General elections were held on Tuesday, 16 May 1989 for all the Representatives in the House of Assembly on the normal expiry of their term of office.  Two seats were added since last elections increasing the number of elected seats to 15.

The unicameral Parliament of St. Vincent, the House of Assembly, comprises 15 elected Representatives and six Senators appointed by the Governor-General – four on the advice of the Prime Minister and two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.  The normal duration of the legislature is five years.

As a result of the 1989 general elections, the centrist, ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) won all 15 elective seats in the House of Assembly and more than 66% of the votes cast, thus also capturing the three seats that had belonged to the opposition Labour Party.  Two minor opposition groups also failed to gain representation.  Voter turnout was 72.4%.

This outcome meant that James Mitchell – an advocate of a union of eastern Caribbean countries – was returned for a second term as Prime Minister.  He subsequently reshuffled his 10-member Cabinet.