October Independence Anniversary, there is a lot of focus by the women on fashion. It looks particularly on October 27th as a fashion show. This year I was shocked by the number of KFC ads as though they were saying you could talk as much Independence as you like, but we are here to offer you our fast food. You pay little attention to your national dish and eat KFC. We have to ask ourselves the meaning of Independence or is it still about Flag and Anthem?
This year, Independence is about Elections. October was the time we were approaching the climax to the election campaigns. The Independence celebrations normally attract large gatherings. Persons this year went to the official military parade to hear what the Prime Minister had to give away, really not to give away, but what he had in store for them. Perhaps not give outs but to give us things which had been neglected over the years. I was struck by the removal of VAT on a certain number of goods but was not struck by when it was announced. Persons expected that the PM would have announced the election date during his Independence Message. He of course did the right thing. The next day at a rally of his party he announced to the nation that the people of the country will go to the polls on November 27.

This is what the month of Anniversary celebrations meant. There was much tension and heightened expectations about elections. With that announcement the tempo is moving to a higher level. The divisions will increase and the colours Yellow and Red will take over the country. Foolish political conversations will continue. Heidi Badnock captures it in a piece in I Witness News, “Ah not voting! ULP dey dey too long and NDP nah ha’ no plan!” She continues, “Your skipping the voting process but choosing to remain glued to Facebook posts and stuck in comment sections, griping about everything under the sun, does absolutely nothing for you or any of us since we are forced to live with the consequences of your inaction.”

She sought to bring some sanity to the foolish political conversations and to remind us that we are responsible for the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“What e’er the future brings, Our faith will see us through”!

Do we not have a part in the process?

• Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian