ST GEORGE’S – Leader of the New National Party (NNP), Dr Keith Mitchell, was sworn in as prime minister of Grenada less than 24 hours after his party swept aside the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a general election.
Mitchell, 65, a mathematician, becomes the island’s ninth prime minister since it attained political independence from Britain 39 years ago.
He served as prime minister for 13 years prior to 2008 when the NNP was defeated by an 11-4 margin by the NDC. But Mitchell on Tuesday led the NNP to a clean sweep of the election.
As he took the oath of office before Governor General Sir Carlyle Glean, Mitchell repeated the message he gave supporters on Tuesday night that his administration would seek to unite the entire country following the six-week campaign.
Tomorrow has been declared a public holiday to commemorate the NNP’s electoral victory.
Meanwhile, the Organization of American States (OAS) is recommending that Grenada undertake a comprehensive review of the Representation of the Peoples Act, following the NNP’s
clean sweep.
According to the preliminary report of the OAS Observer Team that monitored the election, the review should address omissions such as the mechanisms to ensure that electors who were duly registered were entitled to exercise their franchise; the use of symbols by political parties, advance polling for election workers, and the legal personality of political parties.
It said that one of the main objectives of OAS electoral observation missions was to produce recommendations in order to contribute to the improvement of electoral systems in the countries observed.
It said in the case of Grenada, there was also need for the enactment of campaign finance regulations and reiterated the recommendation made by the previous OAS electoral observation missions to enact political party and campaign finance regulations in order to promote transparency.
The OAS mission also recommends that efforts be made by political parties and the government to promote the participation of women in electoral competition.
“In particular, the mission recommends the adoption of positive measures to ensure women are incorporated on the ballot and the promotion of training programmes for female political leaders.”
(CMC)
