St. Vincent and the Grenadines has passed legislation allowing public servants to run for elections without losing their employment or benefits.
The bill was piloted through Parliament by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
Gonsalves says the move has been under consideration since independence in 1979.
The bill won support from the parliamentary Opposition.
Gonsalves says despite the change in the law, a narrow group of public servants remains barred.
The group includes magistrates, registrars, legal officers, the deputy director of audits, deputy accountant general, deputy controller of customs and exercise, the deputy comptroller of inland revenue, the deputy supervisor of elections and the director of Maritime Administration.
