WASHINGTON, CMC - The Organization of American States (OAS) has signed an agreement with the Grenada government to observe the February 19 general elections. The OAS said Secretary General José Miguel Insulza and Grenada’s the permanent representative to the hemispheric body Gillian Bristol signed the agreement on the privileges and immunities of observers, “which provides the conditions for the work of the electoral observation mission (EOM) to accompany the general elections in the country.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC –The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) seeking a second consecutive term in office, has accused the former New National Party (NNP) government of running up a high public debt and preventing the Tillman Thomas administration from carrying out its plans and promises made to the electorate in 2008. Sport Minister Patrick Simmons, speaking at an NDC political rally said that the NDC government has repaid more than EC$350 million (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) in debt inherited from the Keith Mitchell led administration.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) says agriculture minister Michael Denis Lett, who died from prostate cancer on Monday will be remembered for “his selfless dedication to service, his wisdom and patience as a leader (and) his ability to work across the political divide”. It said Grenada would also remember Lett, 74, for his “heroic stand in defense of the people’s right of access to the La Sagesse beach in 1973 and his willingness to sacrifice his freedom in defense of his principles.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenada’s oldest political party said Monday that it will not contest the February 19 general elections, effectively making the contest a two-way race between the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New National Party (NNP). “We decided at a meeting on Saturday that we will not contest because we have some things to get done, we are just not ready to contest the elections,” said the interim leader of the 62-year-old Grenada United Labour Party (GULP), Wilfred Haynes.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The main opposition New National Party (NNP) is likely to win the February 19 general elections with more seats than it had before it was swept out of power in 2008, according to a new opinion poll published here on Monday.
The poll by the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES) predicts that the NNP, which lost the 2008 election by an 11-4 margin, is benefitting from an 11 per cent swing away from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).